How Do You Check Cortisol Levels From Home?

Often referred to as the ‘stress hormone’, cortisol is a steroid hormone responsible for regulating a number of crucial jobs throughout the body including, you guessed it, helping your body respond to stress. While high levels of cortisol have been linked to mood swings, weight gain, and high blood pressure, low levels are often associated with weight loss, low blood pressure, and nausea.

The American Medical Association noted that stress is the underlying cause for a number of human illnesses and diseases; these include high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, and depression; this is why it’s crucial to manage any potential stressors in your life and keep an eye on your cortisol levels. If you would rather do this from home, you can check in on your cortisol levels from home with LetsGetChecked’s at-home Cortisol test.

Can I test my cortisol levels at home?

The way cortisol works is pretty simple; when you encounter a threat (whether that be a stressful work meeting or a zombie apocalypse), your fight or flight response is triggered and your body releases a surge of hormones, one of those being cortisol. Once this threat has passed, your hormone levels typically return to normal however if you’re constantly feeling stressed, levels will remain high. This overexposure to cortisol can be overwhelming for the body and can put you at risk of a number of complications such as anxiety, depression, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

There are a handful of different types of cortisol tests, these include blood, saliva, and urine. The blood test involves a simple finger prick blood sample and can be taken from home with an at-home lab test.

LetsGetChecked’s at-home Cortisol test checks cortisol production levels to get insights into whether the levels are too high, which could lead to Cushing syndrome, or too low which could put you at risk of developing Addison’s disease.

Whether you don’t have time to visit your doctor or you’d simply prefer the convenience of checking your levels from home; the best and most reliable way to check cortisol levels from home is with an at-home Cortisol lab test.

The cortisol test kit will arrive in discreet packaging with a return envelope and clear instructions inside. Online test results will be available within 2-5 days and our dedicated clinical team will be available throughout the process for support and guidance and will be available to speak with you about your results and the next steps you should take. If you would like more detail about the sampling process, find out more here.

What are the symptoms of cortisol imbalance?

High levels of cortisol may result in Cushing syndrome (too much cortisol), whereas low levels may result in Addison’s disease (too little cortisol). With this in mind, it’s important to stay in the know when it comes to your cortisol levels to avoid any preventable complications.

Indicators of unbalanced cortisol levels include:

• Severe fatigue
• Headaches
• Cognitive difficulties
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Bone loss and weakness
• High blood pressure
• Decreased libido
• Decreased fertility
• Weight gain or weight loss
• Erectile dysfunction
• Irregular periods

If you’re experiencing symptoms of unbalanced cortisol levels, you should consider getting tested - this can be done with your local doctor or from the comfort of your own home with an at-home lab test. The process is simple:

1. The test is shipped directly to you by next day delivery
2. Activate your test and answer a few health-related questions
3. Your health record will be reviewed by a medical team member and should you need any support services, they will be provided
4. Collect your sample at a time that suits you
5. Send your sample back to our laboratory using the pre-paid shipping label provided
6. Your sample will be processed in an anonymous and timely manner
7. Your results will be reviewed by our team of doctors. A member of our nursing team will contact you to deliver your results, discuss any next steps and offer prescriptions in some cases

LetsGetChecked’s at-home Cortisol Test involves a simple finger prick sample and measures adrenal performance or stress with online results in just 5 days. You should consider taking a test if:

• You constantly feel run down
• You are body-building competitively
• You are presenting with symptoms of Cushing syndrome
• You have Cushing syndrome
• You are presenting with symptoms of Addison's disease
• You have Addison's disease
• You take or have been taking testosterone