At Home Self Tests
Adrenal-Stress Urine Test
These tests are here because the adrenal gland and thyroid gland are implicated in so many causes of ill health. It is best to test yourself first and then speak with your Health Care Practitioner or Medical doctor.
Thyroid & Iodine Deficiency Quiz
Which of these apply to you?
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Fibroids or cysts in uterus or ovaries
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Fibrocystic breasts
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Severe menstrual cramps
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Heavy menstrual bleeding
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Hair loss on scalp
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Hair loss on legs or arms
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Hair loss on eyebrows
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Dry skin
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Dry eyes
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Slow speech
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Hoarse speech
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Thick tongue
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Facial swelling
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Decreased hearing
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Weight gain or unexpected weight loss
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Eyelid swelling
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Muscle aches and pains or Fibromyalgia
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Tachycardia fast heart rate or atrial fibrilllation
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Orange colored palms of hands
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Balance issues
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Heat intolerance
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Excessive sweatiness or decreased ability to sweat
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Lack of stomach acid
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High blood pressure
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Depression, irritability or nervousness
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Feeling of fullness in throat
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Neck pain, swelling, or sore throat
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High cholesterol
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Heightened susceptibility to infectious disease, especially bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, and/or strep throat
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Chronic fatigue or lethargy
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Morning fatigue improving as the day proceeds
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Chronic skin infections (boils, acne, fungal infections, etc) or itchy skin
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Excess mucous and/or thick mucous in the throat
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Stuffy sinuses
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Cold hands and feet or cold intolerance
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Muscular fatigue and/or cramps
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Stunted growth
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Coarse hair
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Low morning basal body temperature
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Mental sluggishness
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Do you have overactive or underactive thyroid?
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Are you on a low sodium diet?
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Do you avoid consuming fish or seafood on a regular basis?
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Do you have a low libido (sluggish sex drive)?
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Do you have 20 or more pounds overweight and/or do you have a difficult time losing weight?
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Are you a night owl?
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Are you a total vegetarian?
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Do you have a history of infertility and/or low sperm count?
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Do you have cellulite?
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Do you have high cholesterol?
Your score________________________________________
1 to 6 points Mild Iodine Deficiency: Increase the consumption of iodine-rich foods. Use sea salt in all recipes. Get further tested for Iodine Deficiency.
See Iodine Deficiency Loading Test.
7 to 14 points Moderate Iodine Deficiency: Iodine deficiency impairs thyroid function and weakens immunity. Eat iodine-rich fish and seafood. Take kelp or iodine tablets as a source of iodine. Use sea salt with all meals and recipes. Get further tested for Iodine deficiency. See Iodine Deficiency Urine Loading Test.
15 and above Severe Iodine Deficiency: Crab, lobster, salmon, cod, mackerel, halibut, and shrimp should be regular items in your diet. However, try to purchase seafood from areas with less pollution such as Alaskan and Icelandic waters. Add seaweed and/or kelp to your salads and soups. Purchase iodine tablets or drops from your health food store. Use sea salt with all foods. Additionally, be sure to avoid iodine antagonists. These substances, known as goitrogens, are found in certain foods, notably rapeseed, beans, peanuts, cabbage, spinach, turnips, carrots (and carrot juice), beets, broccoli, cauliflower, peaches, pears, flax, and kale. However, cooking activates these iodine antagonists and, thus only raw forms of these foods must be avoided.
Get further tested for Iodine deficiency. See Iodine Deficiency Loading Test.
See your Physician or Naturopath for a complete evaluation of your thyroid.
Iodine Therapy
Article
Iodine Iodide
Therapy
Iodine & Iodide
Urine Test
Sample Lab Iodine
Urine Test
Test Yourself for Adrenal Stress
Adrenal Gland Functional Signs and Symptoms Analysis
A number of helpful tools assist in gathering a more functionally-oriented history in patients presenting with stress and adrenal issues. For example, a functional signs and symptoms questionnaire includes many lifestyle and medical history questions that give us an idea of stress loads; and a stress test evaluation questionnaire is a subjective assessment of the major stressors patients are experiencing. The data from these questionnaires will help to guide you in performing further evaluation.
Adrenal Function Tests You Can Do At Home
ADRENAL FUNCTION TEST #1- Postural Hypotension
Postural hypotension (also known as orthostatic hypotension) is a drop in blood pressure that occurs upon rising from a horizontal position. It is commonly expressed as a feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness, a "head rush", or "standing up too fast".
To do this test, you will need a blood pressure cuff. Lie down and rest for 5 minutes. Take a blood pressure reading while still horizontal. Then, stand up and take another reading.
Normally, your blood pressure should rise 10-20 points. If it drops, particularly by 10 points or more, hypoadrenia is indicated. Generally, the bigger the drop, the greater the adrenal insufficiency.
It should also be mentioned that low blood pressure in general is also an indicator of exhausted adrenals when present in conjunction with the other symptoms of adrenal gland fatigue.
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ADRENAL FUNCTION TEST #2-Iris Contraction Test
For this test you will need a weak flashlight or penlight, and a mirror. In a dark bathroom or closet, wait a minute for your eyes to adjust to the dark. This will allow your pupils to dilate (open) fully. Then, shine the flashlight into your eyes, and watch the reaction of your pupils for at least 30 seconds.
The light should cause your iris to contract, making your pupils (the dark spot in the center of your eye) smaller. Normally, they should stay that way, but if you have adrenal gland fatigue, the iris will be weak and will not be able to hold the contraction, it will either waver between contracted and relaxed, or will contract initially, but then open up after 10-30 seconds.
As with the postural hypotension test, the degree to which you "fail" this test is an indicator of the degree of adrenal insufficiency you are experiencing
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ADRENAL FUNCTION TEST #3-Sergent's Adrenal White Line
With your fingernail or the dull end of a spoon, draw a line across your belly. In moderate to severe cases of adrenal fatigue, the line will stay white, and even get wider over the course of time, while a "normal" reaction would be for the line to almost immediately turn red.
This test has historically been used to indicate severe adrenal fatigue and Addison's Disease. Milder cases of adrenal fatigue may not exhibit this sign.
above Adrenal Function Tests
These tests are not intended to replace medical care. See your Physician.
This information is only educational for you to learn about your body and to take responsibility for your health.
See Disclaimer below.