The Testosterone Blood Test Procedure
So what is that testosterone blood test procedure like? Your doctor will help in cleaning the surface of your skin with a good antiseptic and then place an elastic band around your upper arm in order to apply pressure so that the veins swell well and they are easily seen. A long needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood will be drawn with a syringe and kept in a vial. After the blood is well drawn out, the elastic band is slowly removed, and the veins would return to normal. The area would be covered with cotton to stop bleeding Collection of blood only takes a few minutes time. Drawing blood is not very painful. You would just feel a small prick while the needle is inserted and depending on your skin there may or may not be a little black bruise which would disappear in a few days or so.
Free Testosterone Levels Vs Total Testosterone
There are two main ways to test someones testosterone levels: total testosterone and free testosterone. Total testosterone is the most common test. As we already discussed, most women have a total testosterone reading between 15-70 ng / dL. However, women sometimes experience signs and symptoms of low testosterone, even though their total testosterone is in the normal, healthy range.
Today many doctors prefer to use the free testosterone test to measure testosterone levels in the human body. Free testosterone measures the amount of active testosterone in the bloodstream.
The truth is only a small percentage of your testosterone is considered active at any given time. About 98% of the testosterone in men and women is bound to a protein called shbg, or sex hormone binding globulin. Free testosterone measures the active or unbound testosterone that can bind to the surface of cells and exert its physiological effects.
Some women have normal levels of total testosterone but very low free testosterone levels. For this reason, many medical professionals like to test free testosterone levels in women in addition to total testosterone.
Here are the normal free testosterone levels for women :
- Teenage girls: 0.3 1.9 ng / dL
- Adult women: 0.3 1.9 ng / dL
Who Should Get A Testosterone Test
The most common reason for taking a testosterone test is to determine why men have issues with infertility or sex drive. However, low testosterone has other causes.
Genetic Conditions
Some people are born with conditions that affect testosterone levels, like Klinefelter syndrome, Noonan syndrome, or ambiguous genitalia.
You May Like: Webber Naturals Melatonin 500 Mcg
What Is A Testosterone Levels Test
A testosterone levels test measures the amount of testosterone in a sample of your blood. Testosterone is known as a “male” sex hormone, but females have testosterone in smaller amounts.
Testosterone is made by:
- The testicles , the part of the male reproductive system that makes sperm
- The ovaries, the part of the female reproductive system that makes eggs
- The adrenal glands, organs on top of each kidney that make several hormones
During male puberty, testosterone causes body hair, muscle growth, and a deepening voice. In adult life, it controls sex drive, maintains muscle mass, and helps make sperm. In females, testosterone is important for the growth of bones and muscles, and healthy organs.
There are different forms of testosterone in your blood that may be measured to help diagnose certain health problems. Most of your testosterone is attached to proteins. The proteins prevent your tissues from using the testosterone right away, which helps control the amount of “active” testosterone in your body. Testosterone that’s not attached to proteins is called free testosterone. Free testosterone acts on your tissues.
Three types of blood tests measure these different forms of testosterone:
Other names: serum testosterone, total testosterone, free testosterone, bioavailable testosterone
Where Can I Find A Testosteronetotal Test Near Me
Check our lab finder to locate a collection site in your area.
Note: Result turn around times are an estimate and are not guaranteed. Our reference lab may need additional time due to weather, holidays, confirmation/repeat testing, or equipment maintenance.
Requirements:
It is recommended that someone taking Biotin stop consumption at least 72 hours prior to the collection of a sample.
Categories:
Test Code:
Description:
Don’t Miss: How Do Hormones Affect Weight
What Is Being Tested
Testosterone is the main sex hormone produced in men. It helps make sperm, and it influences men’s sex drive. It also helps create facial and body hair, and plays a part in the development of muscles. Men make testosterone mainly in their testes, but also in their adrenal glands.
Women make a much smaller amount of testosterone in their ovaries, adrenal glands and other body tissues. Some of this breaks down to form a type of oestrogen called oestradiol.
Some testosterone is found in the blood both of men and women. A blood test for testosterone will show how much is in your body.
Why It Is Done
A testosterone test may be done to:
- See why a man is having problems in fathering a child . A low amount of testosterone can lead to low sperm counts.
- Check a man’s sexual problems. Having a low level of testosterone may lower a man’s sex drive or not allow him to have an erection .
- See whether a high level of testosterone is causing a boy younger than age 10 to have early signs of puberty.
- Find out why a woman is developing male features, such as excessive facial and body hair and a deep voice.
- Find out why a woman is having irregular menstrual periods.
- See if testosterone-lowering medicines are working in a man with advanced prostate cancer.
- Find the cause of osteoporosis in a man.
Read Also: How Many Grams Of Melatonin Should You Take
What If Im Experiencing Symptoms
Abnormally high or low testosterone levels in males and females can indicate other serious conditions.
High T levels can indicate ovarian or testicular cancer. Low T levels can indicate chronic illness or a problem with the pituitary gland, which releases hormones.
In infant males and females, signs of abnormal testosterone levels may be more extreme. Testosterone tests are often ordered for young males and females who are not developing properly or when parents notice delayed puberty.
Young males with low T may grow slowly, with no body hair and poorly developed muscles. When they have high T, they may enter puberty early and robustly. Young females with high T may have delayed menstruation or too much body hair.
What Happens During A Testosterone Levels Test
A blood sample for a testosterone test should be taken in the morning between 7 and 10. During these hours, your testosterone levels are typically the highest.
A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.
You May Like: Highest Dose Of Melatonin You Can Buy
Monitoring Response To Treatment In Women
Women receiving treatment for hyperandrogenism: Response to treatment of hyperandrogenism in women is clinical. Therefore, testing serum total testosterone and cBAT in patients treated for hyperandrogenism is not recommended unless a concrete cause has been identified, such as non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia or an androgen-secreting tumour.
Women receiving androgen therapy for low libido: Testosterone testing is not useful for monitoring women receiving androgen therapy for low libido unless overuse is suspected or unexpected virilisation has developed.
Should Women Take A Testosterone Test
If you are a female experiencing high or low testosterone symptoms, you may consider taking a testosterone test.
Abnormal testosterone levels in females can indicate larger health issues such as PCOS, abnormal or nonexistent menstrual periods, or infertility issues.
In some cases, low testosterone in females may also be caused by low estrogen or menopause as there is some overlap in the symptoms. A testosterone test and other hormone tests can help doctors determine a diagnosis.
Read Also: How Do They Make Testosterone Injections
Signs Of Low Testosterone In Women
Low testosterone, or hypogonadism, is a serious medical condition. Many women are suffering from low testosterone, and they dont even know it. Therefore, it is essential to know the most common signs and symptoms of low testosterone in women. Here are five of the most common signs :
- Sexual dysfunction
This is just a small list. The truth is there are many other signs of low testosterone including excessive fatigue, increased risk for cardiovascular disease or diabetes and even memory loss and cognitive decline.
Low testosterone can be difficult to diagnose because there are so many possible signs associated with this condition. This is one of the many reasons it is important to talk to your doctor if you are experiencing any new symptoms. Your doctor will be able to talk to you about the symptoms you are experiencing and help you check your testosterone levels if necessary.
What Do The Results Mean
Your test results may mean different things depending on which test was done, your age, your symptoms, the results of other tests, and other conditions you may have. So, it’s best ask your provider to explain your test results.
A testosterone level test alone can’t diagnose any health conditions, but abnormal results with symptoms may be a sign of a health problem.
- In males, low T levels may be caused by different conditions, including:
If your results are not normal, it doesn’t always mean you have a medical condition that needs treatment. It’s normal for testosterone levels to decrease with age. And certain medicines can affect your results. If you have questions about your results, talk to your health care provider.
Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.
Also Check: How To Have More Testosterone
Why Would I Need This Test
Your doctor might suggest a blood test for testosterone if:
- you are having problems conceiving a child both men and women can be tested
- you are a man with a low sex drive
- you are a man with problems getting an erection
- you are a woman with masculine features, such as a lot of body hair or a low voice
- you are a boy and puberty has come very early, or is very late
Some diseases can also affect the amount of testosterone in your blood. These include diabetes, mumps and tumours on the testicles or ovaries. People who drink too much alcohol can also have low testosterone levels.
What Is The Link Between Fasting And Testosterone Levels
In broad terms, fasting is defined as not eating for a certain amount of time, usually between 8 and 12 hours. This also includes not drinking beverages that might make your organs work to process them such as alcoholic drinks, milk, etc.
Many blood tests require patients to fast before drawing a sample. A standard glucose test is the best example in this case. If you eat something and then you do a glucose test, you might be falsely labeled as diabetic.
That’s because your body didn’t get a chance to process the glucose in your bloodstream and it will show up in a test. Scientists have reasons to believe that fasting is also important when it comes to checking your testosterone levels.
In other words, having a meal before your test might temporarily decrease your testosterone levels. This could lead to a false diagnosis of hypogonadism if your normal T level is close to 400-500 ng/dL. Such findings also imply retesting subjects that were initially diagnosed with low testosterone levels.
Let’s take a look at a few studies and explore the correlation between fasting and testosterone tests in greater detail. You’ll see how a glucose load or a complete meal can influence the total and bioavailable testosterone levels hours after ingestion.
Read Also: How To Measure Estrogen Levels
How Can You Explain The Testosterone Blood Tests Results
The testosterone blood test results can be understood after the reports are obtained. The blood sample is processed with the help of a machine, and the results are obtained in just a matter of few days.
Are there any types of Risk Factors Associated with the Testosterone Blood Tests?
The testosterone blood test is considered to be a very safe procedure however you cannot rule out risk factors during the test. Some risk factors can be associated while drawing of blood which includes
- Fainting or light headedness after drawing of blood
- Hematoma or accumulation of blood under the skin
- Pain that is associated with punctures with the needle to locate the vein.
What Is Your Normal Testosterone Level
The normal level of testosterone for men is approximately 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter, whereas for women it is somewhere between 15 and 70 nanograms per deciliter. Though there may be some minute differences, the normal levels some what remain the same. The levels usually decrease as you grow older or depending on your health conditions. After the age of 40 years, mens testosterone levels decrease by at least 1% every year. Alcoholism and liver disease in males can reduce a great level of testosterone levels in men. Drugs, including androgens, can also decrease testosterone levels. Some of the symptoms of low testosterone in men signify
- Erectile dysfunction
- Inability to conceive
- Tiredness and fatigue round the clock
Women who have too much of testosterone have more of facial hair growth as well as a more dominant male voice and decreased breast size. Too much testosterone can also give rise to acne. They also are the result of polycystic ovary syndrome which can also change your menstruation cycles as well.
Don’t Miss: Estrogen Side Effects In Males
Pcod In Women And Testosterone: Are They Related
PCOD is a common hormonal imbalance that affects 1 in 5 women in India. It leads to the irregularity of the menstrual cycle, acne, hair loss, excessive facial hair, coarse skin, and problems in conceiving. Many women with PCOD are found to have an imbalance in certain hormones, increased levels of testosterone being important. Usually, testosterone values in PCOD will be less than or equal to 150 ng/dL . Testosterone values of 200 ng/dL may warrant your physician to consider the cause to be an ovarian or adrenal tumor.
However, it is not the sole diagnostic criteria for PCOD. Depending on your results, you might also need one of these other tests:
- Androstenedione : To detect how well your adrenal glands or ovaries are functioning.
- DHEAS Test: To diagnose any problems in your adrenal glands.
- Estrogen level: To detect more about infertility or menopause.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone or luteinizing hormone : To evaluate fertility in women. Book LH-FSH ratio test here.
- Prolactin test: To look for possible causes of breast discharge, missing periods, or decreased sex drive in women.
Key Takeaway For Future Testosterone Testing Protocols
The scientific literature on sexual medicine mentions that food intake might affect testosterone levels. However, the standard testing protocol doesn’t incorporate fasting before a test. The results of the studies above pave the way to a potentially important change in how testosterone tests are done.
Furthermore, there were no significant differences in LH, SHBG, and other hormones among the study participants. This reveals that the behavior of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular axis wasn’t really affected by food or glucose intake, but testosterone production was. It is believed that insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas when we eat to process glucose, may decrease testosterone production temporarily at the testicular level.
If you think that you have low testosterone, check out these testosterone tests that you can order online at an affordable price and see how your hormones are doing.
Recommended Reading: How Much For Testosterone Shots
Why Is A Testosterone Blood Test Done
Your doctor may order a testosterone blood test if he feels that a boy is a much more grown-up than usual before puberty or girls have a low level of sexual desire compared to their age. Again, girls who have masculine characteristics should be tested for higher levels of testosterone. This blood test may be performed on boys as well as girls to check for any kind of damaged testicles, ovaries, adrenal glands or pituitary gland. Testosterone levels can also help doctors to determine fertility or menstrual problems and sexual function.
How To Test Testosterone Levels
The best way to check your testosterone levels is to perform a blood test. There are a few different ways to do this. The first option is to order a blood test through your doctor.
The process is relatively simple: you visit your doctor, explain the symptoms that you are experiencing and request that he or she orders a blood test for you to measure your testosterone levels.
Another option is to order your blood test online through a company like Lets Get Checked. With an online company you pay for the exact test that you want, and then visit a local clinic to perform the actual blood test. Within a few days they will send the results back to you electronically.
If you decide to order a blood test through an online company then it is critical that you pick the right test. Most companies have dozens of different options for you to choose from. Here are the most important tests to include:
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
There are many other tests that you can include as part of your overall blood test. This is especially important if you are a female as women have many more hormones that can impact their overall health.
Here are some of the most common tests that are medical professionals include when testing hormone levels:
- Complete blood count
- Thyroid profile
Also Check: Symptoms Of Low Estrogen Women