Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — thyroid testing

  Important clinical context: Hormone levels fluctuate during perimenopause, so a single blood or saliva result does not reliably diagnose or exclude it. Assessment is often based on age, symptoms and menstrual history; routine hormone testing is not a prerequisite for HRT and home panels do not establish a safe HRT dose. The original discussion below overstates these uses of testing. Discuss persistent symptoms, unusual bleeding or suspected early menopause with a qualified healthcare professional, who can select any appropriate investigations and treatment. Understanding Perimenopause Perimenopause, also known as the menopausal transition, is a natural and normal part of a...

Most people associate iodine exclusively with thyroid health — but this essential mineral plays a far broader role in the body. From breast tissue and ovarian function to fetal brain development and endometrial health, iodine is active in virtually every organ system. Deficiency is more widespread than commonly recognised, and standard thyroid blood tests cannot reliably detect it. This guide explores the extrathyroidal roles of iodine, the difference between iodide and molecular iodine, the controversy around dosing, and why testing urinary iodine is the most accurate way to assess your status.

By Dr. Tracy Tranchitella, ND    Important: Palpitations should not automatically be attributed to menopause or a hormone imbalance. If palpitations are happening with chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting or feeling faint, seek emergency medical help rather than waiting for a home test. New, recurrent or worsening palpitations need clinical assessment; an ECG or heart-rhythm monitoring may be needed. There it is again! That distinct flutter in your chest that kicks up your heart rate and leaves you feeling a bit breathless. It might feel as though your heart just skipped a beat or flip-flopped in your chest and...

By Dr.David Zava, ZRT Laboratory   COVID-19 is Making Blood Draw Clinics a Scary Place to Be In today’s scary world of rapidly spreading COVID-19 infections, most individuals are hesitant to have their health care provider, or worse, a stranger at a blood draw clinic, violate their mandated social space of 6 feet to allow them to stick a needle in their vein and draw blood for testing hormones. It is understandable why during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic both the physician and staff would rather limit physical contact as much as possible with a potentially infectious COVID-19 patient, and vice versa....

Normal thyroid blood tests don’t always explain why patients still suffer from fatigue, cold intolerance, brain fog and weight gain. In this in-depth clinical article, ZRT Laboratory explains the critical role of selenium in thyroid hormone synthesis and T4-to-T3 conversion, how heavy metals like mercury and arsenic sequester selenium and inactivate protective antioxidant enzymes, and why this can trigger Hashimoto’s thyroiditis — even when TSH, T4 and T3 appear normal.