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Summary
Hormones are your body's chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs. They work slowly, over time, and affect many different processes, including
- Growth and development
- Metabolism - how your body gets energy from the foods you eat
- Sexual function
- Reproduction
- Mood
Endocrine glands, which are special groups of cells, make hormones. The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands, and pancreas. In addition, men produce hormones in their testes and women produce them in their ovaries.
Hormones are powerful. It takes only a tiny amount to cause big changes in cells or even your whole body. That is why too much or too little of a certain hormone can be serious. Laboratory tests can measure the hormone levels in your blood, urine, or saliva. Your health care provider may perform these tests if you have symptoms of a hormone disorder. Home pregnancy tests are similar - they test for pregnancy hormones in your urine.
Diagnosis and Tests
- ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone) Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
-
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
Aldosterone Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
Anti-Müllerian Hormone Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Catecholamines, Plasma and Urine Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
-
Cortisol Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- DHEAS Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
-
Estrogen Levels Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Levels Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Gastrin: The Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Growth Hormone (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor -1) Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
-
Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Levels Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
Progesterone Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
Prolactin Levels
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
SHBG Blood Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
Testosterone Levels Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
Thyroid Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) (Hormone Health Network)
-
Endocrine Disruptors
(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) - PDF
- Obesity (Hormone Health Network) Also in Spanish
- You and Your Endocrinologist (Hormone Health Network)
Specifics
-
Anabolic Steroids: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hormones
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
Children
- What Is a Pediatric Endocrinologist? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Your Endocrine System (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Endocrine System (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Men
- Low Testosterone and Men's Health (Hormone Health Network) Also in Spanish
- Sexual Health: Testosterone Therapy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Women
- Headaches and Hormones: What's the Connection? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Hormones, Women and Breast Cancer (Hormone Health Network)
-
Menopause: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
Pregnancy Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Therapeutic Use of Androgens in Women (Endocrine Society, Hormone Health Network) - PDF
- Why Is Oral Health Important for Women? (Academy of General Dentistry)
Older Adults
- Human Growth Hormone (HGH): Does It Slow Aging? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Could you have low testosterone? (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Growth hormone test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Luteinizing hormone (LH) blood test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Prolactin blood test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Serum progesterone (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Testosterone (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish