In the modern world, you can measure the levels of your hormones or the presence of certain diseases in the comfort of your home. You do not need to visit the hospital for the physician to draw your blood or take urine samples to measure hormone levels.
Therefore, you can use a hormone testing kit, a device that is used to collect samples from your body to measure the levels of specific hormones. The samples are usually shipped to a clinic or lab for testing, and the results are sent back. Here are some of the surprising benefits of hormone testing with a kit over traditional methods, such as urine and blood:
Non-Invasive
Since saliva is a non-invasive method of sampling collection, the lab technician and patient are safe. The patient needs to follow the instructions on the label to collect and send the sample.
The non-invasive nature of testing kits relieves stress from the patient. Conversely, blood samples taken in traditional hormone testing for menstrual cycle mapping require repeated sample collection. The distress caused by patients with needle phobias can cause reluctance to come for subsequent visits.
Convenience
Traditional methods of hormone mapping usually require patients to give their urine or blood samples several times a day, which is inconvenient. The sample collected would only show the total amount of hormone released rather than providing an hourly picture of hormone production. Moreover, patients can collect samples at the lab in their homes without visiting the clinic. Furthermore, the lab has fast processing or turnaround times and enhances the reliability of the results.
Saliva testing and other immunoassay hormone testing methods allow patients to know their baseline hormone levels. This is the first step in detecting hormone imbalance and formulating tailored treatment plans for the patient. Moreover, it is an excellent way to monitor hormonal replacement or supplementation plans and those with pre-existing health conditions requiring regular measurements.
Better Stability
Saliva samples have more stability compared to traditional samples like blood. This makes sample collection and transportation easy without undergoing analyte or matrix deterioration. Unlike saliva sampling kits, conventional sample collection tubes are designed to handle samples for a short duration (hours).
Clients living far from the clinic cannot send their blood or urine samples because of the high likelihood of sample degradation. It is quite possible that the result may be altered or even lost. Therefore, nontraditional methods like saliva hormone testing at home are easy to collect and transport over long distances.
Accurate Detection
Traditional methods, such as blood collection, have one major disadvantage. Unlike saliva, blood samples have carrier proteins that bind to hormones like testosterone, cortisol, and estrogen. Only a tiny percentage of unbound, bioactive, and free hormones is present in the blood, which gives an inaccurate hormone impression.
Contrarily, saliva carries proteins that bind to these hormones and gives a false impression of results. Therefore, saliva will measure the accurate levels of unbound bioactive hormone levels.
Highly Sensitive
Modern immunoassay methods sensitivity is comparable to or arguably better than traditional methods of hormone mapping. Saliva hormone testing can detect low levels of unbound bioactive hormones in your body. The saliva collection and hormone kits have been optimized for sample collection to prevent contamination and degradation.
Affordable
Several studies have established that testing kits for saliva sampling are more affordable than blood sampling. The extraction and purification of samples using traditional methods can be tedious and expensive compared to saliva. Kits are affordable because it allows for multiple collections overall in a given period, which would help you and the physician identify any abnormal hormonal patterns.
The Bottom Line
As mentioned, the benefits of using saliva as a sample rather than urine or blood for diagnostic testing include the economy of the specimen, ease of multiple sampling, convenience, and safety. The accessibility of modern, effective immunoassay methods and sampling collection kits is one step in improving women’s healthcare. Unlike traditional methods, immunoassay methods like saliva hormone testing can help women map their menstrual cycles and determine hormone imbalance early.