Hormone imbalances
Hormones. Those lovely little chemicals circulating through our body can make us feel great, or they can be our worst enemy. They have an effect and influence on just about every single physical and mental aspect of our body.
Technically speaking, they are chemical messengers that are sent out by the body and endocrine system to either produce a certain effect on the body or stimulate another gland to secrete a different hormone.
It’s a complicated system with many checks and balances in place. The key to hormones is balance. And it is a delicate balance. When one system or area of the body becomes out of balance, the entire system will shift and compensate.
Not always in a good way.
The Problem with the traditional approach to hormones
The traditional approach to hormonal imbalance most often involves testing your hormone levels (or lack of hormones), and then prescribing a synthetic form of the hormone to either inject or ingest.
This approach seems like a logical way to address hormonal imbalances, if only it was as simple as missing a certain hormone. Occasionally this is the case, and this may be the only way to restore balance. We recognize this and always proceed accordingly.
However! And this is a big BUT!
Why hasn’t anyone asked the simple question of “Why are your hormones out of balance?”
By looking at each patient as an individual, who’s health is determined by their individual genetics, environment, and behaviors, we can assess and determine the true underlying cause of disease.
We work to remove the triggers of disease and restore balance to the body.
The wonderful side effects of hormone replacement therapy
NO MEDICATION IS WITHOUT RISK!
I will repeat that. No medication is without risk. No matter how safe someone tells you a certain drug is, there are always risks and side effects. You may just be one of the lucky ones that doesn’t notice the side effect.
That doesn’t mean that you didn’t have any though.
Every year, there are 15,000 deaths and over 100,000 people are hospitalized from… Aspirin.
That little pill that they supposedly recommend taking every day.
Hormone replacement therapy has some definite risks. In fact, a study done by the Women’s Health Initiative that tracked more than 161,800 women that were postmenopausal for over 15 years found that: “ the overall risks of long-term use outweighed the benefits.”
Pretty powerful stuff. They basically said you are better off not taking the hormone replacement therapy. You are better off being hormone deficient as opposed to replacing those hormones artificially.
We look to find the underlying causes of your hormonal imbalances, remove the triggers to disease, and restore balance and health.
So now for some of those scary side effects:
You get the idea. HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) is not without its risks. Look to balance the body naturally before more invasive routes.
Male hormone deficiency
Males tend to be far more difficult patients than females. I think this comes from the way we are raised. Be a man, suck it up, no crying, walk it off.
This type of thinking has led many males to postpone, delay, or just plain avoid dealing with the issue of hormonal imbalances. This also tends to make my job a little more difficult due to the fact that they tend to wait until they just can’t take it any more.
Testosterone deficiency has been estimated to affect up to 60% of all males over the age of 35.
Let me clarify a little bit. I’m talking about males with test levels outside of optimal, not just outside of normal. Think about this…The normal testosterone levels for males is from 270 ng/dl to 1070 ng/dl. Technically, if you are within that range, you are fine. For example: if you are a 20-to-25-year-old male, a specimen of a man, and have a testosterone level of 1000 ng/dl, you probably feel great, are on top of the world and are likely wanting to have sex like a rabbit.
Now let’s say you're 35. Your stress levels are up, diet is poor, no exercise, and your adrenal glands are shot. You get your testosterone levels tested and you are a a measly 300 ng/dl.
Technically you are in the normal range, but you are quite literally less than one third of the man you used to be.
How about them apples!
Some of the most common signs and symptoms many men notice but don’t necessarily report are:
Low energy
depressed mood
low sex drive
erectile dysfunction
Low semen volume
hair loss
loss of muscle mass
increase in body fat
decrease in bone mass
mood changes
Female hormone deficiency
Female hormone deficiency is a huge problem and our practice reflects that. Not a week goes by that we don’t have at least 2-3 new women patients that are dealing with hormonal imbalances.
Not only is it common during “the big change,” but it is becoming more and more common to have moderate to severe hormonal fluctuations at very early ages.
Whether it is from toxins, adrenal fatigue, thyroid issues, autoimmune disease, or maldigestion, hormonal imbalances are occurring younger and younger.
The woman’s body is a very delicate system. Her body, mood, and overall wellness are much more susceptible to hormonal balances than a man’s. There is a lot going on in there.
The key to addressing these imbalances is getting to the root cause of those imbalances, removing those triggers of disease, and restoring balance.
Some of the most common symptoms that women who come into my office present with include:
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Insomnia
Mood swings
Depression
Fatigue
Anxiety
Vaginal dryness
Painful intercourse
Endometriosis
Weight gain
Brain fog
Keep in mind that this is not an all-inclusive list, but covers the most common signs.
A difficult aspect in dealing with women’s hormones is the many different hormones that are involved. With a man, the majority of the time, we are looking to restore testosterone. If we can get that restored generally everything else will follow suit.
With women it is an entirely different story. We generally are looking at so many other hormones and how they affect each other and influence one another. It is a giant dance.
Here is a SHORT list of some of the hormones we have to consider:
Thyrotropin releasing hormone
ACTH
FSH
Prolactin
MSH
Antidiuretic hormone
T4, T3 TSH
DHEA
Testosterone
Estrogen
Progesteron
Glucagon
Estradiol
Estriol