Cortisol output by your adrenal glands is one of the most reliable indicators of your adrenal function, and levels of this main adrenal hormone rise and fall in a daily pattern. A single blood test won’t be accurate enough, you need the whole picture over a day.
The Cortisol/DHEAS Saliva Test measures the levels of the stress hormones DHEAS and cortisol in your saliva, and provides an evaluation of how cortisol levels differ throughout the day.
Saliva tests are reliable indicators of the levels of all steroid hormones – cortisol, DHEAS and all sex steroids – in your body.
The test involves spitting into a test tube 4 times a day – 8am, noon, 4pm and 8pm.
Both you and your health practitioner will receive copies of the results, usually within 2 weeks.
Talk to your health care professional about your symptoms and ask if this test would be useful for you. Unfortunately many physicians are still unaware of the validity, reliability and value of saliva hormone tests.
