What can be learned from hormone tests｜Anxiety about menstruation｜Ovulation｜Menopause｜Introduction of test kits

"I have irregular menstruation. I want to have a hormone test, but I don't know what to do..."

If you don't know the content and cost of hormone testing, you may be worried about testing. However, hormone testing is an important test that may reveal the causes of menstrual irregularities, infertility, and physical disorders .

In this article, we will explain what you can find out from hormone tests and the detailed contents. By all means, please refer to the article and reduce your anxiety about hormone tests.

Find out in this article

• What is a hormone test?
• Who should take a hormone test?
• Hormone test content, cost, duration
• Hormone test kit that can be done at home

What is a hormone test?

A hormone test is a test that checks for hormones in the blood. Hormone tests related to menstruation are generally performed at gynecology departments and obstetrics and gynecology departments .

Hormones are hormones that are produced in various organs of the body, such as the brain, thyroid, and ovaries. Among them, the representative hormone related to menstruation is the female hormone produced by the ovaries. However, menstruation is closely related not only to female hormones, but also to hormones produced by the brain.

Should I go for a hormone test? What the test reveals

Hormone testing may reveal the causes of menstrual irregularities, infertility, and other health problems . Therefore, if you have menstrual irregularities such as irregular menstruation or no menstruation for more than 3 months, if you are trying to conceive, or if you are having physical or mental problems due to menopause, consider going for a hormone test. .

As women age, their hormone levels change dramatically. Hormone-related diseases and worries that are likely to cause irregular menstruation also change with age.

〜Hormone-related diseases that are likely to cause irregular menstruation in each age group〜

• 10s to early 20s: puberty, polycystic ovary syndrome Because the ovarian function is still immature, ovulation may not occur well and menstrual irregularities may occur. It is also during this period that polycystic ovary syndrome, a disease in which the secretion of female hormones is difficult, is easily detected.
• Late 20s to 30s: Stress-induced amenorrhea, polycystic ovarian syndrome This is the time when life events such as marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth overlap. Stress can cause hormonal imbalances, and ovulation may not occur.
• Late 40s to 50s: Pre-menopause, menopause This is the time when female hormones fluctuate and decline toward menopause. You may experience menopausal symptoms such as irregular menstruation, hot flashes, and irritability.

Read the following articles together
Explanation of when menopause and pre-menopause come

Hormone test details

There are many people who do not have the courage to undergo a hormone test or feel uneasy about the test, just in case they are diagnosed with a disease. It's just that if the cause of disease or infertility is really hidden, it will be possible to deal with it early. In addition, hormonal imbalance can affect pregnancy, so it can be said that it is an essential test to be confident in trying to conceive.
It is important to confirm the contents of the hormone test in advance to relieve anxiety and take it early .

Here, we will tell you about the contents of the hormone test, the cost, and the period until the test results are available.

Inspection content

A hormone test is basically a blood test . The contents of the examination change depending on the suspected disease and symptoms, but in many cases, 5 hormones related to menstruation are examined.

• Estrogen is a female hormone produced by the ovaries. It is a hormone that thickens the uterine lining and is essential for maintaining the health of women.
• Progesterone Progesterone is a female hormone that is produced by the corpus luteum and is essential for maintaining pregnancy by making the lining of the uterus fluffy. Progesterone is a hormone that is produced after ovulation, so the time to take it is different from other hormone tests.
• FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)
  A hormone produced in the brain that nurtures follicles. FSH levels rise when ovarian function declines, such as during menopause.
• LH (luteinizing hormone)
  A hormone produced in the brain that induces ovulation and turns the remaining follicle into a corpus luteum.
• PRL (Prolactin)
  A hormone that makes milk. Normally, it is high during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but if it is high during non-pregnancy, it can cause irregular menstruation and infertility.

Cost of testing

The examination fee for insurance coverage is about 1,000 yen per item. Therefore, if you test all of the above five hormones, it will cost about 5,000 yen .

Additional costs include the initial examination fee, male hormone test, and thyroid hormone test if necessary.

The contents of the test and the cost will vary depending on the condition of the patient and the medical facility. Therefore, check the details of fees on the website or by phone of the medical institution you receive.

Time until test results are available

It often takes several days to get test results, and you will be asked about the results at a follow-up visit at a later date.

However, if the laboratory is located inside a medical institution, the results will be available in about 30 minutes to an hour. For example, when performing in vitro fertilization for fertility treatment, the treatment policy will change depending on the results, so we may ask for the results on the same day.

Hormone test kit that can be done at home

A hormone test kit that can be done at home is a convenient kit that allows you to test hormones at home without visiting a medical institution .

Once purchased, the test kit will be delivered to your home, the blood will be drawn, the kit will be returned, and the results will be confirmed on the website.

There are many people who are thinking about becoming pregnant or are worried about having an illness, but are too busy to see a doctor. In addition, some people avoid visiting a gynecologist because it is crowded and time consuming, and the hurdles to seeing a doctor are high.

Hormone test kits that can be done at home are recommended for those who are unable to see a doctor for some reason.

summary

In this article, I explained the diseases that can be detected by hormone tests, the contents of the tests, and the test kits that can be done at home. The four points of the article are summarized below.

• Hormone tests related to menstruation are generally performed at a gynecologist or obstetrics and gynecology department.
• Hormone tests may reveal the causes of menstrual irregularities, infertility and physical disorders
• In some cases, the cause of illness or infertility is hidden, so it is important to receive it early.
• Hormone test kits that can be done at home are recommended for those who can not see a doctor

Hormone testing is very important to find out the cause of menstrual irregularities and physical disorders. If you are concerned, don't worry too much and consider visiting a hospital .