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Saliva Hormone Test Kit
Saliva hormone testing starting at $50 for 2 hormones
Important Note: New York State Law prohibits the testing of specimens
collected in or mailed from New York. We cannot accept any orders for hormone
testing from New York.
California State health law prohibits the testing of specimens
collected or mailed from California without a written order from a health care
provider authorized to prescribe in California. If you are located in
California you will have to include the approval of your care provider along
with your specimen sample.
Testing is only available for United States customers. We cannot ship
test kits out of the U.S.
Saliva Hormone Testing
Saliva testing can be used to determine your current hormonal
state as well as monitor your supplementation with natural hormone
products. These are the tests available:
2 hormones - estradiol and progesterone
4 hormones - estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA or
4 hormones - Cortisol Panel: 4 Diurnal Cortisol: am, noon, evening and pm.
(Please specify in the "comments" section on the order form if you want the 4 hormone Cortisol Panel)
5 hormones - "Basic Hormone Panel" includes: estradiol, progesterone,
testosterone, DHEA and AM cortisol
6 hormones - "Short Comprehensive Panel" includes: estradiol,
progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and AM/PM cortisol
8 hormones - "Comprehensive Hormone Panel" includes estradiol,
progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and 4 cortisol (AM/noon/evening/PM)
The hormone test kit comes with prepaid postage to mail directly to the
lab. The test results will be sent back to you either by email or postal mail.
Please include your email address with your order so you can receive the
results faster. Each kit includes a $3.50 fee for prepaid UPS shipping to
the lab.
Additional information about hormone testing:
Why Test Hormones
By Jay H Mead MD and Erin Lommen ND
Why do I need hormone testing? One size does not fit all when it
comes to hormones! For decades western medicine has prescribed HRT as if
everyone needed the same thing and the same amount. Nothing could be further
from the truth. Your hormones are like your fingerprints and in order to
achieve optimal health, you need to know what your specific imbalances are.
To find out about your hormonal status you’ll need to have lab tests
performed. But what kind? There are several ways to test (saliva, serum
and urine), but the state-of-the-art testing is through saliva. This is
because it measures only the active portions of your hormones and it is these
portions that determine how you feel. So if you’re seeking bio-identical
hormone replacement (BHRT), you’ll need to know active hormone levels. In
addition, if using a topical (transdermal) hormone preparation for treatment,
saliva testing is the most accurate tool to measure and monitor your hormone
status.
Which hormones need testing? The major players in the sex hormone
arena are estradiol, progesterone and testosterone. The main adrenal hormones
are DHEA and cortisol. These five hormones will provide crucial information
about your deficiencies, excesses and daily patterns, which then results in a
treatment approach specifically tailored for you and one far more beneficial
than the old “shotgun” approach. Below is a brief description of each of these
five hormones to refresh your memory about what each one does and how they
interact.
Estrogen: there are three forms made by the body: estrone,
estradiol and estriol. The form used in past hormone replacement therapies is
estradiol, often in the form of concentrated pregnant mare’s urine (premarin).
It is a proliferative (causes growth) hormone that grows the lining of the
uterus. It is also a known cancer-causing hormone: breast and endometrial
(uterine) in women and prostate gland in men. It will treat menopausal
symptoms like hot flashes, insomnia and memory-loss. With the bio-identical
formulas estriol is matched with estradiol (biest) to provide protective
effects and additional estrogenic benefits. The other major protector in
keeping estradiol from running amok is progesterone.
Progesterone is called the anti-estrogen because it balances
estradiol’s proliferative effects. It is considered preventive for breast and
prostate cancers as well as osteoporosis. In addition too little progesterone
promotes depression, irritability, increased inflammation, irregular menses,
breast tenderness, urinary frequency and prostate gland enlargement (BPH).
Testosterone is an anabolic hormone (builds tissue) that is
essential for men and women. The proper level of testosterone is necessary for
bone health, muscle strength, stamina, sex drive and performance, heart
function and mental focus. DHEA is an important adrenal gland hormone, which
is essential for energy production and blood sugar balance.
DHEA is a precursor to other hormones, mainly testosterone.
Cortisol is your waking day hormone (highest in the morning and
lowest at night). It is necessary for energy production, blood sugar
metabolism, anti-inflammatory effects and stress response. (More infomation
below on cortisol)
Some of the common imbalances identified through testing include
estrogen dominance, estrogen deficiency, progesterone deficiency, androgen
(testosterone and DHEA) excess or deficiencies, adrenal dysfunction and
adrenal fatigue.
State-of-the-Art Saliva Testing
This testing is accurate, easy to collect, FDA approved and has
rapid results (turn-around-time). Labrix Clinical Services, Inc is owned and
operated by board certified pathologist; Jay H Mead MD, FASCP. Labrix is
unique because it delivers accurate results requiring a much smaller sample
size (one fifth the volume previously required). Sample collection only takes
2-3 minutes. Four samples are collected and pooled to give a truer reflection
of hormone levels (hormones fluctuate dramatically throughout the day, thus
one sample does not reflect your average levels). The exception is cortisol,
which has its own daily rhythm, and is measured before the samples are pooled.
With this state-of-the-art saliva testing you will find solutions to your
health problems which until now have gone unexplained.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your hormone levels are as unique and varied as the fingerprints on your
hands. So you need a hormonal program that is tailored to you. "One size fits
all" does not apply when it comes to hormone balancing.
• Testing your baseline levels before beginning hormone supplementation
is essential to regaining hormone balance.
• Testing your hormone levels will empower you and ensure that a hormone
supplementation plan is tailored for only you and your specific complaints.
• Hormones are not like candy. Even though they can be purchased over
the counter like chocolate bars and vitamins, hormones are extremely powerful
chemicals, which influence and alter the function of your body. Hormones can
be harmful to your health when used incorrectly
“Sex” hormones are what most people think of when hormone
balancing is discussed. This would include estrogen, progesterone,
testosterone, and DHEA.
Glucocorticoids (primarily cortisol) are another set of hormones that
are extremely important in maintaining immunity, energy, and ability to deal
with stress. They too must be considered in the overall picture of health and
hormone balancing.
-
cortisol
is produced by the adrenal glands in response to stressors such as emotional
upheaval, exercise, surgery, illness or starvation
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cortisol
plays an essential role in immune function, mobilizing the body's defenses
against viral or bacterial infection, and fighting inflammation
-
however,
chronic elevated cortisol levels suppress the action of the immune system and
predispose it to frequent infections
-
cortisol
levels are highest first thing in the morning to combat the stress of
overnight fasting and to animate the body for the day's activities
Why is saliva used for testing?
Saliva has several obvious advantages over blood for testing of
hormones. For example saliva:
• is simple to collect
• can be done in the privacy of your home under stress-free conditions
• can be collected at the optimal time of day
Blood, on the other hand:
• requires a specialist in blood collection procedures
• must be done at the hospital or clinic
• is stressful
• often cannot be collected at the proper time of day
But the most important reason is that saliva is the most accurate method
of evaluating your hormone status. Only about 1-5% of the hormones in blood
are in the unbound or “free” form. The remaining 95-99% are tightly bound to
blood proteins. It is this unbound fraction of hormones that enters tissues
throughout your body, including the salivary glands. Hence, salivary hormones
are representative of the free or unbound hormones in blood that are
"bioavailable" to tissues of your body. Saliva testing is the most accurate
method of evaluating your hormone status, including how hormone replacement
therapy, topical hormone creams, diet, herbal therapy, and exercise influence
your hormone levels.
2 hormones - estradiol and progesterone
4 hormones - estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA or
4 hormones - Cortisol Panel: 4 Diurnal Cortisol: am, noon,
evening and pm.
(Please let us know in "comments" section on the order form which of the
"4 hormone" tests you are requesting)
5 hormones - "Basic Hormone Panel" includes: estradiol,
progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and AM cortisol
6 hormones - "Short Comprehensive Panel" includes: estradiol,
progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and AM/PM cortisol
8 hormones - "Comprehensive Hormone Panel" includes estradiol,
progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and 4 cortisol (AM/noon/evening/PM
The hormone test kit comes with prepaid postage to mail directly to the
lab. The test results will be sent back to you either by email or postal mail.
Please include your email address with your order so you can receive the
results faster. We will email you your results in a PDF file as soon as we receive them. If you need help interpreting the results, please email us with your questions. We will be happy to contact Labrix to try and get answers to your questions. However, we (Natural Alternative Solutions) are not able to interpret your hormone testing results. We are not doctors.Each kit includes a $3.50 fee for prepaid UPS shipping to the lab.
After you receive your test results you may want to click on the link below (How to read your saliva test) for information on how to interpret your results. Virginia Hopkins gives very good information on this subject.
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