Female Salivary Hormone Testing
A comprehensive female salivary hormone panel is an excellent starting place for evaluating hormone function in the body. Unlike blood, salivary hormones are unbound (free) and reflect what is active at the tissue level. This panel tests both reproductive (sex) and adrenal hormones. It is an extremely useful test for many women’s health issues including hormonal imbalance, adrenal dysfunction, poor sleep, stress, infertility, and menopause.
Male Salivary Hormone Testing
A comprehensive male salivary hormone panel is an excellent starting place for evaluating hormone function in the body. Unlike blood, salivary hormones are unbound (free) and reflect what is active at the tissue level. This panel tests both reproductive (sex) and adrenal hormones. It is an extremely useful test for many men’s health issues including low testosterone, aging, muscle loss, poor sleep, stress, and andropause.
Adrenal Salivary Hormone Testing
A salivary adrenal hormone panel is a great tool to assess how well your adrenal glands are functioning. When the body is under a great deal of long-term stress, the adrenal glands produce different levels of cortisol and DHEA. Cortisol is one of your stress-response hormones and DHEA is often referred to as the “anti-aging hormone.” Measuring these two adrenal hormones, which includes a cortisol curve (mapping out how well you are responding to stress throughout the day AM to PM), is our first glimpse into the status of your endocrine stress-response system. Adrenal health is best measured using saliva, since needle pokes automatically cause stress and spike cortisol.
Month-Long Hormone Panel
A month-long hormone panel is a collection of 11 samples over the course of approximately one month. This salivary hormone panel is a useful tool for giving you and your practitioner a whole picture as to what your monthly hormonal cycle looks like. When do you ovulate? Are your estrogen and progesterone coordinated? Do you have a luteal phase defect or low progesterone in the second half of your cycle? A month-long hormone panel is very useful in cases of irregular menstruation, anovulatory disorders, chronic yeast infections, migraine headaches and fertility patients.
Thyroid Panel
A full thyroid panel allows for your entire thyroid function to be revealed. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is only a snapshot as to how your thyroid is functioning. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the leading cause of low thyroid function, therefore, checking for thyroid antibodies is important as it changes treatment for optimal results. A thyroid panel includes: TSH, thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroperoxidase antibodies (anti-TPO).
Organic Acids Test (OATS)
This easy-to-collect first morning urine test measures 76 different biomarkers. It evaluates direct and indirect key vitamin and antioxidant levels, as well as neurotransmitter balance, bacteria and yeast with respect to the microbiome/gut health, mitochondria function and more. The OAT has multiple uses, but is most helpful for fertility patients (both male and female), anxiety, depression, mood disorders, ADHD/ADD, and autism spectrum disorder.
SIBO Breath Test
Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) occurs when bacteria overgrows in the small intestine where is should not be present. Recent studies have shown that many people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome have SIBO present. SIBO is confirmed through the Lactulose Breath Test, which measures hydrogen and methane gases in the breath that are produced by bacteria in the small intestine.
IgE Food Allergy Testing
IgE food allergies are rare but can be scary. They generally occur within minutes of eating a reactive food which is why we call them “immediate” hypersensitivity reactions. Symptoms of a true food allergy may be hives, difficulty breathing and digestive problems. Testing for IgE antibody reactions to commonly eaten foods empowers you, the patient, to avoid exposure to that allergen while allowing time to balance and treat the immune system.
IgG Food Sensitivity testing
IgG food sensitivities are a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to a certain antigen (protein). It can take up to 72 hours to develop symptoms, making it difficult to determine the culprit food(s) without testing. Symptoms of an IgG food sensitivity may include fatigue, eczema, rashes, depression, anxiety, ADHD, poor memory or brain fog, asthma, muscle or joint pain and stiffness, and digestive disturbances like bloating, diarrhea, constipation, gas, heartburn, and nausea. Difficulty losing weight may also be a sign of IgG food sensitivities as the antibody-antigen pairing triggers the immune system and can result in chronic inflammation. The body has a hard time letting go of extra weight as it acts as a protective mechanism against inflammation. The IgG Food Sensitivity test is a simple in-office finger prick which tests for over 120 different foods. Vegetarian and specific food add-ons are also available. This is one of our most popular and useful tests for both children and adults.
Environmental Allergy Scratch Testing
Ever wonder what exactly you are allergic to during spring or summer? An environmental allergy scratch test is exactly what it sounds like -a patch of skin is tested for the top-10 environmental allergies. This test looks for an IgE antibody reaction to allergens such as animal dander, house dust mites, pollen, grasses and trees. Knowing exactly what allergen you are reacting too empowers you as a patient to prepare for the specific season with the help of a naturopathic doctor. The environmental allergy scratch test goes hand-in-hand with Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT). We offer SLIT as an alternative to allergy injection where a small dose of the offending allergen is taken under the tongue to boost tolerance to the substance and reduce environmental allergy symptoms.
Neurotransmitter Testing
Neurotransmitters are chemical messages in the brain that facilitate communication in every cell, tissue and system in the body. Neurotransmitters influence mental performance, emotions, mood disorders, sleep difficulties, pain response, and energy levels. Neurotransmitters also influence the hormonal system and vice versa. With so many roles, it is no wonder that numerous clinical studies have shown that inadequate neurotransmitter function has a profound influence on overall health and well-being. Neurotransmitter testing is a non-invasive urinary test that can identify and manage an imbalance so that proper long-lasting solutions may be explored, including certain vitamins, herbs, bio-identical hormone replacement, diet and lifestyle interventions.
Hair Mineral Analysis
Good health depends in part on having adequate amounts of essential nutritional elements, and low levels of toxic elements. Hair mineral analysis shows nutrient status (essential elements) and toxic element exposure for the length of time it took to grow the hair supplied for testing (usually about three months). Toxic elements may create imbalances in essential elements or directly trigger a number of health problems including anxiety, depression, memory impairment, heart disease, neurological problems and fatigue.
Urinary Element Analysis
Urine element analysis is a simple and inexpensive way to measure levels of essential and toxic elements. Measuring essential elements reveals information about your diet and how your body absorbs nutrients. Measuring toxic elements in urine may help identify possible contributors to chronic health problems. The presence of toxic elements has been linked to neurological problems, memory impairment, learning difficulties and gastrointestinal problems.
Dutch® Urine Hormone Test
The Dutch® urine steroid hormone profile measures hormones and hormone metabolites (called conjugates) in a dried urine sample. Measuring both hormones and their metabolites can give a better overall picture of hormone production, and allow you to see how supplemented hormones are being broken down by the body. This test can be helpful when you are taking hormone replacement therapy, but not getting results you had hoped for. By testing hormone metabolites, it provides insight as to how your hormones – your own and supplemented – are being utilized in the body. It can show where certain pathways may be blocked or under-utilized and is the cadillac test for personalized hormone replacement therapy.
Nutrigenomix® 45
The Nutrigenomix® 45 Gene test provides you with the latest that science has to offer in personalized nutritional counselling. Learn how your genes are affected by the foods you eat and how your unique genetic makeup influences how you respond to different foods and nutrients. The genes that are tested for influence weight management, nutrient metabolism, cardiovascular health, diabetes risk, eating habits, food intolerances (gluten & lactose), and even physical performance and injury risk. How amazing it is that part of your genetic makeup can be sequenced at an affordable cost to help guide you on your journey to optimal health? This is the future of personalized functional medicine.
Candida Panel
Candida is a type of yeast normally found in the human body that requires sugars to grow. Elevated antibodies to Candida are often found when someone has a fungal infection of some sort. For example, vaginal yeast infection, ‘jock itch’, thrush, and ringworm. Consuming too many sugar-rich foods can contribute to overgrowth of Candida as does stress and hormone imbalances. Symptoms associated with Candida overgrowth include brain fog, depression, diarrhea, fatigue, menstrual pain, intense sugar cravings, sinus and ear problems, vaginal yeast infections, and headaches. The Candida Panel measures levels of IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies to Candida, plus Candida antigen in a simple in-office blood sample. Candida antibodies can also be added to a food IgG panel.
Celiac Testing
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that affects multiple parts of the body. The Celiac Profile is a screening blood test that measures several antibodies: IgG and IgA to gliadin, a protein found in wheat gluten – which, when elevated indicate non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and possibly celiac disease; IgA antibodies to tissue transglutaminase are also measured, and when elevated strongly suggest celiac disease. Who should get screened? Children older than 3 and adults experiencing symptoms of celiac disease, first-degree relatives of people with celiac disease, and any individual with another autoimmune disease.
Conventional Lab Testing through Life Labs
Laboratory testing can help uncover the cause of your symptoms while giving insight into disease prevention and how to best treat a specific condition. Naturopathic physicians in BC can order convention laboratory tests thru Lifelabs without the restrictions of MSP. Virtually hundreds of biomarkers can be tested, with the most common categories being:
- Men’s health profile
- Fertility panel
- Semen analysis test
- Sex hormones
- Complete thyroid panel
- Hematology profile -iron deficiency anemia screen
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D 25 OH
- Healthy Living panel
- Diabetes screen
- Lipid profile
- Autoimmune diseases
- Electrolytes and minerals
- Heavy metals
