Hormone Testing at Access Medical Laboratories

HORMONE INFORMATION - DHEA

What is it?

Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) is a steroid hormone produced mainly by the adrenal cortex, the outer part of the two adrenal glands that are located just above the kidneys. Though it's an androgen (a male-type sex hormone), it's produced by both males and females.

DHEA-S serves as a building block for making the male sex hormone testosterone and the female sex hormone estrogen. A DHEA-S test measures the amount of the hormone in the bloodstream.

DHEA-S levels are high in newborn babies, then quickly drop. They rise again during puberty, when they play an important role in triggering the development of pubic and underarm hair.

Why It Is Done?

Doctors may order a DHEA-S test when they want to check the functioning of the adrenal glands, as in the case of a child who shows signs of DHEA-S overproduction. For both boys and girls, this may mean the appearance of puberty-related characteristics earlier than expected (precocious puberty), particularly the early appearance of pubic or underarm hair.

Significant overproduction or DHEA-S in a girl may result in the development of masculine characteristics such as facial hair, deeper voice, acne, increased muscle mass, and irregular or absence of menstrual periods. An excess of DHEA-S may be caused by congenital adrenal hyperplasia (a condition present from birth in which the adrenal glands make too much androgen and not enough of other steroid hormones) or some other adrenal problems. Low levels of DHEA-S may be present if the adrenal glands are damaged or diseased.

The test may also be used, with other hormone tests, to rule out certain diseases of the testes or ovaries because DHEA-S is also produced (normally in small amounts) by these organs. The test can also help diagnose damage or disease of the pituitary gland because adrenal production of DHEA-S is ultimately controlled by pituitary 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. Rainey WE, Nakamura Y (February 2008). "Regulation of the adrenal androgen biosynthesis". J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 108 (3-5): 281-6. PMID 17945481.