• Question: When we cough do we cough out hormones?

    Asked by lukethetieman to Derek, Elaine, Heather, Keith on 27 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Heather Eyre

      Heather Eyre answered on 27 Jun 2013:

      I don’t think you would no.

      The molecules aren’t like alcohol (which vapourises or becomes a gas easily) which can be measured in your breath. They are heavier, and as they are proteins they tend to have lots of parts that are slightly positively or negatively charged so they stay bound to parts of the blood or cells!

    • Photo: Keith Siew

      Keith Siew answered on 27 Jun 2013:

      Hi Luke,

      I understand Heather’s logic but we actually would cough out hormones! Alot of hormones like testosterone, cortisol, oestrogen, etc… can be found in our saliva… so when we cough saliva can be aerosolised (tiny microscopic droplets of liquid suspended in the air) and projected out of the mouth with the expelled air… That’s why when you’re sick its a good idea to cover your mouth when you cough to stop the spread of germs!

      There are some test kits developed to look at certain hormone levels by non-invasive saliva test strips. Another cool (or gross depending on your opinion) reason for hormones like testosterone being in the saliva is when we kiss as the exchange can tell you something about the reproductive quality of your partner on a subconscious level… aka “having chemistry”

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