Hormone Testing: Benefits and What You Can Learn About Your Health

21 Jul 2020

An incredible number of women suffer with hormonal imbalance every single day. Symptoms can range from irregular & painful periods, persistent fatigue and insomnia to weight gain, debilitating PMS and acne. For more information about the signs and symptoms of a hormonal imbalance, check out this article.

Despite being normalized by society, the symptoms of hormone imbalance are not normal! You shouldn’t be dragging your feet by midday or taking time off work because of unbearable period cramps. Symptoms are our body’s way of letting us know that something is off, and it is important that we listen to the messages our body sends us. 

The great news is that most hormonal imbalances can be corrected naturally through diet & lifestyle modifications combined with targeted supplementation. You don’t have to ride the hormone rollercoaster or suffer needlessly with uncomfortable hormonal symptoms! 

So how do we find out if you have a hormonal imbalance? It’s very simple – we test your hormones! Read on to learn all about hormone testing and how it can be a game changer for your health.

Why Test Your Hormones?

When it comes to treating hormonal imbalances, my rule of thumb is “Test, Don’t Guess”. This is because the symptoms of different hormone imbalances often overlap, with multiple different hormonal patterns leading to the same constellation of symptoms. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Symptom #1: Difficulty losing weight

• Can be caused by:
  • Estrogen dominance (a.k.a. high estrogen levels relative to progesterone)
  • Elevated cortisol levels
  • Underproduction of thyroid hormones

Symptom #2: Hair loss and thinning

• Can be caused by:
  • Low estrogen levels
  • Underproduction of thyroid hormones
  • Overproduction of thyroid hormones
  • Low progesterone levels
  • Elevated cortisol levels

Symptom #3: Acne

• Can be caused by:
  • Elevated androgens
  • High cortisol levels
  • Low progesterone levels
  • Elevated insulin levels

It can be tempting to try and guess which hormonal imbalances are causing your symptoms, however, this often results in wasted time, energy and money directed towards treatments that may or may not alleviate your symptoms. By testing your hormones first, we are able to correctly diagnose the imbalance and precisely target treatment. 

It’s also important to acknowledge that there is no “one-size-fits-all” treatment for hormonal imbalance. What might work for one person may not necessarily work for another. We can explain this via the concept of “biochemical individuality”. What this concept essentially boils down to is that humans are like snowflakes: no two are exactly alike. Each person has a unique biochemical profile based on their environment, genetics and nutrition. This is why the same prescription will not work everyone. 

Take for example the birth control pill, which is prescribed to the masses as treatment for virtually all female sex hormone imbalances and their related symptoms. While it may work for some, an increasing number of women are reporting that it does NOT alleviate their symptoms and often can make their symptoms worse. Furthermore, many women report that the birth control pill caused them to develop new symptoms they never suffered with previously (think things like depression, low sex drive, weight gain and digestive issues). 

The beauty of hormone testing is that it gives us valuable insight into YOUR unique hormonal profile. We are able to determine if you are over- or under-producing any hormones and see what your hormone levels are relative to one another. 

Evolving science has also given us the ability to test something called hormone metabolites. What exactly does this mean? It means that we can see not only what your hormone levels are, but also what your body does with those hormones. Does your body turn testosterone into an acne-promoting super-testosterone called 5a-DHT? Are you properly metabolising and eliminating excess estrogen from your body? Does your body turn estrogen into the DNA-damaging 4-OH estrone, increasing your risk of hormone-dependent cancers such as breast cancer and estrogen-dominant conditions such as fibroids? Understanding the way your unique body metabolizes your hormones can help to alleviate your current symptoms as well as prevent future hormonal concerns from developing. 

Benefits of Hormone Testing

In summary, the benefits of hormone testing are:

• Precisely diagnose the cause of your hormonal symptoms
• Allows for a targeted treatment plan, individualised to your unique hormonal profile
• Prevents wasting precious time and money on unnecessary treatments
• Provides greater insight into your health, empowering you on your health journey
• Identifies areas of hormonal vulnerability allowing for preventative treatment

Next Steps

If you are interested in hormone testing and would like to discuss your options, book a 15 Minute Complimentary Meet-and-Greet appointment with Dr. Kim Vance at Natural Choice Medical Clinic in Guelph. Feel free to call or email us with any questions you may have – we would love to hear from you!

In health,

Dr. Kim Vance ND