When beginning your journey to better health, it can be difficult to navigate what steps to take after taking that initial leap. Noticing your symptoms and taking action accordingly can be challenging in itself, then your next task should be to uncover the meaning behind your symptoms.

• What is causing them? 
• Where are they coming from? 
• What underlying issues might you have? 

Your hormones play a key role in your overall health and well-being. Whether you’re experiencing weight gain, low libido, depression, poor sleep, irritability, infections, infertility, or you get sick often, a hormone imbalance could be the culprit. But how can you know if you have a hormone imbalance, or if it’s the cause of your symptoms? 

How you begin your health journey sets the tone for the rest of the map to success. Taking a lab test to find out more about your hormone levels is a great way to start. A lab test can not only help you tell the difference between your normal and optimal hormone levels but how your body functions best within each type. 

Let’s uncover why your normal and optimal hormone levels matter, and how you can learn from your body best. Here are some things to consider about your lab test results and what they aren’t telling you: 

Normal Vs. Optimal Hormone Levels 

So, you’ve taken the first step and gotten a lab test, but your results came back normal. Just because your hormone levels may be “normal” doesn’t mean they’re “optimal.” Not all bodies are created equal, and neither are lab tests. The goal isn’t just to simply tell you “if” something is wrong, but “why” it’s wrong. 

Functional medicine practitioners aim to find the root causes of your symptoms. When we address the root cause of symptoms, it leads to a sustainable health journey. When provided with thorough testing, your healthcare provider can evaluate your body’s specific needs and develop a treatment plan for your unique health needs. That’s why there are several types of tests you can take through your healthcare provider, such as: 

Saliva Hormone Tests: The saliva test, which is done at home, is one of the simplest methods of measuring hormone levels. Saliva tests detect the levels of sex hormones produced by the body. The saliva samples are collected in the morning, afternoon, evening and before bedtime to accurately measure your cortisol levels, which fluctuate throughout the day. Measuring cortisol levels provides an accurate assessment of symptoms of adrenal fatigue. 

Serum Hormone Tests: Some hormones circulating in the bloodstream, such as the thyroid hormones and insulin, do not enter the saliva because of their large size; this means that saliva hormone tests cannot measure these hormones. This test requires a blood sample. These additional hormone tests will not only help your healthcare provider get a clear picture of your hormone levels but also allow your provider to tailor a personalized wellness program that addresses your individual needs. 

Reasons For Attaining Optimal Hormone Levels 

Your body was intended to thrive, not just survive. Doing in-depth testing can not only help attain optimal hormone levels, but can help find the root causes of your hormonal imbalance such as age, poor diet, unmanaged stress, certain medications, or even an underlying illness. 

Balancing and reaching optimal hormone levels can result in: 

– Improved Sleep 

– Strengthening of joints, muscles and connective tissue 

– Increased energy and vitality 

– Decreased body fat 

– Increased metabolism 

– Improved Immune system & response 

– Improved cognitive abilities, memory, and mental clarity 

– Increased sexual performance and desire 

– Improved Mood 

– Improved sleep quality 

– Accelerated healing and recovery from exercise or injury 

The first step is identifying the problem. Many approaches only address the symptoms — providing a temporary fix. A trained medical professional specializing in hormone health can set you on the right path towards a balanced life by determining which type of hormone imbalance you have. We understand the havoc that hormonal imbalances can wreak on your life, so temporary fixes are not an option for us. 

Treatment Options For Hormonal Imbalance 

As we age, our bodies begin to experience hormonal imbalances. While much of it is considered “normal,” it doesn’t have to be for you. After testing, we’ll determine the imbalance that is causing your symptoms, then we will create a personalized treatment plan to get your hormones back to optimal levels. At Advanced Practice, we develop hormone imbalance treatment plans unique to you so we can solve the problem at the source rather than only treating the symptoms. 

There are several treatment options that we recommend for hormonal imbalances. Natural solutions such as high-quality supplements, nutrition programs and stress management programs are often our first course of action; however, we provide more intensive therapies such as bioidentical hormone replacement and peptide therapy when necessary.

Treatment plans include: 

– A comprehensive review of symptoms, medical, family, and personal history – -Testing – saliva, urine, and/or blood laboratory analysis 

– Natural hormone balancing 

– Ongoing evaluations 

– Quality compounded pharmacy 

– Highest quality supplements 

– Fitness programs 

– Nutrition planning 

– Stress reduction plans 

Upon starting your unique hormone imbalance treatment plan, we are confident that you will quickly start feeling like yourself again. We can help you achieve a balanced and happy life.

Next Steps 

Symptoms and unanswered questions are frustrating. Don’t let a hormone imbalance control your life. We’re here to help you navigate your symptoms and start your journey to feeling your best. Take the first step with our Hormone Symptom Imbalance Checker. 

While a self-assessment can provide some direction, a proper treatment plan for hormone imbalance needs to be delivered by an experienced health care provider, like our team of professionals here at Advanced Practice Wellness Clinic. 

Are you ready to start your journey?

Schedule an appointment with us today!