Here are SIX Occasions When you Want to Test your Hormones
It is best that almost every woman should test her sex hormones eventually. It's like testing cholesterol, blood counts, electrolytes, liver enzymes, blood sugar and thyroid - yearly or every other year - to try to catch something hidden but dangerous.
You have unexplained symptoms of hormone change.
You have irregular periods.
Your periods have stopped and you have symptoms of hormone change and are NOT using Bioidentical Hormone Replacement.
Your periods have stopped and you have symptoms of hormone change and ARE using Bioidentical Hormone Replacement.
You have one first degree relative with a family history of one or more forms of a female cancer (Breast, Uterine or Ovarian Cancer)
Your are in the obese category - meaning your BMI (body mass index) is 30 or greater.
Be aware though - testing your hormones properly - especially if you are currently or PLANNING to use any form of TOPICAL hormones - means you need to test by Saliva OR Blood Spot (Capilary) testing.
Venous blood testing is NOT accurate if you are using a topical hormone replacement. AND if you are PLAN to start a topical treatment, (this includes patches), then you might as well test by Saliva or Blood Spot so you have the correct BASELINE testing to use for comparison in the future.
Blood Testing is only accurate, (partially accurate), if you take ORAL hormone replacement - which is no longer the most highly recommended form of hormone replacement.
AND, with Venous Blood testing, the reference ranges are so broad, don't account for age differences, time of day the testing was done, OR current hormone supplementation... it's simply a no brainer to me to stay away from Venous Blood Testing.
Saliva or Blood Spot testing through a Specialty Hormone Testing Lab, (such as ZRT), is also the form of testing the American Academy of Anti-Aging recommends we encourage our patients to use for all of these reasons.
Use a Saliva or Blood Spot Test from a reliable hormone lab such as ZRT.
The nice thing is that you can do Saliva and Blood Spot testing in the comfort and privacy of your home and they both are far less expensive than blood testing. Double benefit - more convenient and less expensive!
You can find ZRT kits here on my website under "Testing!"
You can find ZRT kits here on my website under "Testing!"
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