Hormone testing simply means testing the woman's urine or blood samples for estrogen and progesterone levels. Both of these hormones are essential for women to achieve pregnancy. However, hormone imbalances can be a leading cause of certain female infertility, specifically in women who are past menopause. If a woman has been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for a long time, she should have her hormone levels checked out to make sure that she is not suffering from any possible medical causes of her infertility.
Women are normally examined by their doctors for the hormone levels in their blood, at least twice each year. Sometimes, more tests are needed. If there are any significant changes, they need to be tested even more frequently. Elevations in the levels of estrogen and progesterone can occur because of a number of factors such as gynecological problems, diseases that affect the thyroid gland or the pituitary gland, the use of certain medicines like antidepressants or anabolic steroids, or consumption of tamoxifen, an estrogen metabolite. A woman may also test her levels by taking her hormone levels upon wakefulness every morning. To get all details and gain knowledge on hormone testing, please visit this site.
The results of hormone testing will help the doctor to diagnose conditions and prescribe treatments for these conditions. Some doctors recommend that hormone levels be tested every few years to monitor the women's health and the effects of aging or of diseases. This is because changes in the hormones occur with age. A change in the levels of estrogens and progesterone could mean that the production of these hormones in the body is insufficient or that there is an imbalance in their production. Diseases that affect the thyroid gland, like hypothyroidism, can also lead to low production of hormones. Hormone treatment can help prevent or treat these conditions.
Women can choose to undergo one of the hormone testing procedures offered by various providers. These tests include a complete blood count, fasting insulin level, total testosterone level, cholesterol level, and a metabolic panel. These tests can be used to monitor the general state of the patient's health as well as the response to treatments. More importantly, when these tests are conducted, the doctor can see whether lifestyle or other factors like diet or exercise habits may affect the response of the hormones to determine whether lifestyle modifications or medicines should be made to treat the condition.
In addition, a blood testing kit can be used to test hormone levels. The kit includes lancet, dipstick, swab, and a cotton swab. The procedure usually takes up to two hours. After the blood testing has been completed, your doctor will determine your free hormone levels. Free hormone levels show how much of the hormones are present in your body. This information is important for early diagnosis and treatment.
Most fertility hormone testing kits contain the urine and the blood samples. The urine collection is usually performed first as this provides more sensitive results than the blood test. The blood tests usually take longer to analyze. You may need to spend some time in the fertility clinic for hormone testing. You can get more enlightened on this topic by reading here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormone.
