For certain hormones, we prefer to use saliva testing. It's an accurate and convenient method (you can collect the samples at home) that we've used for years to ascertain a person's true hormone levels. 

 

There's a strong correlation between salivary hormone levels and the amount of 'active' hormones in the bloodstream.  Most of your hormones are in your bloodstream, in 'storage' in a sense. They're attached to a carrier protein and when in this state, they aren't really being used.  However, a certain amount of each hormone detaches from the carrier protein, exits the bloodstream and enters the tissue where it performs it's actions. Then, the hormone leaves the tissue through the saliva where we can measure the actual levels of hormones that are available to your tissues. 

 

Using this form of testing is extremely helpful in pinning down why a person, despite having normal blood levels of hormones, is still have a variety of hormonal symptoms.  And, it's also very enlightening looking at several hormones together (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and cortisol) and at varying times to get the whole hormonal picture.  It's rare for one hormone to be 'off', without affecting the entire hormonal system. 

 

Interpreting hormones in this way is extremely detailed but provides a lot of answers as to why a person is having a variety of symptoms. 

 

By the way, we test what are typically considered 'male' and 'female' hormones in both men and women, because both sexes do make small amounts of the opposite sex's typical hormones.  For example, men make a bit of estrogen (and a lot when they have plenty of adipose, or fat cells on their body and women make some testosterone as well.  These 'opposite sex' hormones can have powerful (often negative) effects when found in excess levels.

 

Hormone balance is fascinating and looking at hormone profiles always reveals interesting insights into a person's physiology!

 

We use the saliva test kit to look at Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, DHEAS (dehydroepiandrosterone), and Cortisol.  As part of the comprehensive test, an Adrenal Stress Index test is included.  We use blood to look at thyroid hormones, because it's just a better medium for that, like it is for many other metabolites. 

 

Sample Salivary Hormone Report