Natural Wellness Center

Hormonal Assessments

(808) 988-0800

Info@TNWC.co

Hormonal balance is a delicate dance between all the hormones. Hormone levels are not static. They are constantly changing moment to moment, day to day throughout various stages of our lives. The body reacts to changing hormone levels by adjusting the levels of other hormones. Therefore, if the amount of one hormone is off balance, the other hormone can become imbalanced.

Saliva testing is an easy, painless, and reliable way to measure bioavailable hormone activity. Saliva hormone levels best approximate the amount of hormone actually working at the cell level because hormones must pass through cells of the saliva gland before entering saliva. Blood testing, on the other hand, measures both bioavailable and unavailable (protein-bound) hormone, and may not reflect the actual activity of the hormone.

Hormones that can be tested:

Estrogens (there are 3 kinds: estradiol, estrone, estriol) they are important for the health of the female reproductive tissues, breasts, skin and brain. Excess estrogens can cause fluid retention, weight gain, migraines and over-stimulation of the breasts, ovaries and uterus, leading to cancer. Insufficient estrogen levels can lead to hot flushes, vaginal dryness, rapid skin aging, urinary problems, excessive bone loss and possible acceleration of dementia. In men, excess estrogen relative to testosterone may have a role in prostate problems.

Progesterone acts as a hormonal balancer of estrogens and other steroid hormones. In men, progesterone can influence prostate health.

Testosterone is involved in maintenance of lean body mass, bone density, skin elasticity, sex drive and cardiovascular health in both sexes. Excess testosterone in women (especially when estrogen declines in menopause) can cause some of the 'androgenic' symptoms such as scalp hair loss and facial hair growth. Testosterone metabolites contribute to male-patterned baldness and prostate problems.

DHEA plays an important role in tissue regeneration (skin, bones and muscles) and it is the principal sex hormone precursor in both men and women. DHEA levels decline with age.

Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. Cortisol plays an essential role in immune function, helping the body fight inflammation; however, chronically elevated cortisol levels (from stress or other medical problems) suppress the action of the immune system leading to frequent infections. Chronic stress or nutrient deficiencies can lead to low cortisol levels and result in low blood glucose (hypoglycemia), excessive fatigue, and increased susceptibility to infection.