Your hormones can actually control your every function.
The endocrine system is a network of glands that produce and release hormones that help control many important body functions, including the body's ability to change calories into energy that powers cells and organs. The endocrine system influences how your heart beats how your bones and tissues grow, even your ability to make a baby. It plays a vital role in whether or not you develop diabetes thyroid disease, growth disorders, sexual dysfunction, and a host of other hormone-related disorders. In other words, your hormones control your life for better or worse!Major glands that make up the human endocrine system include: -Hypothalamus-Pituitary gland-Thyroid-Parathyroid-Pancreas-Adrenal Glands-Pineal body-Reproductive glands (Ovaries and Testes) | Pancreas. There are several hormones working in our body controlling almost every body function, ranging from the rate of chemical reactions, transporting substances through membranes, electrolyte balance, water balance, blood pressure, etc. Hormones are responsible for managing development, reproduction, growth, and behavior— and a change in hormones can even change our personalities.
Being hormonally imbalanced can cause weight gain, weight loss, depression, poor libido. Stopping at just that would give hormone imbalance little to worry about, but there's more. How about migraines, acne, menopause, heart problems, and increasing cancer risk. According to the National Cancer institute For instance, “taking combined menopausal hormone therapy (estrogen plus progestin, which is a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone) can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer. “ In addition to a slew of other cancers.Hormones have a lot of authority. They are the little chemicals that tell your body just right down to the cell what to do and how to do it.
And the reality is, there are many other hormones in our body, if not balanced, that can have an influence on your risk of various diseases throughout the body.This is why its important to take action when you have any of the following symptoms below to get your blood tested:Tired, weight loss/gain, depression, anxiety, heart arrhythmia, poor libido, insomnia just to title a few. Did you know that imbalanced hormones can spike your cholesterol levels putting you at risk of a heart attack. Looking in the mirror won’t tell you what’s going on inside.
Maintaining the health of your hormones should be of utmost importance to you. As you’ve read, hormones control almost everything in our body; therefore, it is important to get to know if your hormones are optimal.
Most hormones can be detected in blood tests and even salivary tests and hormonal imbalance has capabilities of destroying your health if kept under the radar and being that 70-80% of all clinical decisions come from blood testing and disease produces first without symptoms, signs, or warnings, optimizing hormone balance will need to be done with an appropriate medical professional. After reviewing your blood tests your recommendation may just begin with a change in diet and environmental changes, medication and supplementation.
Relying on symptoms is not the best approach, as catching red flags can be caught early before disease is welcomed in the body. As you can see, optimal hormone balance is very important to achieving top health and a proper functioning of our body. Access to hormone balance blood tests can be done on the fly and we have them listed for easy checkout. If you’re concerned about hormone imbalance check out our list of blood tests below:TSHTo screen for and help diagnose thyroid disorders; to monitor treatment of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidismOrdered when you have the following concerns:
T3 FreeT 3 TotalA free T3 or total T3 test may be ordered when someone has an abnormal TSH test result. It may be ordered as part of the investigative workup when a person has symptoms suggesting hyperthyroidism, especially if the free T4 level is not elevated.Ordered when you have the following concerns:
Signs and symptoms may include:
Free or total T3 may sometimes be ordered at intervals to monitor a known thyroid condition and to help monitor the effectiveness of treatment for hyperthyroidism. T4 FreeThyroxine (T4) is one of two major hormones produced by the thyroid gland, a small butterfly-shaped organ that lies flat across the windpipe at the base of the throat. The other major thyroid hormone is called triiodothyronine (T3) and together they help control the rate at which the body uses energy. Almost all of the T4 (and T3) found in the blood is bound to protein. The rest is free (unbound) and is the biologically active form of the hormone. This test measures the amount of free T4 in the blood. Ordered when you have the following concerns:Signs and symptoms may include:
Symptoms of hypothyroidism may include:
Free T4 testing may be ordered along with other thyroid tests on a regular basis when a person is undergoing treatment for a thyroid disorder. Testosterone MaleTestosterone Female Testosterone is the main sex hormone (androgen) in men. It is responsible for male physical characteristics. Although it is considered to be a "male" sex hormone, it is present in the blood of both men and women. This test measures the level of testosterone in the blood.Testosterone is mainly produced by special endocrine tissue (the Leydig cells) in the male testicles. It is also produced by the adrenal glands in both males and females and, in small amounts, by the ovaries in females.
In males, testosterone stimulates development of secondary sex characteristics, including enlargement of the penis, growth of body hair, muscle development, and a deepening voice. It is present in large amounts in males during puberty and in adult males to regulate the sex drive and maintain muscle mass. In women, testosterone is converted to estradiol, the main sex hormone in females.
Ordered when decreased sex drive or erectile dysfunction. Some other symptoms include lack of beard and body hair, decreased muscle mass, and development of breast tissue (gynecomastia). Low levels of total and bioavailable testosterone have also been associated with, or caused by, a greater presence of visceral fat (midriff or organ fat), insulin resistance, and increased risk of coronary artery disease. DHEASDehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is a male sex hormone (androgen) that is present in both men and women. This test measures the level of DHEAS in the blood.DHEAS:
DHEAS is produced almost exclusively by the adrenal glands, with smaller amounts being produced by a woman's ovaries and a man's testicles. It is useful as a marker for adrenal gland function. Adrenal tumors (cancerous and non-cancerous) and adrenal hyperplasia can lead to the overproduction of DHEAS. Rarely, an ovarian tumor may produce DHEAS.Excess DHEAS:
This test is ordered when A DHEAS test may be ordered, along with other hormone tests, whenever excess (or, more rarely, deficient) androgen production is suspected and/or when a health practitioner wants to evaluate a person's adrenal gland function. Cortisol AMCortisol PM Cortisol is a hormone that plays a role in the metabolism of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. It affects blood glucose levels, helps maintain blood pressure, and helps regulate the immune system. Most cortisol in the blood is bound to a protein; only a small percentage is "free" and biologically active. Free cortisol is secreted into the urine and is present in the saliva. This test measures the amount of cortisol in the blood, urine, or saliva.
The level of cortisol in the blood (as well as the urine and saliva) normally rises and falls in a "diurnal variation" pattern. It peaks early in the morning, then declines throughout the day, reaching its lowest level about midnight. This pattern can change when a person works irregular shifts (such as the night shift) and sleeps at different times of the day, and it can become disrupted when a disease or condition either limits or stimulates cortisol production.
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