Hormone Tests

Hormones play an important role in reproductive health. Doctors will generally request for an array of hormone tests when women face fertility issues. At Xenith, our treatment is highly tailored to each individual woman based on the results of your hormone tests and other factors.

What Are Hormones?

Hormones are produced in the endocrine glands and are chemical messengers in your body that perform certain physiological functions and maintain psychological health. They are responsible for maintaining homeostasis – a state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions in the body despite changes in the outside world.

What Are the Different Types of Female Hormones?

Estrogen and progesterone are the most commonly known female reproductive hormones. These and other hormones such as Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH) influence puberty, the development of breasts, and the ability to become pregnant.

Understanding Hormonal Imbalance in Women

Women may experience hormonal imbalance at different stages in their lives such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. It is also natural for hormones to ebb and flow during the monthly menstrual cycle during the reproductive years of a woman’s life. The most dramatic shifts in hormone levels are experienced during pregnancy. As a woman ages, however, reproductive hormones in the body tend to decline.

A slight imbalance even in any one of the hormones may affect the function of your reproductive system making it a bit tricky to get pregnant. Hormonal imbalance occurs when there is too much or too little release of any hormone in the body.

Common Causes of Hormonal Imbalance in Women

A few health conditions like diabetes, thyroid disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may be the cause of hormonal imbalance in women. There could be other reasons as well such as an endocrine gland disorder, lifestyle habits, stress, high percentage of body fat, and environmental conditions.

Signs and Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance in Women

Some of the symptoms that may indicate you have hormonal imbalance include mood swings, heavy or painful periods, low sex drive, skin problems, headaches, unexplained weight gain, thinning or brittle hair, and fertility issues. However, there are some women do not experience any symptoms and yet have hormonal imbalance. If you have been trying to get pregnant for 6 months or more, hormone tests can help doctors diagnose the problem so that you can be put on the right path to restoring your body’s hormonal balance.

Hormone Tests

Ovulation evaluation may be broken down into types:
  • Ovulation testing
This test is conducted to confirm if ovulation is occurring by looking through your temperature charts, using ovulation predictor kits and blood tests and ultrasound.
  • Luteal Phase testing

Testing will evaluate progesterone levels, more extensive hormone testing, and possibly an endometrial biopsy(not done routinely now)

Ovarian function tests
These tests are looking to see how the hormones are functioning and working during your ovulation cycle. The most important test is AMH or Anti Mullerian Hormone. This helps to determine the number of eggs remaining at any given point of time in the ovaries. Other tests include the Day 3 FSH (measuring follicle stimulating hormone), Day 3 Estradiol (measuring estrogen) and blood tests to determine the levels of inhibin B.

An ultrasound is done to confirm the number of follicles seen in the early or first few days of the menstrual cycle. This is called Antral Follicle count or AFC. AMH and AFC are the two most important tests used to determine ovarian reserve.

Hormone tests
Most all of this testing will revolve around thorough hormone tests. In addition to the above, hormone tests for fertility may include checking thyroid hormones, elevated androgen levels, and prolactin hormone assessment.

If you think you could be suffering from hormonal imbalance, consult with us at Xenith. Untreated hormonal problems can hamper you from leading a quality life. It is also the leading cause of infertility issues in women. At Xenith, our greatest desire is to help women be able to conceive and one of the primary treatments is balancing your hormones. Schedule an appointment with us today.