How a Functional Medicine Clinic Tests Hormones
Hormones are an integral part of our endocrine system and regulate biological processes from conception to death. Our Charlotte-based functional medicine clinic tests these with purpose; read more about our use of the ZRT and DUTCH tests and why we choose them to test hormones.
What are hormones?
Hormones are chemical messengers that are secreted directly into the blood. The blood carries them to organs and tissues of the body to exert their specific functions. There are many types of hormones that act on different aspects of bodily functions and processes, and they are essential to our well being at all ages.
How do you know if your hormone levels are off?
Simply stated, when hormone levels are off, we may feel off. This can be experienced by signals such as disrupted sleep, weight changes, body temperature feeling off, mood dysregulation, and more. While many people may assume this happens as you head into peri- or pre-menopause, that isn’t necessarily the case. Hormone dysregulation can happen at any point throughout life. Luckily, we have a solid testing modality that provides results that we can act upon with specificity to that individual to help restore hormonal balance.
Which tests do we use for testing hormones?
Testing hormone levels is an intricate and integral part of the process of assessing where one is at hormonally. In addition to listening to our clients’ symptoms, we use two different tests to derive data from in building an individualized plan.
The ZRT test is a saliva test that measures the amount of bioavailable hormones to target tissues. This is helpful in indicating low-concentration hormones such as estradiol.
Saliva testing is the gold standard when testing cortisol level because it gives much more comprehensive data than just testing in blood alone. Overall, saliva testing is a way to assess hormone levels and provides a good baseline for us to assess when deciding on treatment needs.
The DUTCH test is a urine test that allows us to see metabolites—how the hormones are being broken down/metabolized by the individual. It allows us to assess their risk, specifically related to estrone. This is important since certain pathways of estrone metabolism are inflammatory and can increase risks for breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Having a knowledge of our client’s history combined with listening to their concerns can help us determine which test is best to use at that particular time.
Can I do these tests at home?
With the availability of more and more at-home tests, it’s a logical question to ask. Can you test your hormone levels from home?
Well in essence, you are testing at home. And actually, the test is very simple to do from the comfort of your own home (instructions come with the test, and our clinical staff will review how to do the test before you leave the office). But the beauty of the test is actually in the interpretation of the results.
Our providers Dr. Jorge and Anya Wallace, PA-C have decades of experience in dealing with hormone treatment and test interpretation, and for that reason, having someone like them assess your results is invaluable.
Our clinic combines functional medicine with traditional practices, which means that you essentially get the best of both worlds. We always try to address lifestyle opportunities to better your health. And in the case that medicine, peptides, IV hydration or even supplements can help, we are able to provide those, too. We have years of experience in administering hormone therapy which can be life-changing.
If something just feels “off,” don’t wait or just “deal with it.” Both the ZRT and the DUTCH tests are simple to do, and results are obtained quickly. Please contact us with further questions or if we can assist.