Salivary Hormones

The Salivary Hormones test measures levels of important reproductive and metabolic hormones in the body that relate to energy, weight fluctuations, water retention, muscle loss or gain, sleep, mood, and cognitive function. The primary benefit of salivary testing is that steroid hormones collected from saliva are unconjugated and/or bioavailable rather than the total, or protein bound hormones which are typically measured in serum. Hormones are essential chemical messengers which regulate routine processes in the body. This test is helpful in the evaluation of sex steroid imbalance such as deficiency or excess of estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone/DHEAS-S. This panel also helps to assess adrenal function and conditions relating to excess or deficiency of cortisol, as well as HPA axis imbalance. Adrenal function testing can also offer insight into neurotransmitter levels and mood disorders.