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HORMONE BALANCE
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Balancing hormones is our specialty at Pathway to Health. Hot flashes, PMS, sleep problems, fatigue, low libido, and other symptoms can clear quickly with natural herbal, hormone, or nutritional treatment.
We use Specialized Laboratory Testing can reveal the hormone imbalance. With the correct treatment, women's and men's symptoms improve after a few days to a couple of weeks.
Currently, there is a lot of controversy concerning women's Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). We offer many options to taking the synthetic estrogen hormone therapy. There is no need to suffer with hormonal imbalance and symptoms. About 90% of our clients use natural treatment (no prescription hormones) for balancing hormones and eliminating symptoms. We will discuss all the options with you, so that you are educated in making a positive decision about your health. We recommend all natural, organic products.
SPECIALIZED FEMALE HORMONE AND ADRENAL HORMONE TESTING
We do Specialized Lab Testing of hormones using saliva or urine samples. In research studies, salivary hormone testing demonstrated superior performance in comparison to traditonal medical testing of the cortisol stress hormone.
WOMEN'S COMMON HEALTH CHALLENGES
The following is a list of health challenges that respond well to treatment with homeopathy, herbs, natural hormones and/or nutrients.
1. PMS
2. Perimenopause ( Pre-menopause)
3. Menopause
Natural Hormone Replacement (NHR)
Estrogen Metabolism and Detoxification
4. Hormone Headaches
5. Hormone Disruptors (Chemical Toxicity)
6. Estrogen Dominance
7. Uterine Fibroids
8. Ovarian Cysts
9. Hypothyroid
10.Hyperthyroid
11.Weight Control
12.Adrenal Exhaustion
13.Fatigue and Sleep Problems
14.Decreased Libido (sex drive)
15.High Cholesterol
16.Yeast Infections and Vaginitis
17.Fibrocystic Breast Disease
(Scroll down for more information on each topic)
1. PMS
Estrogen dominance is a major factor is PMS symptoms, which is an imbalance of the ratio of estrogen and progesterone. Imbalances may occur during the month with an increase or decrease of hormones on any one day. The monthly cycle can be mapped with the Specialized Lab Testing. Imbalances can be corrected with nutrients, homeopathy, or herbal supplements, along with manual treatment.
2. Perimenopause (Pre-menopause)
A woman’s hormones can begin to shift anytime from her mid-thirties to her late forties. They sometimes become imbalanced after a pregnancy. Hormone levels are intimately connected with emotional and physical stress levels, nutrition intake, hereditary factors and exposure to environmental toxins. Perimenopause is technically the first break in menstrual cycle regularity.
In perimenopause, a woman may have anovulatory periods (no ovulation) and estrogen production may become erratic. There may be symptoms of mood swings, crying spells, breast tenderness, weight gain, insomnia, water retention, hot flashes, decreased libido, joint pain, palpitations, decreased sexual desire, lethargy and fatigue.
Many women have prescribed their own progesterone cream treatment to attempt to alleviate symptoms. This may work sometimes for symptom relief. The inherent risk is that other hormones may be out of balance.
Specialized Lab Testing shows a “ hormone map”' of the entire monthly cycle. All the hormones can be evaluated and treated, since they are an integral part of keeping the entire physiology healthy.
After interpreting your lab results a treatment program will be designed specifically for your unique needs with natural herbal products, homeopathics or natural hormones (not estrogen) to regain balance and stabilize the symptoms.
3. Menopause
Symptoms from menopause are caused when there is a decrease in the hormones: estrogen, progesterone, testosterone or an imbalance in glands related to hormone function. These include the adrenals, liver and detoxification system, and digestive system.
Strictly speaking, menopause is when menses stops for one year. When the ovaries stop producing hormones, the adrenal glands continue producing about 50% of the estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When there is prolonged physical and/or emotional stress, the body can experience a depletion of hormones. Increased health risks can result with decreased hormones including: heart disease, osteoporosis, depression, and memory disturbance disorders.
Symptoms of menopause may include: hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, mood swings, depression (usually due to increased symptoms), stress incontinence, decreased libido, feeling of mental dullness, fatigue, heart palpitations, headaches, vaginal infections,forgetfulness, anxiety, hair thinning, cold hands and feet, and a decrease of collagen causing skin wrinkling.
Women who have tried to eliminate symptoms on there own, may have found that nothing seems to work. This does not mean that no natural remedy will work, it means you need more specific treatment to balance your hormones
We have found that many women do not need prescription hormone replacement. By improving "whole body" health, and supplementing with anti-aging nutrients, hormones can re-balance and symptoms are relieved quickly.
Natural Hormone Replacement (NHR):
"Natural hormones" are an alternative made from plant derivatives and are bio-identical or exact copies of the hormones in the human body. They provide symptom relief and balancing without most of the negative side effects of the synthetic hormones. Synthetic estrogen is made from pregnant mare’s (horse) urine --hence the name Premarin. It is not bio-identical to a human female’s hormone. We use plant products that supply precursor hormones or natural hormones, when hormone replacement is needed.
Estrogen Metabolism and Detoxification
The way estrogen is broken down or metabolized is as important to a woman's health as her hormone level. Estrogen is broken down in the liver and further metabolized in the digestive tract. Estrogen pathways can be tested to reduce risk of estrogen related health disorders in high risk individuals.
4. Hormone headaches
When estrogen and progesterone become imbalanced there may be erratic high surges of estrogen during the monthly cycle. This can be an underlying cause of headaches that appear during the month or close to menstruation. Every woman’s cycle is unique. By mapping the monthly cycle with Specialized Lab Testing, corrections can be made using specific natural remedies, along with manual treatment.
5. Hormone Disruptors
Sometimes there are hormone imbalances that can't be explained by the usual causes. Hormone disruptors are becoming more common as an underlying cause of hormone problems by mimicing estrogen and also giving mixed messages to the hormone receptors in the body. These are found in chemicals such as petroleum products, herbicides, pesticides, solvents, detergents, plastics, heavy metals, organic pollutants, and more. When the level of toxicity increases in our body, hormones are disrupted and the immune system begins to weaken. The body then becomes susceptible to disease and chronic illness. Our goal is to find the offending agents with Specialized Lab Testing and detoxify the effects of these hormone disruptors to balance the hormones.
6. Estrogen dominance
Estrogen can become imbalanced when the liver or digestive tract is not eliminating the estrogen from the body properly. If the digestive tract has the right amount of healthy bacteria, the liver can excrete the excess estrogen. Support of the liver and digestive tract are important in the treatment of estrogen dominance. Also, taking a map of the hormones with Specialized Lab Testing is a key factor in correcting the problem. Many times there is an imbalance of the good estrogen (2-hydroxy-estrone) and bad estrogen (16-hydroxyestrone). If the ratio of these two chemicals is off balance, there may be increased chances of cancer. A Specialized Lab Test can reveal if you have a balanced 2/16 ratio.
7. Uterine Fibroids
Fibroids are usually related to an improper balance of female hormones called estrogen dominance (too much estrogen compared to progesterone). Some causes of the increased estrogen are: ineffective detoxification of estrogen in the body and toxicity caused by exogenous (outside the body) estrogens. These are found mostly in foods, chemicals, and food additives. Herbicides, pesticides, and hormone additives in meat are examples of exogenous estrogens that are hormone disruptors. Testing can reveal what the problem is so natural treatment can be effective in balancing the estrogen level.
8. Ovarian Cysts
These cysts can be caused by hormonal imbalances (including hypothyroidism), lifestyle, diet, genetic factors, and emotional stress. It is associated with disordered ovulation and usually an increase of testosterone. Symptoms of high testosterone are: menstrual irregularity, facial hair, deepening of the voice, oily skin and acne, and often blood sugar problems. Testing will reveal if there is a hormonal imbalance and high testosterone. With natural treatment, benign cysts can shrink.
9. Hypothyroid
Some symptoms of thyroid insufficiency are: tiredness, depression, dry skin and hair, constipation and elevated cholesterol. About 15% of women over the age of 65 suffer from hypothyroidism. Eight million U.S. patients now take Synthroid (thyroid drug). There are other natural alternatives for treatment. The first step in treatment is to find out if the thyroid problem is a primary problem or a secondary problem. Thyroid hormone imbalance, most of the time, is secondary to adrenal gland exhaustion or taking exogenous hormones, like Norplant, which can disturb your internal balance of hormones. On some occasions, the thyroid may be a primary problem, and thyroid medication may be necessary. Many times it is accompanied by immune weakness. A Specialized Lab Test can give information on what is causing the thyroid imbalance. Once the underlying cause is found, corrections can be made using natural remedies. If medication is necessary, you will receive a referral for a prescription.
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10. Hyperthyroid
This condition is usually caused by a weakened immune system. Some symptoms of hyperthyroid are: nervousness, rapid heartbeat, weight loss, hand tremors, intolerance of heat, goiter, insomnia, fatigue, feeling hot, irritability, and decreased menstrual flow. The underlying cause may be an infection in the digestive tract or the mouth, an infection elsewhere in the body, causing an autoimmune response, an infection or tumor in the thyroid or a heavy metal or toxic condition. Other causes may be genetic or an endocrine gland imbalance. If left uncorrected the problem can become chronic and surgical procedures may be required. Specialized Lab Testing helps to find the underlying cause so natural treatment can improve the immune system and restore hormonal balance.
11. Weight Control
Underlying biochemical and hormone imbalances can disturb the body’s ability to stabilize weight. Symptoms of biochemical or hormone imbalances include weight gain, blood sugar swings, food allergies and cravings, slow metabolism, fast metabolism, hot flashes, fatigue, sleep disturbance, digestive disturbances, mood swings, low sex drive, depression, and memory loss.
These imbalances may be caused by long-term dieting and inadequate nutrition, midlife hormonal changes, thyroid disorders, genetics, insulin resistance, digestive disorders, stress and lifestyle.
Treatment programs are based on your specific needs for biochemical balance. The underlying cause of the biochemical imbalance is explored through in-office testing or Specialized Lab Testing. Food programs are based on these findings and the body composition analysis. Your progress can be followed through the body composition analysis, so results can be tracked, maintained, and adjusted for optimum results.
Recommended reading: The Diet Cure by Julia Ross, M.A.
The 8-Step Program to Rebalance Your Body Chemistry and End Food Cravings, Weight Problems, and Mood Swings-Now
12. Adrenal Exhaustion
Symptoms of adrenal stress and exhaustion include fatigue, sleep disturbances, sugar imbalance, thyroid disorders, female hormone imbalances, inflammation, weakened connective tissue, weakened immune system, allergies, weight gain, muscle weakness, weakened detoxification system, and problems with memory and learning.
The adrenal glands are the most important glands for maintaining hormonal balance, as well as other biochemical functions. They produce 30% of the female hormones before menopause and 50% after menopause. If the adrenal glands are weakened due to prolonged emotional or physical stress, they will not be able to produce the necessary hormones to maintain biochemical balance, especially after menopause or andropause (male menopause).
The best treatment for adrenal gland function is natural medicine. In-office and Specialized Lab Tests give information on adrenal stress and fatigue. From this information, a program can be recommended using supplementation and lifestyle changes.
13. Fatigue and Sleep Problems
Insomnia and sleep problems with resulting fatigue are quite common with peri-menopause and menopause. Sleep can be stabilized by balancing the hormones, especially estrogen and progesterone.
14. Decreased Libido (sex drive)
During menopause estrogen and testosterone may diminish and with that sex drive can also decrease. This can be corrected by balancing the hormones with hormone precursors and sometimes bio-identical hormones.
15. High Cholesterol
Cholesterol may increase with menopause due to a decrease in estrogen. Hormone balancing along with natural cholesterol blockers can decrease cholesterol significantly. In research it has been shown to decrease 30% or more. High blood pressure can also result from imbalanced hormones at menopause.
16. Yeast Infections and Vaginitis
Vaginitis (inflammation of the vaginal tissue) due to thinning of the tissue is common during menopause. Hormonal balancing can help the tissue heal and eliminate irritation and dryness. Yeast infections are common when the immune system is weakened by fatigue and stress or infection.
17. Fibrocystic Breast Disease
This is common with peri-menopause and menopause. It can be reversed by balancing the hormones. It is also common as a symptom of PMS when the hormones are imbalanced or the liver detoxification is weak.
Natural Medicine has shown to be beneficial for these health challenges.
HORMONES 101: How Stress Can Cause Your Hormones to Become Imbalanced
Stress is anything physical, chemical, or emotional that causes your body to go into overload. When this happens, the adrenal glands produce chemicals to help your body to cope with the stress and to produce more energy.
The adrenal glands are endocrine glands (attached to the top of the kidneys), which produce estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, cortisol, as well as other hormones. Cortisol is a major steroid hormone that is related to stress and to the balance of the hormone system. When the adrenal gland is weakened (called adrenal exhaustion), symptoms can appear due to abnormal cortisol secretion. Cortisol effects sugar metabolism, stress, aging, depression, chronic fatigue, immune function, sleep, weight, heart disease, thyroid, inflammation and pain, menstrual disorders, osteoporosis, and other disease processes. Testing reveals if there are high or low levels of cortisol or disrupted secretion rhythms. Balancing of this hormone can play a key role in improving many clinical conditions and also in speeding the healing process. The disrupted patterns can be restored with natural treatment.
‘Pregnenelone Steal’
Female and male hormones are derived from two main chemicals in the body--cholesterol and pregnenelone. Pregnenolone is made from cholesterol. When the body is under stress physically and/or emotionally, there may be a shortage of pregnenelone. It will be diverted to make cortisol (to respond to stress) rather than to make the sex hormones. The result can be a decrease in sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) causing problems, such as PMS, early perimenopause, low libido (sex drive), fatigue, inflammation, joint pain etc. The diversion of the pregnenelone to the cortisol pathway is called ‘pregnenelone steal’. The hormones can be balanced with Specialized Testing and natural treatment to restore the ‘stolen’ pregnenolone.
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