Hormone Testing at Access Medical Laboratories

HORMONE INFORMATION - MELATONIN

What is it?

A cortisol test is done to measure the level of the hormone cortisol. The cortisol level may show problems with the adrenal glands or pituitary gland. Cortisol is made by the releases another hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

Cortisol has many functions. It helps the body use sugar (glucose) and fat for energy (metabolism), and it helps the body manage stress. Cortisol levels can be affected by many conditions, such as physical or emotional stress, strenuous activity, infection, or injury.

Normally, cortisol levels rise during the early morning hours and are highest about 7 a.m. They drop very low in the evening and during the early phase of sleep. But if you sleep during the day and are up at night, this pattern may be reversed. If you do not have this daily change (diurnal rhythm) in cortisol levels, you may have overactive adrenal glands. This condition is called Cushing's syndrome.

Two samples may be taken: one in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Why It Is Done

A cortisol test is done to find problems of the pituitary gland or adrenal glands, such as making too much or too little hormones.

HORMONE IMBALANCE SYMPTOMS IN WOMEN Allergy symptoms Depression, Fatigue, Anxiety Endometriosis Fibrocystic breasts Hair loss, facial hair growth Headaches, dizziness Low sex drive Osteoporosis PMS Urinary tract infection Weight gain Wrinkly skin

HORMONE IMBALANCE SYMPTOMS IN MEN Difficulty passing urine Mood swings Inability to lose weight Fatigue Foggy thinking, Memory loss Lack of interest in sex Reduced muscle strength Erectile dysfunction Enlarged prostate Burning sensation urinating Panic, weeping Blood sugar imbalance

RESOURCES:

1. Manchester, K.L., "Sites of Hormonal Regulation of Protein Metabolism. p. 229", Mammalian Protein [Munro, H.N., Ed.]. Academic Press, New York. On p273.

2. Husband AJ, Brandon MR, Lascelles AK (October 1973). "The effect of corticosteroid on absorption and endogenous production of immunoglobulins in calves". Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci 51 (5): 707­10. PMID 4207041.