HORMONAL IMBALANCE
How to tell if you have one and what can you do about it.
Hormones are essential and play a huge role in helping with basic bodily functions, such as regulating heart rate, sleep, sexual function, and reproduction. Hormones also affect metabolism, appetite, mood, stress and even the temperature of our bodies.
Hormones are chemicals produced by the endocrine glands and released into the bloodstream. An imbalance can occur when there is too much or too little of a hormone being produced.
One of the most important female hormones that is often overlooked is testosterone. There are more receptors in a woman's body for testosterone than there are for estrogen. Testosterone drops down by half in women from their 20’s to their 40’s, which is often accompanied by brain fog, irritability, headaches, low sex drive, fatigue, difficulty climaxing, hair thinning, difficulty maintaining muscle mass, night sweats, interrupted sleep and even vertigo in some patients. Birth control pills and other medications can lower testosterone levels which can also lead to testosterone deficiency symptoms.
Progesterone also drops in our 30’s and this can lead to increases in "estrogen dominance"which produce symptoms such as increased premenstrual syndrome, increased menstrual blood flow, difficulty sleeping and sometimes anxiety. There can also be hormonal imbalances in younger women secondary to conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome. Both polycystic ovarian syndrome and even endometriosis are associated with estrogen dominance and inadequate progesterone. Immediately prior to menopause, estrogen levels will spike high and then drop low. During menopause, estrogen drops to an undetectable level which leads to hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, vaginal dryness, change in sex drive, mental fogginess, hair thinning, difficulty sleeping and bone loss.
Modern Women’s Health is a leader in Biote hormone replacement therapy which replaces testosterone in women as early as their 30’s, through menopause and into their 70’s. Biote also combines with estrogen, but only when a woman is going through menopause.
If you think you might have a hormonal imbalance, contact us today for a thorough assessment where we will go over your symptoms, help you get blood work done, do a pelvic exam, and more. A hormone evaluation will only work if the right tests are ordered, which is why it’s important to match your symptoms with the correct hormone. For example, for hot flashes and irregular periods, your estrogen and sometimes progesterone should be assessed — whereas depression, weight issues, and fatigue could require a thyroid check. On the other hand, many individuals simply want a general hormone evaluation so that they will know exactly where their levels are for future reference if something changes.
Here at Modern Women’s Health, we can help treat a variety of common symptoms that occur when one has a hormonal imbalance. Set up a consultation with us today to help you get started!
