Saliva Hormone Testing

Hormonal imbalances play a part in many health-related problems. Knowing your saliva hormone levels is an important first step in assessing hormone imbalances that may be causing unwanted symptoms and chronic health problems... like fatigue, low sex drive, hot flashes, foggy thinking, stress, mood swings, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression.

Why Saliva Testing?

Saliva testing is the most reliable way to measure free, "bio-available" hormone activity, that is, the hormones actually doing their jobs at the cell level.

No needles! Saliva collection is painless and easy and can be done conveniently in your own home.

Saliva testing shows patterns over a period of time, for example throughout the entire menstrual cycle.

Saliva testing shows multiple hormone levels and their functional interaction.

Saliva tests are cheaper than similar blood serum tests.

These common conditions are associated with hormone imbalances:

Menopause and Perimenopause
Around the age of 51 a woman has a decline in ovarian function, signalling the end of her reproductive years. The stage leading to the eventual end of menstruation, called perimenopause, can last anywhere from 6 months to 10 years. However, although this is a normal process, women can experience menopause-related symptoms, such as: hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irritability, vaginal dryness, weight gain and memory lapses.

Andropause
The production of male hormones doesn’t stop abruptly, the production of hormones by the testes tapers steadily with age. This decrease in hormone production is related to changes in sexual function, mood, energy level, and body composition and is characterized by the following symptoms: lower sex drive, erectile dysfunction, decreased muscle strength and mass, bone loss, decreased mental clarity, low energy level and fatigue.

Insulin Resistance
The hormone insulin enables cells to convert food into energy. When cells lose their ability to respond to insulin, or become resistant to its effects, the pancreas responds by making more insulin. This leads to overly high levels of insulin in the blood. Excess insulin signals cells to hold onto fat instead of using it for energy. This can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal triglyceride levels, imbalances in blood glucose metabolism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.

Hypothyroidism
Low thyroid hormone levels cause body metabolism to slow down causing symptoms like: fatigue, sluggishness, depression, low libido, cold hands and feet, feeling cold all the time, weight gain, inability to lose weight, thinning hair, brittle nails, and dry skin.

Estrogen Dominance
Estrogen and progesterone levels must be balanced in order to work together efficiently. Estrogen Dominance is when there is too much estrogen in relationship to the amount of progesterone being produced in the body and is as a result of:

estrogens in foods and the environment
synthetic hormone use (HRT)
obesity
low progesterone levels due to lack of ovulation

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
The cause of PCOS is unknown. It is a condition in which cysts form in the ovaries, disrupting ovulation, leasing to infertility and other menstrual problems. It is marked by several hormonal imbalances.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Female hormone levels rise and fall, triggering ovulation and menstruation, during the course of a normal menstrual cycle. When one or more hormones out of balance, hormonal shifts during the menstrual cycle can bring uncomfortable physical or emotional symptoms.

Osteoporosis
Men as well as women lose bone mass as they age. However, in women, declining production of estrogen and progesterone after menopause speeds up this process. Existing imbalances of testosterone, cortisol and thyroid hormone can also contribute to bone loss leading to thinning bones, brittle bones, fractures and loss of height.

Endometriosis
During a normal menstrual cycle the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) thickens and is then normally sloughed off during a period. With endometriosis, the endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus, on the ovaries and other structures in the pelvis, such as the bladder and can become inflamed leading to pelvic pain, inflammation, menstrual irregularities and fertility problems.

Breast Conditions
Breast tissue contains estrogen receptors. High levels of estrogen or an estrogen/progesterone imbalance (estrogen dominance) can be linked to premenstrual breast tenderness , breast pain, fibrocystic breast changes, breast lumps and breast cancer.

Infertility
Infertility can be associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Also, an imbalance of the female hormones can disrupt ovulation and hormonal imbalance can also interfere with the ability of a fertilized egg to implant and develop in the uterus leading to difficulty becoming pregnant or an inability to maintain a pregnancy.

Adrenal insufficiency
The adrenal glands normally secrete cortisol in response to stress, exercise and excitement, and in reaction to low blood sugar. However, too much physical or emotional stress over a prolonged period can cause the glands to reduce their output of adrenal hormones.