No one knows your body more than you do!
In menopause, we go through a roller coaster ride. Our hormone levels change, and we experience physical, emotional and even mental discomforts. So, understanding what’s happening to our body and observing our symptoms are the best initial steps to manage menopause!
Before you jumpstart on relieving your symptoms and trying different solutions, a promising course of action is to take a test first! Checking your hormone levels is a brilliant eye-opener to what you lack and if your hormones are in sync. Also, some tests can help you look over your thyroid levels, insulin levels or check for any nutrient deficiency.
Take a proactive approach in taking care of your health, especially during menopause. With the help of menopause test kits, free hormone balance quizzes and DIY tests, you can now check your hormone levels at the comfort of your home!
Go ahead and have a good read of the tests you can conveniently take during menopause!
Self-test Kits for Menopause
Self-test kits for menopause are great because they are cost-friendly and easy to use. When done correctly, they yield accurate results! Self-test kits are also very accessible — you can purchase them online or at your local pharmacy!
And hey… If you want to take some free hormone assessment quizzes or make a DIY hormone test (yes, it’s possible), we have a list below! But first, let’s get on with the self-test kits, shall we?
Here’s how self-test kits work:
Once you have the test kit, you will simply initiate the test and collect the sample! For some test kits, you must send in your sample — using the return label on the package (shipping is prepaid). Then, you’ll receive physician-reviewed digital results within a few days. Other brands also offer telehealth services to guide you through your next steps!
Among the most helpful self-test kits for women are:
Comprehensive Hormone Test
A Comprehensive Hormone Test analyzes female hormones like estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH) and luteinizing hormones (LF). Other brands can also measure antibodies and other hormones like testosterone. That means you will be aware of any imbalance that may keep you from feeling your best — and take the right steps to overcome it! In this test, samples are collected with a finger prick or saliva.
Perimenopause Test:
Wondering if those symptoms and menstrual changes indicate that menopause is near?
Taking a perimenopause test will let you know if you are transitioning towards menopause (or if it’s only PMS)!
Your levels of estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH) and luteinizing hormones will be measured when using this kit. Testing these hormone levels will also be beneficial if you consider taking hormone replacement therapy!
Post-Menopause Test:
Feeling a little strange after menopause? Well, cut the worries!
A Post-Menopause Test will help you answer your questions about your hormone levels!
Being aware of your hormone levels during post-menopause will hugely help you manage symptoms and live your golden days with ease! Like the Perimenopause Test, Post-Menopause Test is also helpful if you consider taking hormone replacement therapy.
Sleep and Stress Test:
Sleep and stress — two of the most challenging issues to overcome in menopause… I mean, if a genie randomly popped in front of me and asked me to make three wishes, I only have to think of one more wish. 🙂
Luckily, taking a Sleep and Stress Test can help determine the possible causes of sleep deprivation and stress! This at-home test will evaluate fluctuations of the vital hormones needed for a good night’s sleep and a stress-free day!
Any elevation or deficiency in the test markers of the self-test kit can point to lifestyle changes you can make. It’s an excellent step to optimize your sleep quality and reduce stress levels!
Thyroid Test:
As obvious as its name can get, a Thyroid Test will measure your levels of the 3 main thyroid hormones (TSH, T3, and T4). Different types of thyroid tests measure levels of different thyroid hormones and antibodies. We all know that our thyroid hormones play an essential role in many functions of our body, right?
It is vital to check any changes in our thyroid hormone levels to prevent conditions like hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)! Both conditions can lead to a variety of uncomfortable symptoms in the body. Fortunately, you can be on guard if you are experiencing symptoms of thyroid problems — by assessing your thyroid hormone levels!
Food Sensitivity Test:
As we age, we become more sensitive to certain types of food and our digestion goes slower than how it used to. But here’s the happy truth: It doesn’t get to a point where we get sensitive to everything! Of course, we can still enjoy our go-to foods as long as they are healthy and “friendly” to our tummy! So, how do we know who our “food friends” are?
EASY! Take a Food Sensitivity Test! This test makes use of a finger-prick sample collection to measure your body’s immune response to various foods! What a precious one-second-sting!
The test will also guide you on what types of food are the best choices for an elimination diet. Your body’s antibody response to certain foods, paired with an elimination diet, can help determine the cause of food sensitivity symptoms (like headache, migraine, bloating, stomach or abdominal pain, indigestion or gastrointestinal problems)!
Note that this self-test kit is not a food allergy test, nor can it determine lactose intolerance or celiac disease.
Listen to lovely Menopause Barbie
To better understand hormonal changes during menopause, check out this awesome video from Menopause Barbie!
Hormone Assessment Quizzes and Tests
Want to do something fun while checking your hormone levels? You can do this through hormone assessment quizzes and tests, which are available online!
These menopause tests can be done anytime, anywhere, and you don’t need a doctor to read your results because there are already pre-made result interpretations for you! All you have to do is answer some questions as truthful as possible. Just a friendly reminder, these quizzes and tests should not be used for diagnosis.
Here are some menopause assessment quizzes that you can try!
[click_to_tweet tweet=”You’re in charge of your own health, own it!” quote=”You’re in charge of your own health, own it!”]
Dr. John R. Lee’s Symptom Checker
Dr. John R. Lee came up with a comprehensive quiz to help you identify problems through your symptoms. Usually, what you see first are the signs and symptoms of the problem and not the cause of the problem itself. These symptoms help professionals diagnose your condition. You can actually do the same as well.
Know more about what your body needs by looking through the symptoms you are feeling. You can start with your hormone balance test and symptom checker today. Through the test, you can get an explanation about what you are going through and what concerns you may probably have.
Sara Gottfried’s Hormonal Test
A renowned physician and writer of the book “The Hormone Cure”, Sara Gottfried, helps women regain a comfortable life before menopause.
On her site, thehormonecurebook, she crafted a quiz including selections of symptoms that a menopausal woman feels. Using this test, a woman can accurately assess her case by choosing the signs one by one. According to Dr. Sara, most American people are “over-medicated, overweight and chronically unhappy” because some physicians misclassify the roots of their problems.
Her quiz points out which hormones or underlying causes are responsible for a specific menopausal symptom. Knowing the origin of the problem makes it easier to find the right solutions to eliminate complications. At the end of her quiz, she provides possible remedies to gain positive results.
ATTENTION! As of 2024, Sara does not have the link active.
I found another one that might be helpful.
Female Hormone Quiz – Restore U Functional Medicine
DIY Tests to Check Your Overall Health
Who says we can’t stay young and healthy as we age? We definitely can – even when we go through menopause!
We cannot solely rely on science or medicine to take care of ourselves. We can do many things at home to make sure that we stay as healthy as possible. Aside from eating the right kinds of food and living an active lifestyle, we can regularly monitor our overall health. How? Check out these easy-to-do home health tests!
The Sit-to-Rise Test
This test is a strong predictor of later health. It is also used to tell the mortality risk in elders. The test is easy to understand. It basically finds out how well you sit on the floor and how you get back up. The sit-to-rise test is done without the aid of any supportive devices, no pillows and cushions as well. You perform the test all on your own.
The highest possible score for this test is 10, while the lowest score is zero. If you use your forearm, knee, hands or the side of your leg, you are deducted one point from your overall score. For partial loss of balance, only 0.5 is deducted.
For more information about the test and how you are scored, check out this video presented by Angela Rippon and Dr. Chris van Tulleken on BBC.
DIY 48 Second Test for Candida
Candida infection is a condition that affects 75% of women. Menopausal women are at risk of developing this condition because of the reproductive system changes, especially in our vagina. Estrogen is responsible for keeping the moisture and normal flora of the vagina, so when it declines during menopause, our vaginal walls become thinner and weak. This can affect our pH levels, promoting bacteria and yeast growth, which can cause candida infection.
DIY 48 Second Test for Candida is a quick and easy way to see if you have a candida infection. So how do you do it? It just involves three steps: fill a glass with water halfway, spit on it, and see what happens to your spit in 45 minutes.
For a more detailed explanation and a sample demonstration, here’s an interesting video!
Romberg’s Test
The Romberg’s test is a pretty simple test to do. You just have to stand up straight and close your eyes for a full minute. If you feel like swaying from side to side or spinning in circles, you may want to work on your balance. You can get good tips on how to improve your balance in our article Balance exercise. However, if you felt calm and stable, you’re perfectly fine. You can read more about the Romberg test and perform it yourself.
Wobble Test
This is a good home test for thyroid health. Thyroid problems are common in menopausal women, so this is a test that you should try. It’s easy to do. First, you have to stretch your hand with palms facing down. On top of your hand, place a piece of paper. If there’s shaking, check for hyperthyroidism. But you have to remember that this is not a confirmatory test.
Bad Breath Test
Body odor, including how your breath smells, changes considerably as you age. Taking a bad breath test is a good idea because it will help determine gum problems or underlying medical conditions like Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA).
So how do you do the bad breath test? With a spoon, scrape the back of your tongue and seal the spoon in a plastic. Place it under bright light for a minute, then smell it. A clear tongue coating is healthy, but it may indicate problems within your gut, kidneys, and liver if you see a thickness and color. This test also indicates how your breath smells to other people.
You can also do other home medical screenings, read and see which ones you want to try!
How to Tell If Your Body is Acidic or Alkaline
Most of us place little to no importance on our body’s pH. But, a well-balanced pH keeps us away from diseases and illnesses. Any pH imbalance – whether it’s too much acidity or alkalinity can promote bacterial growth, potentially affecting our organs and suppressing our immune system. Dr. Josh Axe gives us a more detailed explanation why our body’s pH is crucial to our health in his article.
Dr. Sara Gottfried wrote an article on how to improve our pH levels and how to test them. In her article, she shares with us how to balance our pH with the food we consume and improve our health.
You don’t have to go to the laboratory to test your pH levels because you can do it on your own at home! Amazon has a lot of pH test strips available which you can choose from. Local drugstores also have many pH tests; you can visit one and ask for the store pharmacist’s assistance.
You can perform your pH test at any time of the day. But it would be best if you took it every morning around the same time. If you obtain your pH levels via your urine, test results are between 6.5 and 7.5 to be normal. Your saliva is a great medium to measure your pH levels. Results should be the same as your urine test.
If you want to try another test, there’s an alkalinity test that you can try in the comfort of your home. Blend a head of red cabbage with some water and do it well until the water completely turns into the same color as your lettuce. You need to pour this mixture into your toilet while removing some pieces of vegetables. When you urinate, monitor the color of the water in the toilet. If the color is pinkish, that means that your pH is highly acidic. You may want to re-examine and modify your current diet. Blue colored water, on the other hand, indicates that your urine is neutral or alkaline.
This test can also identify the sex of your unborn. Pink/red is a boy, and purple is a girl. Well, that is not for us menopause girls, but it could be fun to know for your daughter or daughter in law.
The key to understanding your symptoms during menopause is to know how your body and hormones work together. Once you get the right information, you can start making healthy choices that work for you!
What kind of tests and exams have you taken? How was your experience? Share it with us today!
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Hi,
I have read your article. Your blog on hormone test is organised well as your also put few sources for folks to take hormone tests. I have recently took test from BioHealth Laboratory which is equal to ZRT Laboratory. I think you should have to include their name as well. I am suggesting this to you only because you mentioned the sources above to take hormone test. Here, I am providing you their website link – biohealthlab which might help you to make it on up on the given list.
I must say Saliva hormone testing is more reliable as hormones are stable in saliva and stability of saliva samples is prolonged at room temperature. As well as saliva hormone test is less costly.
I hope I have shared something valuable to you and your audience as it is all about health.
Thanks!
Hi Mac,
We appreciate readers sharing knowledge and experiences. 🙂
We updated the article to include BioHealth Laboratory!
Feel free to browse around and enjoy the rest of our articles!
Take care!
Gita
Thanks!
Yes Sure. Do you accept guest blogs? I think I have to share my experience during hormones testing with others as well so that people get to know how these tests helps lot to maintain the body system.
Thanks for asking Mac, we sent you a private message!
Can the DUTCH testing, which now includes adrenal testing, be done on women in menopause? When I listened to their YouTube video they refered to the urine samples being done towards the end of a woman’s cycle.
I have high anxiety and nothing is woking to calm it down. I am hoping by doing this test I will get to the root of the issue.
I LOVE Magdalena!
Hi Amie,
About the Dutch Test, menopausal women like us, who no longer have cycles, can take the test any day of the month. But you can also choose to contact the experts from DUTCH, through email, so they can also suggest a test that’s best for you.
We found some info about the DUTCH test on Dr. Mercola’s site. (https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/05/08/dutch-hormone-test.aspx)
He also says that
“The DUTCH hormone test can be ordered on their website for patients from most states. While you can order it yourself, it’s strongly recommended you work with a qualified and experienced healthcare provider when trying to address hormonal issues, due to the sheer complexity”
We have written an article about anxiety that might give you some help, as well. You can read it here https://mymenopausejourney.com/anxiety-depression/
Hope you will feel better soon!
Take care.
Gita