Blood Vs. Saliva Test for Hormone Testing
There are two types of tests that can measure the state of the body's chemistry. The first is a blood serum test, in which blood is drawn and spun to separate out the serum. The serum is used to test for whatever the doctor has requested, such as thyroid levels, HIV antibodies or a complete blood cell count. The second type of test is a saliva test. The patient provides a saliva sample, or several, usually for testing hormones.
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Benefits
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The blood serum test is considered the "gold standard" by conventional physicians, but saliva testing is more accurate when testing hormone levels, according to Dr. John Lee, a pioneer in natural progesterone supplementation research.
Topical Hormones
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Saliva testing is particularly useful for measuring the absorption rate of topically applied hormones like progesterone cream.
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Thyroid
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Blood serum tests are the only reliable tests to measure the levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), the indicator of thyroid function.
Procedure
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Blood serum tests involve a phlebotomist using a needle to withdraw blood from a vein. In saliva tests, the patient takes the samples at home and provides them to the doctor or lab. Saliva tests are most reliable when multiple samples are taken, sometimes over a series of days.
Warning
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Most labs aren't certified to perform saliva testing due to its complexity. If the lab technician is unfamiliar with saliva testing, or doesn't follow procedures, the test might yield inaccurate results. Ask if the lab has experience with saliva test processing. All labs are familiar with blood testing procedures, so there is no need to ascertain the technicians' level of experience processing blood serum tests.
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