Lab Testing

Wellness panels are an aspect of preventative healthcare. As preliminary health screenings, wellness panels are considered a part of regular blood work during annual check-ups. With a broad focus, wellness panels can act as a diagnostic tool and isolate potential health conditions early on. Additionally, these panels provide a baseline of health.

Wellness and health panels cover a broad scope of biomarkers. From detecting poor diets to chronic diseases, wellness and health panels are designed to comprehensively analyze your health. These biomarkers can include hormones, vitamins and nutrients, and additional heart-specific characteristics.

Additional markers include certain vitamins and nutrients. Inexplicable symptoms or suspected deficiencies can be explored by measuring vitamin levels in the blood. Issues such as a vitamin D deficiency can be easily isolated and addressed through a wellness panel.

A hormone panel is performed using blood or saliva to detect the different hormone levels in your body. Hormones are the chemical messengers that coordinate changes throughout many different systems and organs, so a small shift in hormones can often have large-scale effects. For this reason, it’s vitally important to track hormone levels and monitor potential hormonal imbalances. While each test may focus on different functions of hormones, they all essentially work to provide an in-depth examination of your endocrine system and bring your health into focus on a chemical level.

When certain hormones are under- or over-produced, the resulting hormonal imbalance can present with physical and reproductive health issues. Advanced hormone testing plays an important role in diagnosis and treatment. If you are experiencing certain symptoms, a hormonal imbalance may be responsible. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to:
‍ ‍ • Weight gain
‍ ‍ • Fatigue
‍ ‍ • Joint pain
‍ ‍ • Anxiety
‍ ‍ • Depression

Over 50 hormones have been identified in the human body. Of these hormones, there are a select group that significantly impact mental, physical, and sexual health. These are the hormones that are the most likely to lead to hormonal imbalances. Alongside these hormones, an advanced hormone panel may measure additional assays, such as your liver, kidney, and cardiac functions. River to Sea Wellness offers a variety of testing for hormones, including:

Androstenedione: A steroidal androgen involved in the production of estrogen and testosterone.

Cortisol and Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S): Both cortisol and DHEA are produced in the thyroid gland, though a small portion of DHEA is also produced in the ovaries. These are considered to be “stress hormones.”

Estradiol, Estrone and Estriol (Estrogens): Estrogen is a category of sex hormone largely responsible for regulating the female reproductive system. Estrodiol, estrone, and estriol are three types of estrogen.

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH): This hormone is produced in the pituitary gland and vital to reproductive health. Low or high levels of FSH may cause infertility.

Luteinizing hormone (LH): The Luteinizing hormone spurs ovulation and is vital to female reproductive health.

Leutinizing Hormone (LH): Luteinizing hormone is a hormone produced by gonadotropic cells in the anterior pituitary gland.

Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4): The two main hormones produced by the thyroid.

Testosterone (Total & Free): Testosterone acts as a male sex hormone to regulate reproductive health and secondary sex characteristics. Many of our hormone panels measure total testosterone, which shows the total measure of testosterone in your blood.

Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH): TSH stimulates the thyroid to produce T3 and T4.

Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG): A protein made by the liver. SHBG binds certain hormones, like estrogens and androgens, together.

Progesterone: Progesterone is the most important progestogen in the body. It is an endogenous steroid and progestogen sex hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species.

Pregnenolone: Pregnenolone is an endogenous steroid and precursor/metabolic intermediate that plays a key role in the production of other steroid hormones, including progesterone, DHEA, and estrogen.

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT): DHT is the sex hormone that stimulates the development of male characteristics.

Prolactin: Prolactin, also known as lactotropin, is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It is a protein best known for its role in enabling mammals to produce milk.

Two adrenal hormones are cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), known as the stress hormones. A cortisol and DHEA imbalance may lead to fatigue, depression and/or irritability. Hormone testing is valuable for determining possible adrenal issues, which may include Addison’s disease, a form of adrenal insufficiency where the adrenal gland does not produce enough of certain hormones.

For women, a hormonal imbalance might cause heavy or irregular periods, hair loss, hyperpigmentation, excessive hair growth, headaches, weight gain, mood changes, hot flashes, acne, and more. Even if you have not shown any of these symptoms, hormone testing is a helpful tool for monitoring your health. Hormone production naturally shifts during different periods of life, and it is important to track these changes to prevent hormone imbalances.

River to Sea Wellness offers multiple female hormone panels specifically formulated to analyze women’s health and wellness.

For men, hormonal imbalances include symptoms such as loss of muscle mass, difficulty concentrating, erectile dysfunction, gynecomastia (the development of breast tissue), and decrease in beard/hair growth. Even if you have not shown any of these symptoms, hormone testing is a helpful tool for monitoring your health. Hormone production naturally shifts during different periods of life, and it is important to track these changes to prevent hormone imbalances.

River to Sea Wellness offers multiple female hormone panels specifically formulated to analyze men’s health and wellness.

A weight loss panel consists of blood tests that measure biomarkers related to the metabolic and hormonal factors that impact your metabolism and weight. Metabolism is the way your body processes food and drink into energy, and, like overall weight, can be impacted by a variety of internal and external influences. It can be difficult to get to the root cause of wildly fluctuating weight or an inability to lose and gain weight; weight loss tests provide vital information for diagnosing and treating these issues to reach a healthy weight.

You may benefit from a weight loss test if you have experienced unexplained issues with your weight. Sudden weight gain or difficulty losing weight may be caused by a deeper medical issue. Additionally, you might experience rapid weight loss for seemingly no reason. Whether you’ve been experiencing these symptoms for years or they’ve only recently arisen, a blood panel can shed some light on the internal processes of your body. A weight loss test can help you make necessary lifestyle changes or receive treatment to keep your body as healthy as possible.

Hormone levels play an important role in almost every aspect of your overall health, and weight is no exception. Hormones such as cortisol, progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol (a form of estrogen) can impact hunger, cravings, and fat distribution, all of which contribute to your weight.

Your thyroid, a central hormonal gland, secretes hormones that directly regulate metabolism. An overactive thyroid, a condition known as hyperthyroidism, releases too many thyroid hormones, which puts the body in a hypermetabolic state that burns more calories. People with hyperthyroidism may be underweight or lose weight quickly.

When your thyroid gland under-produces hormones, your metabolic rate slows down, which causes you to gain weight. This condition, called hypothyroidism, is a treatable hormonal issue under the proper guidance of a well-trained physician. Our Weight Loss Plus Panel analyzes your lipid, liver, kidney, and thyroid for a comprehensive overview of hormones that impact weight.

Heart health test panels are diagnostic tests used to provide insight on a patients overall heart health. By evaluating biomarkers in the blood, including lipids, proteins, and hormones, cardiac markers assess cardiovascular risk: the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term for all diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels, including coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes.

Food sensitivity is where the digestive system has a difficult time breaking down a certain type of food leading to discomfort, but is not a life-threatening condition. Food sensitivity is a digestive response, not an immune response as is with food allergies. The inability to break down certain types of foods can lead to anxiety, fatigue, gas, diarrhea, and other unpleasant symptoms. These symptoms can occur within a few hours after eating with the main source of relief coming from limiting or eliminating problem foods.

Digestive health is the key to total wellness. Understanding the IgG response from certain foods is a critical tool in shaping the diet to achieve complete gut health and overall wellness. While a food sensitivity is not a life threatening health risk, understanding your body’s sensitivities can improve your overall quality of life. Increase your awareness of what your body reacts to and make better food choices that will help alleviate symptoms you may not have realized were caused by foods.

What is tested?

Milk & Egg
Buffalo Milk, Buttermilk, Camel Milk, Camembert, Cottage Cheese, Cow's Milk, Egg White, Egg Yolk, Emmental, Goat Cheese, Goat Milk, Goudam, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Quail Egg, Sheep Cheese, Sheep Milk

Meat
Beef, Boar, Chicken, Duck, Goat, Horse, Lamb, Ostrich, Pork, Rabbit, Stag, Turkey, Veal, Venison

Fish and Seafood
Abalone, Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Herring, Atlantic Redfish, Carp, Caviar, Cockle, Common Mussel, Crab, Eel, European Anchovy, European Pilchard, European Plaice, Gilt-Head Bream, Haddock, Hake, Lobster, Mackerel, Monkfish, Noble Crayfish, Northern Pike, Northern Prawn, Octopus, Oyster, Razor Shell, Salmon, Scallop, Sepia, Shrimp Mix, Sole, Squid, Swordfish, Thornback Ray, Trout, Tuna, Turbot, Venus Clam

Cereals and Seeds
Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Corn, Durum, Einkorn, Emmer, Hempseed, Lineseed, Lupine seed, Malt (barley), Millet, Oat, Pine Nut, Polish Wheat, Poppyseed, Pumpkin Seed, Quinoa, Rapeseed, Rice, Rye, Sesame, Spelt, Sunflower, Wheat, Gluten, Wheat Bran, Wheatgrass

Nuts
Almond, Brazil Nut. Cashew, Coconut, Coconut Milk, Hazelnut, Kola Nut, Macadamia, Pecan Nut, Pistachio, Sweet Chestnut, Tigernut, Walnut

Legumes
Chickpea, Green Bean, Lentil, Mung Bean, Peanut, Pea, Sou, Sugar Pea, Tamarind, White Bean

Fruits
Apple, Apricot, Banana, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Cranberry, Date, Elderberry, Fig, Gooseberry, Grape, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Lemon, Lime, Lychee, Mango, Melon, Mulberry, Nectarine, Orange, Papaya, Passion Fruit, Peach, Pear, Physalis, Pineapple, Plum, Pomegranate, Raisin, Raspberry, Red Currant, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon

Vegetables
Artichoke, Arugula, Avocado, Bamboo Sprouts, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Caper, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery Bulb, Celery Stalk, Chard, Chicorée, Chinese Cabbage, Chives, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Fennel (bulb), Garlic, Green Cabbage, Horseradish, Kiwano, Kohlrabi, Lamb's Lettuce, Leek, Nettle leaves, Olive, Onion, Parsnip, Bok-Choi, Potato, Pumpkin Butternut, Pumpkin Hokkaido, Radicchio, Radish, Red Beet, Red Cabbage, Romanesco, Savoy Cabbage, Shallot, Spinach, Sweet Potato, Tomato, Turnip, Watercress, White Asparagus, White Cabbage, Wild Garlic, Zucchini

Spices
Anise, Basil, Bay leaf, Caraway, Cardamom, Cayenne pepper, Chili (red), Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Cumin, Curry, Dill, Fenugreek, Ginger, Juniper Berry, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Mint, Mustard, Nutmeg, Oregano, Paprika, Parsley, Pepper (black/white/green/red/yellow). Rosemary Plant, Sage, Tarragon, Thyme, Turmeric, Vanilla

Edible Mushrooms
Boletus, Chanterelle, Enoki, French Horn Mushroom, Oyster Mushroom, White Mushroom

Novel Foods
Almond Milk, Aloe, Aronia, Baobab, Chia Seed, Chlorella, Dandelion Root, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Greater Burdock Root, Guarana, House Cricket, Maca Root,Mealworm, Migratory Locust, Nori, Safflower Oil, Spirulina, Tapioca, Wakame, Yacón Root

Coffee and Tea
Chamomile, Cocoa, Coffee, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Moringa, Peppermint, Tea Black, Tea Green

Others
Agar-Agar, Aspergillus Niger, Baker's Yeast, Brewer's Yeast, Cane Sugar, Elderflower, Honey, Hops, M-Transglutaminase Meat Glue

An allergy is a reaction by the immune system triggering the body’s defenses against a substance that is usually harmless. The body’s natural reaction against foreign substances, such as pathogens that cause infection, is an immune response that protects the body from, and attacks, the foreign substance. An allergic reaction is a misguided immune response to non-pathogens that does not cause a reaction in most people. Environmental and food allergies differ not only by source, but exposure. Environmental allergies are triggered by coming into contact with the foreign substance through inhalation or skin contact during day-to-day activities. Food allergies are an immune response after ingestion. Symptoms of either source can range from sneezing, itching, congestion, skin rash, gastrointestinal distress and, in extreme cases, anaphylaxis.

Anyone can benefit from allergy testing to take control of their overall wellness. Understanding possible triggers in your daily environment and food choices are key to maintaining a great quality of life. If you are experiencing any allergy symptoms, or possible sensitivity symptoms, allergy testing can pinpoint the elements which help identify any lifestyle changes that need to be made. In certain cases, an allergic response can be a great health risk and even life threatening. Allergy testing can also rule out if the symptoms are immune system responses, or if sensitivities exist that may also be identified with additional testing.

Grass Pollen
Bahia Grass, Bermuda Grass, Common Reed, Perennial Ryegrass, Rye, Timothy Grass

Tree Pollen
Acacia, Alder, Arizona Cypress, European Ash, Beech, Cottonwood, Date Palm, Elm, Hazel, London Plane Tree, Mediterranean Cypress, Mountain Cedar, Mulberry, Olive, Paper Mulberry, Silver Birch, Sugi, Tree of Heaven, Walnut

Weed Pollen
Annual mercury, Hemp, Lamb's Quarter, Mugwort, Nettle, Pigweed, Ragweed, Ribwort, Russian Thistle, Wall Pellitory

House Dust Mites and Storage Mites
Acarus Siro, American house dust mite, Blomia Tropicalis, European house dust mite, Glycyphagus Domesticus, Lepidoglyphus Destructor, Tyrophagus Putrescentiae

Legumes
Chickpea, White Bean, Lentil, Pea, Peanut, Soy

Spices
Anise, Caraway, Mustard, Oregano, Paprika, Parsley

Fruits
Avocado, Apple, Banana, Blueberry, Cherry, Fig, Grape,Kiwi, Mango, Muskmelon, Orange, Papaya,Peach, Pear, Strawberry

Vegetables
Carrot, Celery, Garlic, Onion, Potato, Tomato

Nuts and Seeds
Almond, Brazil Nut, Cashew, Hazelnut, Macadamia, Pecan, Pistachio, Walnut, Fenugreek Seeds, Poppy Seed, Pumpkin Seed, Sesame, Sunflower Seed

Cockroach
American Cockroach, German Cockroach

Insect Venoms
Common Wasp Venom, Fire Ant Venom, Honeybee Venom, Long-Headed Wasp Venom, Paper Wasp Venom

Fungal Spores and Yeast
Alternaria Alternata, Aspergillus Fumigatus, Baker's Yeast, Cladosporium Herbarum, Malassezia Sympodialis, Penicillium

Milk
Camel's Milk, Cow's Milk, Goat's Milk, Mare's Milk, Sheep's Milk

Egg
Egg White, Egg Yolk

Fish and Seafood
Anisakis Simplex, Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Herring, Atlantic Mackerel, Black-Tiger Shrimp, Brown Shrimp, Carp, Common Mussel, Crab, Lobster, Northern Prawn, Oyster, Salmon, Scallop, Shrimp Mix, Squid, Swordfish, Thornback Ray, Tuna, Venus Clam

Meat
Beef, Chicken, Horse, House Cricket, Lamb, Mealworm, Migratory Locust, Pig, Rabbit, Turkey

Pets
Cat, Djungarian Hamster, Dog, Guinea Pig, Mouse, Rabbit, Rat

Farm Animals
Cattle, Goat, Horse, Pig, Sheep

Others
Latex, Hom S Lactoferrin, Pigeon Tick, Weeping Fig

Our lab testing is client-directed, meaning you may choose your lab test(s). Once you have decided on your test, a Registered Nurse will collect the specimen and send it to our contracted lab processing facility. Results are typically available within 24-72 hours. Once the results are available, the Registered Nurse will send them to you via your preferred contact method. You may take your results to any provider for review, or you may also schedule a Telehealth appointment with our MD to interpret and discuss results for a $75 fee.