What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone that is responsible for how your body reacts towards stress. It is secreted by the adrenal glands: small triangular glands located on top of the kidneys. When you feel in danger or face a stressful situation, your body reacts by secreting the adrenocorticotropic hormone that triggers adrenal glands to release cortisol an adrenaline. This reaction is a natural and protective response that our body develop when perceiving a certain threat or danger. The result will be higher levels of cortisol that give more energy and strength to the body. In parallel, cortisol will try to tame down any function that is deemed unnecessary for this fight or flight response. This includes suppressing the growth processes, the digestive system, the reproductive system and the immune system. These alterations are coupled by responses towards the threat that include a rapid heartbeat, a dry mouth, an upset stomach, diarrhea and panic.
Throughout a normal day, cortisol levels change. In the morning, they are at their highest levels; and, at night, they reach their lowest. This salivary cortisol test x4 measures the levels of the cortisol hormone four times: once in the morning, once at noon, once in the evening and one at night. The tubes are handy; so, it will be easy for you to provide the sample. Salivary hormonal test is efficient and have been highly reflective of the cortisol levels in the system that are not bound to serum.
Why take the Cortisol Saliva X4 test?
The salivary cortisol test is a great tool to diagnose an excessive or insufficient level of cortisol in your system. It is also a great tool to determine how your levels are changing within a 24-hour period. According to the results, you will be able to diagnose any primary or secondary adrenal insufficiencies, as well as malfunctions of adrenal and pituitary glands.
High levels of cortisol may be caused by everyday worries. If you have a lot of stress at work, have a lot of responsibilities, take care of her family, have exams or strict deadlines, you may experience stress throughout the day. Such emotional and physical stress may cause your cortisol levels to become high. You will then start experiencing sleep disturbances, unexplained rapid weigh gain, bloating and gas, indigestion, low testosterone levels, as well as hormonal imbalances (if you are a woman). Some even report having mental fogginess, becoming ill frequently, having low energy levels caused by muscle weakness as well as feeling depressed. All these symptoms can disrupt your life and need to be addressed by getting tested. When left untreated, high cortisol levels can lead to more accentuated chronic illnesses like cancer, Alzheimer’s, Fibromyalgia, Eczema, Heart attacks and autoimmune diseases.
Those who may have symptoms of low cortisol levels also need to get checked routinely. Your levels are below normal if you have been having elevated levels for too long that may have exhausted your adrenal glands, leading to an underproduction of the hormone. This is when you start noticing symptoms like chronic joint pain, back pain, exhaustion, allergies, anxiety, and food sensitivities.
What can cause abnormal levels of Cortisol Saliva?
There are many factors that could sabotage your cortisol levels, which are not related to any gland insufficiency. For example, anyone who has congenital adrenal hyperplasia have low cortisol levels. Pregnancy or undergoing any type of intensive stress can peak your cortisol levels. Being ill or having been hospitalized can also have some effect on your cortisol levels. Other factors that may sabotage your results include being exposed to heat or cold, having an infection, experiencing any kind of trauma, exercising, or being simply obese.
Drugs can also affect your cortisol levels. These include oral contraceptives, hydrocortisone as well as spironolactone. Steroid hormones, taken as drugs, tend to decrease your cortisol levels. You may want to keep in mind that adults tend to have slightly higher cortisol levels then children.
What your Cortisol Saliva X4 results mean?
This salivary test requires taking four saliva samples to measure the cortisol levels. Under normal circumstances, this hormone, when measured between 7 am and 9 am, has to be between 100 and 750 ng/dL. For the sample that was taken between 3 pm and 5 pm, cortisol levels have to remain below 401 ng/dL. Finally, the saliva sample that is taken around midnight has to be less than 100 ng/dL.
If your levels were higher than the above-mentioned normal values; then, it is either caused by a tumor or growth on the pituitary gland that is triggering the overproduction of ACTH, or you have a tumor in your adrenal glands that is causing the release of excess cortisol. It could even be caused by a tumor that is found anywhere in the body and possibly involved in the cortisol production process.
If your levels are below normal values; then, it may indicate that your adrenal glands are underproducing the hormone. This condition is called Addison’s disease and is an autoimmune disease where our own antibodies start attacking our adrenal cortex. This is a chronic disorder that can also be detected by testing for antibodies in the blood, before significant damages are done to the adrenal gland. Cortisol levels can also be caused by hypopituitarism, which happens when the pituitary gland does not send the appropriate signals.
Where can I get a Cortisol Saliva X4 test near me?
Please use our Lab Locator to find find a convenient testing location.
Reviewed By: Dr. Kurt Kloss, MD
Last Reviewed Date: Jul 26, 2019
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