Saliva Testing vs.
Blood Testing
While blood tests have long been the standard for the medical profession, testing the saliva has now become common in the alternative health community.
Saliva testing provides a simple, noninvasive means to determine whether hormone levels are within th
e expected normal range for one's age and gender. It is also an accurate method of evaluating how hormone replacement therapy, topical hormone creams, sublingual hormone drops, diet, herbal therapy, and exercise influence these levels.
While blood samples must be collected by a licensed phlebomotist, saliva collection is simple, non-invasive, and can be performed in the privacy of your home.
Saliva testing measures the circulating levels of hormones available to body tissues in men and women, more accurately reflecting the body's functional hormone status than blood.
Saliva tests are often prescribed by holistic medical doctors, chiropractors, naturopaths and certified nutritionists.
There are some tests, such as those for Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) that are not yet available in saliva tests, and are valuable to determine your hormonal imbalance issues.
So your doctor may use a combination of saliva and blood to determine what is happening in your body. If only blood is used, it is possible that some diagnoses may be overlooked.
However, don't despair if you can't find a saliva testing practitioner in your area; blood tests aren't the only method of diagnosis for a good complementary health practitioner. History, examination and other methods of diagnosis are often more important than these internal fluid levels.
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Who Should Test Her/His Hormone Levels?
- Anyone taking prescribed Thyroid medication, Anxiety medication, or psychotropic prescriptions such as Prozac, Celexa, Welbutrin, etc.
- Those concerned with possibly changing hormone levels and fluctuations in their monthly cycles
- Women experiencing PMS symptoms
- Persons experiencing more than 2 or 3 of the symptoms listed in this Web site
- Pre- and postmenopausal women concerned with their estradiol and progesterone and DHEA levels for preventative reasons
- Those wishing to monitor their hormone levels following replacement therapy (oral, sublingual, or topical), and subsequently regulate their supplements levels
- Women trying to get pregnant or women with a history of difficult pregnancies or miscarriages
- Men concerned with their sexual drive and testosterone levels
- Those with sleep disorders
- Those with stress related disorders, fatigue, depression, and immune weakness
- Women experiencing menopausal-type symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and more
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