Hormonal concerns are an area where naturopathic medicine excels; it’s one of my favourite things to treat! I have a great deal of experience in women’s health issues,much of it treating conditions like hormone imbalances and their effects on quality of life. Hormonal imbalances are complex and require a thorough assessment.
Often, women feel that their hormones are off, but blood work and basic analysis all come back “normal.” So, how is it that hormones are normal, yet your body feels completely off, or one day you find out that you have fibroids? Or endometriosis? Or fertility issues? What are some of the signs and symptoms that could lead you to potentially prevent or actually treat these conditions, instead of coming up with band-aid solutions to cover up the symptoms? Are you looking for alternatives to the birth control pill to balance your hormones? This is how I help women every day: offering alternative approaches to these concerns.
Health concerns related to hormones:
PMS:
PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) refers to a group of symptoms that occur cyclically and improve shortly after menstruation starts. PMS is typically categorized by anxiety, depression, hydration/water retention, and cravings. For some women, these symptoms are subtle and unproblematic, while for other women, they may manifest as more severe premenstrual symptoms that can be a marker of greater underlying hormonal imbalances.
PCOS:
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) has symptoms related to hormonal imbalances and problems with metabolism (how our body uses its fuel). It’s common in women of childbearing years. One of the main symptoms of PCOS is difficulty in getting pregnant, as irregular periods – including few or no menstrual periods over a year. In my practice, I address the root causes of PCOS. Treatment revolves around naturally restoring hormonal balance through dietary and exercise recommendations that reduce insulin sensitivity and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. It also encompasses nutritional supplementation that encourages insulin sensitivity and hormone balance, herbal medicine that gently and effectively balances hormones, and metabolism and bio-identical hormone therapy (micronized progesterone), if appropriate.
Irregular periods:
A normal menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, plus or minus seven days. A period is considered irregular if it occurs more frequently than every 21 days or lasts longer than 8 days. Missed, early, or late periods are also considered signs of an irregular cycle. Birth control pills, PCOS and thyroid disorders can all cause a period to be irregular.
Acne:
Although the root reasons behind skin concerns are multifactorial, there are some basic lifestyle factors that can have a negative effect on your skin. Some of these include exposure to chemicals (such as those found in packaged foods), blood sugar, inflammation from sugar, stress, drugs, and alcohol. An irregular period can also contribute to skin concerns. When the balance and fluctuation of our hormones are off, acne (amongst other problems) may pop up.
Menopause/perimenopause (hot flashes, weight gain, mood changes):
Menopause marks the end of your menstrual cycles. Menopause is the result of the body’s natural decline of reproductive hormones. From around your late 30s to on average age 51, your body’s ability to produce eggs decline. Periods become longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, and more or less frequent until they eventual stop. Fertility also declines. Physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, and emotional symptoms of menopause may disrupt sleep, lower energy or affect emotional health.
Fertility:
Hormonal balance is necessary to get pregnant, carry to term and give birth to a healthy baby. Fertility problems are often directly linked to a hormonal imbalance. Symptoms of this may include breast tenderness, PCOS, irregular periods, vaginal dryness, and mood swings.
Cortisol dysregulation:
Cortisol is a hormone that’s produced in the adrenal gland and regulates our diurnal rhythm. It spikes in the morning and decreases throughout the day. When we’re stressed, our body produces more cortisol. Excess cortisol thickens sebum (making acne worse) and disrupts the normal production of sex hormones. Symptoms include high blood sugar and insulin resistance, anxiety, depression and irritability, carbohydrate, fat and/or salt cravings, weight gain – especially in the abdomen – and high blood pressure.
Thyroid concerns:
The thyroid gland produces and regulates your thyroid hormones. These hormones can affect your energy levels, mood, even weight. Thyroid gland hormones can also affect food metabolism, mood and sexual function. When the thyroid produces too much hormone, the body uses energy faster than it should. This condition, overactive thyroid, is called hyperthyroidism. In addition to other treatments, I’m able to prescribe desiccated thyroid, which is an animal-derived thyroid hormone, a natural alternative to Synthroid (levothyroxine).
Estrogen dominance:
Estrogen dominance is a hormonal condition that’s rarely detected in conventional medicine. Unlike other hormonal concerns, estrogen dominance is considered a functional hormonal imbalance because while the body is clearly performing daily as it should, there are signs and symptoms, whether it be mild or debilitating, to indicate that your overall system is compromised. This may not be a big deal, but if undetected and left untreated, can lead to chronic disease. Symptoms include irritability, breast tenderness/swelling, premenstrual pain, acne, constipation, bloating, headaches, painful periods, irregular periods, insomnia and cyclical moodiness.
When it comes to hormones, it’s all about balance. As part of your Comprehensive Health Assessment, I’ll be able to look at some of the lifestyle factors that might be contributing to hormone imbalance, in addition to health concerns. With additional support like herbal medicine, nutritional supplementation and bio-identical hormones, your body can come back into balance.
