In your search for hormone replacement therapy and functional medicine near me in Gardner, Massachusetts, Dr. Elizabeth Tateoka provides care that is not only convenient but also safe, highly effective, and reliable. Before White Onyx Functional & Aesthetic Medicine can recommend treatment, we must first understand your needs. Here are three key tests that may be performed as part of your complete hormone assessment.
1 – Blood tests
The most common method and “gold standard” for checking hormone levels is a primary blood test that measures thyroid hormones, reproductive hormones, and pituitary/adrenal hormones. The tests Dr. Tateoka may order are based on factors such as your symptoms, including unexplained fatigue, weight gain, and irregular periods. Imbalances in these levels can be indicative of conditions like underactive or overactive thyroid, PCOS, adrenal insufficiency, and Cushing’s disease. We may also find that your levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are too low, which accompanies the aging process and certain life stages such as perimenopause and menopause.
2 – Saliva tests
This type of testing differs from standard blood tests because it only detects those “unbound” hormones, which are actively available to enter cells and affect their function. Blood tests assess for both unbound and bound (or inactive) hormones. We use samples of your saliva to assess for levels of stress hormones like cortisol, sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone, and other hormones like DHEA and melatonin. Due to its active/bioavailable nature, this form of testing offers precise, real-time insights into hormone activity and fluctuations throughout the day.
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3 – Urine tests
Urine tests, too, can provide clues into fluctuations in hormones throughout the day. Such a 24-hour collection can provide a comprehensive picture of how hormones are produced and metabolized. These tests assess for various sex, adrenal, and metabolic hormones, as well as for their metabolites or compounds produced as the hormones are processed and broken down. These tests may be appropriate to evaluate for fertility, perimenopause/menopause, PCOS, adrenal fatigue/chronic stress, sleep issues, GI health, and more.
Additionally, White Onyx Functional & Aesthetic Medicine can use these tests to personalize dosages for our natural Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy and to monitor how your body responds to BHRT and other treatments. While the tests mentioned represent some of the tests for hormone levels, they are not the only options. Specialized panels and other diagnostics are available and may be ordered based not only on the symptoms or concerns that brought you to our office in Gardner, MA, but also on factors like your medical history, age, and lifestyle.
Visit www.whiteonyxmed.com and click on ‘book now’ to schedule your personalized hormone or functional medicine consultation today – your first step to identifying effective treatment options, so you can feel better!
