When you reach your 40s and your 50s, your body will go through a lot of changes. One of the most significant is that your hormones will change as you enter the menopause. During the menopause, your ovaries stop producing eggs, and your declining hormone levels mean that your period will stop, but there are other ways that your hormones will react.
A hormone profile test helps you to understand the makeup of your hormones, and as well as identifying other conditions that can arise before or after the menopause, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (NHS, 2022), thyroid disease and more.
What Is A Female Hormone Profile Test?
A female hormone profile test examines many of the most important female hormones to give your doctor a clear idea of their current levels. It is a simple blood test to check for any imbalance. When a hormone level is lower or higher than it should be, it can have a severe impact on your health.
These levels can tell your doctor about everything from your fertility to what may be behind any unexplained weight gain or fatigue. It can help them to catch health issues early. It is important that women over 40 have this test, as your hormones will be going through major changes from this point on.
Female Hormone Profile Results
A female hormone profile examines your:
- Oestrogen
- Progesterone
- Follicle-stimulating hormone
- Testosterone
- Thyroid hormones
The results should be back within a couple of days, and your specialist will get in touch with you to arrange a discussion either over the phone or in person.
FSH Test Results
FSH stands for Follicle Stimulating Hormone. These are the hormones that largely dictate the menstrual cycle in women and when the ovaries produce eggs. The levels of FSH in your body will vary during the cycle and be highest just before you ovulate.
It is produced by your brain’s pituitary gland, and your body will produce more as the menopause begins and other hormone levels start to decrease. It is important to have it tested as it can help to diagnose not only the start of the menopause, but infertility, ovarian cysts, tumours on your pituitary gland, abnormal menstrual bleeding and ovarian function issues.
Estrogen Blood Test
Estrogen, is the female sex hormone that is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics.
There are three types of oestrogen hormones in our body: oestrone, oestradiol and oestriol. Among those, oestradiol is the most commonly measured because it is the most potent of the oestrogen hormones, and therefore has the greatest clinical importance.
This is a form of oestrogen, and the most active one in your body. For the most part, your ovary will produce oestradiol, but can also be produced in the adrenal cortex as well as the testes. It plays a huge part in ovulation, conception and pregnancy, and as you reach the menopause, the levels will start to decline.
However, oestradiol also impacts your skin, bones, fat and many other parts of your body. It is often tested to check whether the menopause has begun, but it can also play a role in many other conditions. High oestradiol levels can be associated with fatigue and sex drive issues, as well as obesity. Unusually low levels can mean that there is decreased pituitary function, PCOS or anorexia.
Testosterone Results
Women’s ovaries and adrenal glands produce a small amount of testosterone, and you would typically expect to find around a tenth of the level that you would find in men. Your testosterone levels will typically drop during menopause, which can lead to issues such as depression, a loss of energy and a loss of sex drive.
It is important to have it tested because high levels can be associated with ovarian cancer or a cancer of the adrenal glands. It can also be connected to polycystic ovary syndrome.
LH Test Results
LH stands for Luteinizing Hormone, and it has a key role to play in your menstrual cycle. It is made by your brain’s pituitary gland, and it sends the signal that tells your ovary to release an egg. Typically, you would expect to have high LH levels just before you ovulate.
Testing your LH levels can help with diagnosing the reason behind being unable to get pregnant or to find out when you ovulate, but it can also help to identify whether you have started the menopause or perimenopause. High levels could be connected to PCOS or Turner Syndrome (NHS, 2021), which leads to infertility, while low levels could mean that there is something wrong with your pituitary gland.
FSH Results
This test measures the level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in your blood. FSH is made by your pituitary gland. FSH plays an important role in sexual development and functioning.
FSH helps control the menstrual cycle and stimulates the growth of eggs in the ovaries. FSH levels in women change throughout the menstrual cycle, with the highest levels happening just before an egg is released by the ovary. Testing this hormone can help with the following:
-
- Help find the cause of infertility
- Find out if there is a problem with ovarian function
- Find the reason for irregular or stopped menstrual periods
- Confirm the start of menopause, or perimenopause.
Book Your Female Wellness Test
It is strongly recommended that you have a female hormone profile test when you reach the age of 40. At Echelon Health, we offer this test as part of our Cullinan Assessment.
This assessment is built from the ground up with women in mind. It offers a comprehensive look at your health, designed to detect early warning signs of a range of diseases that women at this age may be prone to. This includes: lung disease, coronary heart disease, breast and ovarian cancer, osteoporosis and more.
It is a holistic experience that ensures that your comfort is taken care of and that you get the best possible peace of mind as well as the best possible starting point for any necessary treatment. The following tests are part of the Cullinan Assessment:
- Comprehensive bloods + Hormonal Profile + cancer markers
- Digital mammogram
- Transvaginal Ultrasound
- ECG
- CT Coronary angiogram
- CT Chest
- CT Bone Density
- Full Body Mole Check
In addition to the highly detailed health assessment, our clients benefit from a chauffeur driven round trip transfer within 100 miles of our Harley Street clinic and an overnight stay at The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, which includes a CBD oil deep relaxation massage.
Get in touch with the team at Echelon Health today to learn more about our expert healthcare, our female hormone profile tests, and how we can help you. We have a wide range of resources to help you feel at ease and learn more.
Sources
NHS, (2022). Polycystic ovary syndrome. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos/ (accessed 07/11/2022)
NHS, (2021). Turner Syndrome. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/turner-syndrome/ (accessed 07/11/2022)
Wong, C. (2022). What Hormone Imbalance Tests Reveal About Women’s Health. Available at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/hormone-blood-test-for-women-89722 (accessed 07/11/2022)
MedlinePlus [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/luteinizing-hormone-lh-levels-test/ (accessed 07/11/2022)
Mariongluckclinic.com (2022). Reading your female hormone profile results. Available at: https://www.mariongluckclinic.com/blood-test-results/female-hormone-profile (accessed 07/11/2022)
