Hormone Tests

An imbalance of hormones in the body can have negative impacts on your physical and mental health. It can cause some serious health problems like:

• Kidney problems
• Cancer
• Diabetes

Why do we use salivary hormone testing?

At East West Natural Medicine Group, we use salivary hormone testing to assess your reproductive hormones, your body’s stress response, and your sleep hormones.

Salivary testing has been used to accurately measure and assess the hormone status in men and women of all ages since the 1960s. We use this method for lots of different reasons:

• It is non-invasive: You can collect the specimen(s) in the comfort and privacy of your own home before it is sent for pathology testing.
• It is effective: Salivary hormone testing has been proven to provide accurate assessments of menstrual irregularities, climatic changes for peri and postmenopausal women, and andropause changes in men.
• It tests for a wide range of hormones: Oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, melatonin, DHEA, and cortisol can all be tested through salivary hormone testing to give both you and your Natural Medicine Practitioner an overall view of your hormones.
• It helps us form a treatment plan: From just one simple non-invasive collection, the results obtained from your test makes it possible for our Natural Medicine Practitioners to create a personalised and effective treatment plan for you to have optimal hormone balance.

Female Hormone Profile

Hormones are tremendously complex. During the pre-menopausal years, imbalanced hormones can pose challenges with mood stabilisation, conception, and a regular menstrual cycle. The Female Hormone Profile provides valuable information on your hormonal status and the potential impact this may have on your physical and emotional health.

Because of the role hormones play as chemical messengers to the genomes that specify target issues in your body, it makes sense that all hormone systems work together to maintain a state of balance.

Some common hormone related conditions are:

• Hot flushes
• Weight gain
• Night sweats
• Depression
• Irregular menstruation
• Mood changes
• Brain fog
• Vaginal dryness
• Bone loss
• Dry skin
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Low libido
• Infertility
• Miscarriage
• Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
• Menopause
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Male Hormone Profile

Do you know that from the age of thirty, the aging male experiences a 10% decrease of testosterone every decade?

The reduction of testosterone and other androgens in aging men is called Andropause or Androgen Deficiency of the Ageing Male (ADAM).

The basic male hormone profile is a unique and accurate analysis of your hormone status. It provides insights into a wide range of conditions and disorders you may face as you age such as reduced libido, cardiovascular disease, and other hormone related imbalance symptoms.

Other common conditions of andropause are:

• Poor memory
• Poor attention and poor concentration
• Fatigue
• Anxiety and depression
• Erectile dysfunction
• Muscle weakness
• Impaired immune system
• Prostate cancer
• Diabetes
• Hypoglycaemia
• Inflammatory conditions
• Male pattern balding

Sleep Hormone

Insomnia is defined as a repeated difficulty with sleep initiation, maintenance, duration and/or quality of sleep. This occurs despite adequate opportunity and time for sleep and results in daytime impairment.

Mild (transient or short term) insomnia is known to affect between 30-50% of the general population. Chronic insomnia affects 9-15% of the general population. Insomnia affects energy levels, memory, concentration and problem-solving skills.

Sleeplessness not only affects you personally, but it also produces social stress, lowered employee productivity, and higher number of accidents. Therefore, it is vital that the cause and treatment of insomnia is adequately addressed.

Insomnia can also cause some common conditions such as:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Hair loss
• Depression

The Sleep Profile is a simple salivary test that assesses two major causes of insomnia: imbalances in melatonin and cortisol.

Melatonin is a peptide hormone produced by the pineal gland, which helps to control normal sleep patterns. Deficiencies of this hormone can lead to insomnia. 

Imbalances in the 24-hour pattern of the glucocorticoid hormone, cortisol, can also lead to sleep disturbances. Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands and is often referred to as the ‘stress hormone’.

Andrenocortex Stress Profile

There are two adrenal glands located at the top of your body’s kidneys. They are important to the body’s hormonal system.

Lifestyle, physical, and psychological stresses put constant demands on your adrenal glands. If they get depleted, adrenal fatigue or adrenal insufficiency may occur. 

Symptoms include:

• Hypotension
• Lowered resistance to stress
• Salt cravings
• Hypoglycaemia
• Lowered immunity

Adrenal insufficiency frequently plays a role in conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anorexia and most diseases where corticosteroids are involved in the treatment.

Other common conditions are:

• Headaches
• Poor concentration
• Brain fog
• Depression
• Sexual dysfunction
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Insomnia

The Adrenocortex Stress Profile serves as a general screening test and is a critical tool for uncovering these biochemical imbalances in your body. It is done through salivary testing.

Thyroid Hormone Profile

The thyroid gland is a small gland located at the front of your neck. It takes the iodine found in the foods you eat and converts it into Thyroid Stimulating Hormones (TSH) in the pituitary gland. These hormones are called Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3).

Thyroxine and triiodothyronine are important for brain development, muscle control, and bone health. They also play an important role in the functioning of your heart and digestive system. The thyroid gland also produces calcitonin, which regulates the levels of calcium and phosphate in your body.

Thyroxine is also converted to triiodothyronine in the liver and requires the presence of selenium and zinc to do so. 

Some symptoms of an overactive thyroid are:

• Fast metabolism
• Tremors
• Nervousness

As we age, our thyroid’s function decreases and our bodies make less thyroid stimulating hormones. This can cause:

• Weight gain
• Depression
• Heavy and irregular periods

The Thyroid Hormone Profile measures the levels of unbound free hormones that are available to your tissues, and shows your body’s metabolic rate. By having the test, both you and our Natural Medicine Practitioners will be able to understand your thyroid health.

Thyroid Antibodies Testing

Thyroid antibodies like thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase can also be tested alongside the Thyroid Hormone Profile to provide a comprehensive assessment of your thyroid’s function.

Thyroid Antibodies Testing identifies and measures the amount of specific thyroid antibodies in your body. A high amount of thyroid antibodies can occur when your immune system believes parts of your thyroid are foreign and attacks it. This can lead to tissue damage, thyroid inflammation, and a disruption of your thyroid’s function.

Are you suffering from hormonal issues, cravings, or problems with your menstrual cycle? Maybe you suffer from insomnia, stress, and fatigue? Our team at East West Natural Medicine Group are here to help you get better and feel better.