When you first thought about using a Hormone testing kit at home to see if your testosterone levels are where they need to be, you probably assumed the process would be complex, confusing, and time-consuming. However, that’s not the case at all.
In fact, testing your testosterone and other hormones has been made easier than ever in recent years. To make sure your testosterone stays strong in the years ahead, here’s all you need to know about in-home hormone testing kits in a nutshell.
The Blood Test
The first thing you’ll need to decide on if you are testing your testosterone levels is whether you want to spend less money on a test that uses a saliva sample or pay a bit more for a more accurate blood test.
Should you really want to dive deep into what’s going on with your testosterone, a blood sample will let you test both your total and free testosterone levels at the same time, which will give you a more comprehensive picture of what’s happening with your testosterone.
Results Come Days Later
Another benefit of using an at home hormone testing kit is that you’ll get the results of your test in days rather than weeks. Once you send in your blood or saliva sample, the test is usually conducted within 48 hours of being received at the lab, with your results being available online in as little as three business days.
Should you be anxious to find out why your libido is stuck in neutral or why you can’t seem to put together more than a night or two of restful sleep lately, you’ll start to get answers to your questions within a matter of days.
Everything You Need
Hormone test kits that men can use at home come with everything you’ll need to get your test completed quickly and easily. If you opt for a blood sample test, your kit will include a lancet that can be used for pricking your finger, along with a card on which you will place your drop of blood for testing.
Special packaging is also included for your sample card to ensure it does not get damaged on its journey to the lab. Any test kit you receive from a reputable manufacturer will also clearly state that the test is certified by the FDA and that the labs used to determine your results are also fully accredited by independent government agencies.
As Good as Your Doctor’s Tests
Since technology has greatly impacted the development of men’s hormone test kits over the past decade, today’s at-home tests are considered to be as good as almost any similar test you would receive in your doctor’s office or at a hospital.
Of course, it is important for you to remember that should your at-home test indicate a result that is far above or below the norm, your doctor will be able to conduct additional testing that can find out exactly why your hormones are imbalanced and how this may be impacting your health.
Common reasons for a hormone imbalance include cardiovascular issues, high blood pressure, an overactive or underactive thyroid gland, and diabetes.
Many Hormones Can be Tested
Though testosterone is the primary hormone most men know of and are concerned about in terms of their sex life and looking and feeling young as the years go by, today’s hormone tests can also check other important hormones as well, including:
- Cortisol,
- Insulin,
- Estradiol,
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH),
- Progesterone.
Since an imbalance in such hormones as progesterone can lead to depression, weight gain, and even enlargement of breast tissue in men, you should usually try to choose a test kit that will let you test multiple hormone levels at the same time.
Bottom Line
While it’s always important for you to get regular physical exams from your doctor, using at-home testing kits to check your hormones on a regular basis is also a smart health decision on your part.
If you are able to catch the signs of low-T or other hormonal imbalance problems as early as possible, you can make lifestyle changes and consult with your doctor to make sure you continue to look and feel great in the years ahead.
