When talk turns to hormones, most people think reproduction, monthly cycle, moods or the wife/girlfriend from hell. Truth is that our hormones are involved in a multitude of functions in the body. Most of these go unnoticed, at least until things get out of whack.
At the heart of every woman’s health is her hormonal cycle. The hormonal rhythms influence every aspect of physical, mental and emotional health. When a woman’s endocrine function is balanced, she feels energetic, motivated, happy and strong.
With today’s modern frantic pace, women often find themselves stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted and out-of-tune with their body’s hormonal and circadian cycles, causing symptoms of hormonal imbalance, insomnia and other health concerns.
Symptoms of physical imbalances
- Fatigue
- Insomnia – Women are twice as likely to suffer from sleep disturbances.
- Painful, irregular or no menstruation
- Painful breasts
- Fertility issues
- PCOS
- Endometriosis
- Fibroids
- PMS / PMDD
- Menopausal issues
- Fluid retention and weight gain
- Menstrual acne
Symptoms of emotional imbalances
- Irritability
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Overwhelmed
- Mood swings
- Teary
- Angry
- Not coping
- Foggy thinking
- Food cravings
- Alcohol cravings
- Malaise
Hormones and Autoimmune Conditions
Recent research has recognized the link between hormones and autoimmunity, with an overwhelming female dominance when it comes to autoimmune disease. Professor Yehuda Shoenfeld outlined the sequence of events now well recognized to precede and precipitate autoimmunity:
Genetic susceptibility + endocrine context + environmental triggers = autoimmunity.
The literature on this is extensive with even just mild elevations of certain hormones, correlating with a very long list of both systemic and organ specific diseases including:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- SLE or Lupus
- Systemic Sclerosis
- Sjogrens Syndrome
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Coeliac disease
- Type 1 Diabetes
- Grave’s & Hashimoto’s disease
- Addison’s disease
- Psoriasis vulgaris
- Uveitis
Professor Shoenfeld, described the oestrogen dominant female’s immune system as being ‘super charged’ and that increased rates of autoimmune diseases were a reflection of this. The other hormone that has been linked to the autoimmune risk is prolactin. Researchers concluded that “Prolactin may play a role in accelerated arteriosclerosis in early menopause by affecting central/peripheral blood pressure and arterial stiffness.” Similarly an earlier study in men, again found Prolactin in the slightly upper end of a ‘normal’ range correlated with increased blood pressure and hypertension rates.
So how do we balance hormones?
In recent years, treatments have included topical application, use of troches and conventional HRT in an effort to raise levels that are too low. However, very little conventional treatment ever addresses elevated levels. Furthermore, the underlying cause as to ‘why’ the hormones are out of balance must be addressed if any lasting effect is to be achieved.
At True Medicine we endeavour to identify the ‘why’ and then support your individual needs to secure long term balance. Many different factors are involved in maintaining healthy hormonal balance – these include the liver, bowels/digestion, environmental toxins, stress, hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal (HPA) axis and biochemical processes such as methylation.
Various assessment tools are used, including saliva or urinary hormone tests; comprehensive stool analysis; DNA testing; and blood pathologies.
Treatments are then tailored to your individual needs and may include detoxification, nutritional support, herbal remedies, essential oils or homeopathic remedies. Treatments are always safe and natural, focusing on re-establishing balance and avoiding unwanted negative side effects.
If you would like to regain balance and control of your hormones, give us a call on 07 5530 1863 now.
