How to Check Your Progesterone Levels At Home
Going through hormonal changes through difference stages in life is natural. Also, your hormone levels could change as a result of your diet, changes in the environment, and even stress. However, certain medical conditions can also cause a hormonal imbalance.
Typically, your body has a high level of progesterone and low level of estrogen. Progesterone is the hormone that not only supports but balances the effects of estrogen in your body. If, for any reason, your body is producing a higher amount of estrogen, the ratio of progesterone to estrogen will be off, and the effects can be felt on the body.
In essence, you need to maintain the right level of progesterone to maintain optimal health. So many women are wondering if there is a way to check progesterone levels at home. Let’s look into it!
Symptoms of Low Progesterone Levels
Progesterone is primarily responsible for keeping your reproductive system healthy. Low levels of progesterone can mean estrogen dominance. So, you need to keep an eye out for the following symptoms:
- Migraines or Headaches
- Anxiety, Depression and Mood Swings
- Hot Flashes
- Low Libido
- Weight Gain
- Irregular Cycle
- Thyroid Dysfunction
- Insomnia
- Bloating
There are two main problems associated with low levels of progesterone. You may either have trouble conceiving or you may experience heightened symptoms of menopause. High progesterone levels not only increase your chances of conceiving, but it can also help in relieving the symptoms of menopause in some cases.
How You Can Check Progesterone Levels At Home
As mentioned, it is possible check progesterone levels at home. However, many women resort to using temporary solutions to curb the symptoms without taking heed of the underlying problem. It is important to discuss the symptoms of hormone imbalance with your doctor, as they can identify the underlying cause and discuss treatment options with you.
Once you’ve discussed the symptoms with your doctor and have found a treatment option that works for you, you can also discuss if it makes sense to check your progesterone levels at home. If they agree, there’s a few things that you should also keep in mind:
- Ovulation is the only way for your body to produce progesterone
- Your body produces progesterone only for a brief period, specifically after ovulation by the corpus luteum, which is the rest of the follicle that stays in your ovaries after ovulation. Typically, this period begins 10 to 14 days prior to your next period. This is also known as the luteal phase
- You have to perform a progesterone level test mid-way through the luteal phase, which is when the progesterone levels are at their highest
Testing your progesterone levels is rather easy. You can easily get a testing kit from the market. Make sure to read the instructions to your specific tests and follow their guidance, or ask your doctor or healthcare team.
You can pick either of the following options:
1. Finger Prick Test
This method is similar to how you take a blood sugar test. Some tests on the market include a finger prick kit. All you need to do is use the kit to collect a small sample of your blood. Ship the sample to the lab and you will get the results back in a couple of days.
In most cases, the best time to perform this test is 5 to 7 days before your period or 5 to 7 days after ovulation. Follow the instructions of your specific testing kit.
2. Urine Test Strip
If you want a simpler test with rapid results, you can go for a urine test strip. Strips for testing progesterone are easily available in the market and the results are rather easy to interpret. In fact, the method is exactly like taking a pregnancy test.
Generally, you need to take this test the first time you urinate in the morning, which you will need to collect in a glass or plastic container. Simply dip the test strip in the urine for the specified amount of time (usually 3 to 5 seconds) and you should get the results in the next 5 minutes in most testing kits.
Since these tests are time-sensitive and you have to perform them halfway through the luteal phase, you might face problems if you have irregular cycles. If your cycles are regular, you simply need to identify the date of your next period and take the test seven days prior or depending on the instructions of your testing kit.
If you have irregular cycles, you should wait until you detect ovulation and count seven days from there before you take the test. Physical signs of possible ovulation include twinges in your pelvis and discharge of egg white, stretchy mucus.
If you have any questions about the tests or the results, make sure to discuss it with your doctor or healthcare team, as they can help you best.
Conclusion
A change in the level of hormones in your body is quite common. But if you notice symptoms of hormonal imbalance, it is key to discuss them with your doctor. Depending on the underlying cause, they can suggest treatment options for you. In some cases, it also makes sense to test your progesterone levels at home, luckily there are many kits available. Follow the instructions of the kits to get your results, and if you have any questions about the tests or results, discuss them with your doctor or healthcare team.
