Have you ever wondered how your body works in such a coordinated fashion? For instance, when you touch a hot pan, your brain tells you it’s painful. So, you immediately remove your hand.
That coordination is primarily thanks to the 50+ known hormones the body produces. These chemical messengers regulate many body functions, from pain to hunger and sleep. So, when they become imbalanced, health problems can occur.
Fortunately, tests can help determine if your hormones are out of whack.
But when is the best time to test for hormone imbalance, though? What hormones can these tests check and monitor?
This guide answers all those questions and more, so read on.
When Is the Best Time to Test for Hormone Imbalance?
One of the best times to do a hormone test to check for imbalances is soon after you experience or notice symptoms. Another is if you plan to get pregnant soon. Likewise, you should consider testing if you wish to know which menopausal stage you are in.
Testing for When You Experience Symptoms
A hormonal imbalance can be due to having too much or too little of one or more hormones. For many of these chemical messengers, even a slight variation in their optimal levels can already lead to problems requiring treatment.
The symptoms you may experience depend on the hormone you have an imbalance of. For instance, if it affects your metabolism, you may notice the following signs:
- Weight gain or loss with no apparent reason
- Fatigue
- Constipation, diarrhea, or increased bowel movement frequency
- Extreme thirst and increased urination frequency
- Temperature sensitivity
On the other hand, if you have a sex hormone imbalance, you may have the following symptoms:
- Hair loss
- Excessive body hair (hirsutism)
- Irregular or heavy periods
- Low libido or disinterest in sex
- Vaginal atrophy or dryness
If you’ve experienced or are experiencing one or more of those symptoms, consider getting your hormones tested. An endocrinologist, a doctor specializing in endocrine glands and hormones, can determine which test you need.
Testing for When You Plan to Get Pregnant
Hormones play a role in fertility, a person’s natural ability to induce conception or conceive. So, if there’s an imbalance, it can make someone unable to impregnate or get pregnant. The body will also be unable to prepare itself to accommodate a fetus.
Even if the body successfully conceives, hormonal imbalances can affect the growing fetus. They can lead to high or low birth weight and, sometimes, even miscarriage.
So, if you’re planning for pregnancy, it’s best to have your hormones tested. Doing so can help determine if you have a hormone health issue that may contribute to infertility. It can also help identify problems you may experience during pregnancy.
Testing for Menopause
Menopause, the period that starts and marks the end of the menstrual cycle, occurs in three stages.
The first is perimenopause, which can begin as early as the age of 40. Next is menopause, usually occurring at the average age of 51. Finally, there’s postmenopause, the stage at which a woman hasn’t had a menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months.
While menopause is natural, it can have debilitating symptoms, including:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Sleeping problems
- Mood changes
- Vaginal dryness
Testing won’t prevent menopause, but it can help determine if you have started the menopausal stage. From there, your doctor can devise a plan to help treat or alleviate your symptoms.
What Hormonal Imbalances Can You Test For?
A blood test can reveal estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels. It can also test for luteinizing and thyroid hormones.
Your doctor may also ask you to take tests for specific hormones, such as:
- Cortisol
- Serotonin
- Melatonin
- Leptin
- Ghrelin
- Insulin
In addition to a blood test, your healthcare provider may also use a saliva or urine test. They may order more than one test for more accurate findings.
Why Should You Even Test for Hormonal Imbalance?
Hormone levels naturally increase and decrease throughout the day and your life. However, such spikes and dips can be more dramatic due to puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. These significant changes can also result from certain chronic health conditions, including:
- Adenomas, tumors, and other abnormal growths
- Endocrine gland disorder, injury, or damage
- Autoimmune conditions
So, testing for hormone imbalance can help your doctor determine if you have a more pressing health issue. For example, having low testosterone levels may indicate hypogonadism. Untreated, this can lead to libido loss, erectile dysfunction, impaired cognitive function, osteoporosis, and even depression in men.
Such symptoms and those associated with other hormone problems can reduce overall quality of life. However, most are treatable, but for treatment to be effective, it must target the problematic hormone. Determining which hormone this is begins with the appropriate hormone test.
How Is Hormone Imbalance Treated?
For lower-than-normal hormone levels, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the primary treatment method. It’s available as oral medication (e.g., pills or tablets), injectables, gels, and patches.
Suppose a hormone test reveals that you have low testosterone levels. Your doctor may prescribe injections, patches, gels, or pellets containing this hormone. You can also find more tips on how to boost your testosterone levels here.
If your imbalance is due to a higher-than-normal hormone level, you may have to take medications to decrease it. Your doctor may also recommend radiation therapy, surgery, or a combination of these methods. Lifestyle modifications, including dietary changes and weight management, may also help.
For example, if you have excessive testosterone levels, your doctor may further test you for potential tumors. Sometimes, tumors can contribute to high T levels. If you have such a growth and it’s malignant, your doctor may order surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.
Get Your Hormones Tested Now
And there you have it, the guide answering the question, “When is the best time to test for hormone imbalance?”. Now you know that it’s when you experience symptoms, plan to get pregnant, or wish to test for menopause. Through testing, you can determine if you have problems with your hormones and, if so, treat them before they worsen.
Are you ready for more practical tips and tricks to help improve your health? Then, be sure to stick around and browse more of our informative blog posts!
