Healthy Hormones and Advanced Testing: A Functional Medicine Perspective

Balancing hormones is one of the most important steps toward long-term wellness, yet it’s often overlooked until symptoms become disruptive. From PMS and irregular cycles to infertility, PCOS, menopause, and adrenal stress, many women experience hormone-related concerns that affect daily life.

Working with a naturopathic physician can help uncover the root causes of these imbalances through advanced hormone testing—tools that go far beyond standard bloodwork.

Why Baseline Testing Matters

When it comes to hormones, guessing is not a strategy. Symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, weight changes, or sleep disturbance can point in many directions. By establishing a baseline of hormone activity, practitioners can:

  • Identify subtle imbalances early on.

  • Track how lifestyle changes, herbs, or targeted therapies are working.

  • Personalize treatment instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

  • Prevent long-term complications linked to undetected hormone disruption.

Why Blood Tests Often Fall Short

Traditional blood tests measure the total amount of hormone circulating at one point in time. But hormones are dynamic—they fluctuate throughout the day, across cycles, and in response to stress. For example:

  • Cortisol follows a daily rhythm; one blood draw doesn’t reveal patterns of adrenal stress.

  • Estrogen and progesterone shift throughout the menstrual cycle; a single measurement misses the bigger picture.

For these reasons, blood levels are not always useful in identifying functional hormone issues.

Urine vs. Saliva Testing: What’s Superior and When

Saliva testing

  • Measures the “free” (active) fraction of hormones available to your tissues.

  • Excellent for mapping daily cortisol rhythms and understanding stress response.

  • Convenient for at-home collection multiple times per day.

Urine testing

  • Provides a more comprehensive look at how hormones are metabolized.

  • Can show whether estrogen is being broken down into protective or potentially harmful pathways.

  • Useful for assessing overall hormone production and detoxification capacity.

Together, urine and saliva tests give a more complete picture than blood tests alone. Dr. Barnett uses these advanced tools to design truly individualized and precise care plans.

Final Thoughts

Healthy hormones are the foundation of vitality at every stage of life. Whether you’re navigating PMS, fertility challenges, PCOS, menopause, or adrenal stress, advanced testing provides the clarity needed to move forward with a targeted treatment plan.

With the right tools and a personalized approach, balancing your hormones is not only possible—it’s transformative. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Clara Barnett today. Call 425-539-0800 or emailing staff@drclara.com. Her offices are conveniently located in Seattle and Bellevue, with telemedicine appointments also available. Most insurance plans are accepted.

Clara Barnett