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There are several ways salivary hormone tests can help you to take responsibility for, and optimize your health.
The first way is to help identify possible underlying hormone causes of health problems. Depending on the specific hormones involved, symptoms or groups of symptoms are usually present when hormonal imbalance exists. For example, contrary to popular belief, depression is not caused by a prescription drug deficiency, but it can be caused by an imbalance between estrogens and progesterone, low androgens like DHEA and testosterone, or high cortisol. Genetics, dietary factors or other environmental factors may cause this imbalance, in turn.
Accordingly, depression might also be reversed by supplementation with the appropriate hormone(s) and attention to other factors; hormone testing can be used to guide this therapy. If hormone balance is restored but symptoms persist, then one has to look elsewhere for the cause.
Hormone testing can be used to guide supplementation, to determine if an oral hormone supplement such as DHEA is being absorbed, and if the dosage is appropriate. Bioavailability of oral hormonal supplements can vary widely. The saliva test can also help you evaluate if estrogens are well balanced with progesterone following progesterone cream supplementation. Too much estrogen, relative to progesterone, leads to excessive tissue proliferation, whereas too much progesterone in the absence of adequate estrogen can exacerbate estrogen deficiency problems.
Saliva hormone testing can also be vital for rational disease prevention and anti-aging programs. Testosterone, for example, is an important hormone in both sexes, for the maintenance of cardiovascular and bone health. Identification of a low testosterone level and correction with diet, exercise, and/or hormone supplementation could help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
Anti-aging medicine is still in its infancy, but hormone supplementation is an important aspect of anti-aging; restoration and maintenance of hormone parameters to youthful levels is one strategy that may extend your health span (span of healthy, productive years). Hormone testing is crucial for this approach as it is imperative not to exceed levels that might lead to adverse side effects.
A professional consultation is available from our pharmacists. There is an additional fee for this service. Our pharmacist will prepare a written summary of the results. We will also make specific recommendations for working toward resolving any imbalances that are identified with the saliva test. This is in ADDITION to the responses added to your report by the laboratory. Your laboratory results and our written summary are mailed to you within a few days of receiving the lab report. For examples of the personal analysis visit our Saliva Test Analysis Example page.
You are encouraged to share this recommendation with your doctor. If the doctor would then like to order some hormone replacements - using only natural, or bioidentical, hormones, we would be delighted to compound them for you. We only compound medicines. If your doctor wants to prescribe one of the commercial preparations, you will need to contact another pharmacy.
How does it work? Do I just start spitting?
You collect a saliva sample as per the instructions provided and package it. Then contact UPS using the toll free number provided and arrange to have your sample picked up. This is part of your total fee (test plus S&H). UPS will pick up the sample and deliver it to the test lab within 48 hours. Please plan to perform your test on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday and send it right away. Sending over a weekend is not recommended.
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