Do you have female hormone imbalances? See if you have one or more of the following symptoms…
Hormone imbalances are NOT normal at any age!
Women all have some very important hormones that have many important jobs in keeping women healthy, looking good and feel good, but what happens when female hormones become imbalanced? Well, the short answer is lots of problems. Hormone imbalances are signals from your body that something is interfering with your hormonal balance and should be investigated rather than be covered up with HRT (Hormone replacement therapy) Lets take a look at the main female hormones and how they may be influencing your life….
Estrogen Balance
Estrogen is fairly well-known to be the predominate female hormone, this hormone in order to stay healthy, youthful, looking good and feeling good must stay balanced, however it has become very common for women to end up with unbalanced estrogen’s which have a host of associated problems.
When estrogen becomes out of balance you can experience both symptoms of estrogen deficiency and or estrogen excess as the hormone starts to become unregulated.
Estrogen Deficiency
Estrogen deficiency mean that your estrogen levels are in decline, this is often believed to be the result of aging and considered normal, however it is neither normal and it is often experienced by young women as well as aging women. If you identify with any of the below estrogen deficiency symptoms you can test for estrogen deficiency here. Here are some of the symptoms of estrogen deficiency:
- Hot flushes
- Sleep disturbances atrophy
- Dry skin
- Bone loss (Osteoporosis)
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Memory lapses
Estrogen Excess
Do you have too much estrogen? When estrogen levels become elevated you can experience estrogen dominance, many of the common female diseases such as uterine fibroids, general health concerns such as weight problems from water retention and associated low thyroid problems are linked to estrogen excess. If you identify with any of the below estrogen excess symptoms you can test for estrogen excess here. Here are some of the symptoms of estrogen excess:
- Water retention
- Breast swelling & tenderness
- Craving for sweets
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Uterine fibroids
- Low thyroid symptoms
Progesterone
Progesterone is another important female hormone that spikes during menstrual periods along with estrogen levels. Often an imbalance of both estrogen and or progesterone can cause irregular menstrual cycles and infertility which can be tested for here. It’s not uncommon for women to have imbalances of progesterone as being responsible for their hormonal symptoms.
Progesterone Deficiency
Progesterone deficiency has many of the symptoms of estrogen excess mentioned above that are similar to progesterone deficiency. Progesterone deficiency is a very common problem that is like estrogen considered in many cases normal but this is simply not true. These deficiencies along with estrogen imbalances are signals from your body that something is interfering with your hormonal balance and should be investigated rather than be covered up with HRT (Hormone replacement therapy). Here are some of the symptoms of progesterone deficiency:
- Swollen breasts
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Irregular menses
- Cramping
Progesterone Excess
Progesterone excess can often resemble somnolence (sleepiness or drowsiness or strong desire for sleep) and or gastrointestinal bloating. Remember that progesterone excess can interfere with estrogen which can resemble an estrogen deficiency, it’s best to test for progesterone excess here. Here are some progesterone excess symptoms:
- Mild depression
- Candida exacerbations
- Breast swelling
- Exacerbates symptoms of estrogen deficiency
Estrogen & Progesterone keeping each other in balance!
Progesterone and estrogen are both very important female hormones, estrogen and progesterone work together to maintain some balance, often when you have an estrogen imbalance you can’t help to have a progesterone imbalance as well for example:
Estrogen & Progesterone
Retain fluid, cause swelling especially in breasts & abdomen
Has a diuretic effect which blocks swelling by reducing estrogen receptors and aldosterone receptors
Increase menstrual blood via proliferation of endometrium
Limits endometrial proliferation and limit blood loss
Stimulates CNS (Central nervous system) & increases alertness but if unopposed by progesterone (P4) can make women nervous
Calming; stimulates peripheral nervous system (PNS)
About DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone)
DHEA is another important hormone involved in the female hormonal system, DHEA helps to maintain the balance of hormones, this is because DHEA helps to make the hormones themselves, this means a deficiency of DHEA can be the cause behind your hormonal imbalances. The best what to find out if you have a DHEA deficiency is by testing for DHEA alongside your hormone test. Here are some of the main functions on DHEA:
- Decreases cholesterol
- Decreases formation of fatty deposits
- Prevents blood clots
- Increases blood clots
- Increases bone growth
- Promotes weight loss
- Increases brain function
- Increases sense of wellbeing
- Helps one deal with stress
- Supports the immune system
- Helps the body repair itself and maintain tissues
- Decreases allergic reactions
Causes of Hormonal Imbalances
Hormone imbalances are becoming very common and many people are lead to believe that it is normal to have hormonal imbalances especially as you age, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Often as soon as you are found to have a hormonal imbalance the first thing that happens is you are prescribed a HRT (hormone replacement therapy) which covers up the symptoms of your hormone imbalance.
When you have hormone imbalance symptoms this is your body telling you that something is interfering with your hormones and that you should investigate the problem so that it can be resolved. Using HRT to cover up hormonal symptoms can lead to serious disease. Here are some common causes of hormonal imbalances:
Nutritional Imbalances
People who experience hormonal imbalances often have serious nutritional imbalances that don’t respond to taking nutritional supplements, these imbalances left unchecked can easily cause hormonal imbalances. Taking a simple hair mineral analysis can help uncover hidden nutritional problems and reveal heavy metal toxicity which is often causing metabolic disorders making it much harder for your body to produce and or maintain hormonal balance. Just one simple mineral imbalances can set up a chain of events that can cause serious hormonal problems including disease.
Thyroid Imbalances
The thyroid and the sex hormones work together, it’s not uncommon for you to have a thyroid problem that is causing your hormone imbalance. Testing your thyroid hormones can reveal causes behind your hormone imbalance and is often linked to changes in menstrual patterns and many other symptoms experienced by sex hormone problems.
Bacteria
Ovaries make the hormones progesterone and estrogen, when bacteria is allowed to thrive in the ovaries they tend to under produce or over produce hormones this leaves the ovaries handicapped unable to do their job properly.
Heavy Metals
Heavy metals including those that women like to wear such as gold can interfere with hormones. Heavy metal toxicity is a very common problem when it comes to hormone imbalance, this is because heavy metals get into the body and interfere with nutritional elements that support hormone production. Taking a hair mineral analysis is a great place to start to discover if heavy metal toxicity is involved in hormonal imbalances.
Metabolic Disorders
Many women have metabolic disorders that cause them to have hormone imbalances, metabolic disorders influence how your hormones work, often these women have trouble with any of the following:
- Weight gain
- Irregular periods
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Syndrome X
- Infertility
- Stretch marks
- Low or poor immunity
- Nutritional problems
- Mental health disorders
Metabolic disorders are very common problems and they can affect a women’s health dramatically. Often women who have a history of any of the above symptoms have trouble metabolizing nutrients, making optimal hormones and usually have trouble detoxifying which makes it harder for them to have regular periods, become pregnant and even carry a full pregnancy. Choosing the right organic acids test can make a big difference to these women when it comes to hormone balance. An organic acids test can show chemical pathways that are being interfered with and a personalized nutritional program can help restore good health and good hormone regulation. Ask one of our health practitioners about the best test for you here.
Don’t ignore your hormones!
Hormone imbalances are a signal from your body to let you know that something is wrong, it is not normal at any age, simply replacing hormones with medications only covers up a potentially serious problem/s that is more often than not preventable and goes a long way to preventing other potentially serious health problems down the track. ask one of our professional natural health practitioners to help you solve your hormone imbalances.