Saliva Hormone Testing
Saliva hormone testing is a pain-free way to measure hormone levels. Some health professionals say that it is actually a more accurate way to measure how much of each hormone is actually available for use in the body. Blood tests measure hormones that are found in blood serum, but most of those hormones are bound to proteins in the blood and are not availabel for use in the body. Blood tests can show how much hormone is being produced, but saliva hormone testing does a better job of showing how much is available for use.
The levels of hormones shown in a saliva hormone test are much lower than those found in blood tests, but since you are looking at the bioavailable hormones, it can give you a more accurate picture of how hormones make you feel. Saliva hormone testing is not a replacement for medical advice, but it can help you and your doctor see how hormone replacement therapy is working or offer a more complete picture of your hormonal levels for infertility testing or menopause.
Saliva hormone tests are available for home use, making them a cost-effective way to get baseline hormone levels for various purposes. Since saliva is stable for several days, you can test at home and inexpensively mail it to a lab for results. You and your doctor may use home saliva testing to check hormones over a period of time or to get a baseline level before beginning hormone replacement therapy. Saliva testing can also help determine what the lowest effective dose is for hormone treatment, as it better shows how much of the hormone is available for use.
You can buy saliva hormone tests for progesterone, estradiol (an estrogen), testosterone, thyroid and more. Learn more about saliva hormone testing at http://tinyurl.com/salivatesting.
