Women's Health Naturopath
Hormonal imbalances and women’s health
Natural hormones
Being a woman has its fair share of challenges, especially when it comes to hormonal balance!
Many women suffer from hormonal imbalances and do not have a regular, pain-free menstrual cycle, which can be made worse if it is ‘masked’ long-term with synthetic hormones (e.g. the oral contraceptive pill, Depo-Provera injections or Implanon hormonal implants).
Hormonal imbalances are complex and need to be assessed and treated holistically. You may also have a genetic predisposition to a certain condition, such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), whereby the driver of the condition needs to be assessed.
Furthermore, most hormonal imbalances are triggered by a complex interplay between factors such as nutritional deficiencies, liver detoxification issues, obesity, blood sugar imbalances or even increased stress.
The Conundrum of Birth Control and Synthetic Hormones
Synthetic hormones do not regulate your cycle, even if you have been told that they do! In fact, they put your body into a transient menopausal state whereby your “period” is triggered by withdrawal from the synthetic hormones when you take the “sugar” pills.
Synthetic hormones may give relief from symptoms (and can be wonderful for relieving severe symptoms), however they don’t address the underlying cause. This usually results in re-emergence of your symptoms, when the medication is ceased. Synthetic hormones have their benefits, and we don’t mean to insinuate that no woman should take them, however it is important to understand the benefits and the risks, especially if you plan to take it long-term.
Perimenopause, Menopause and Beyond
Perimenopause is the time before and after menopause, which is one year after your final menstrual bleed. Perimenopause and the years after equate for about one-third of a woman’s life (if not more), however it has been shockingly under-researched. Lack of sound research has resulted in women suffering needlessly and ageing faster than they should.
Many women fear hormone replacement therapy (or HRT) due to the flawed conclusions of the large ‘Women’s Health Initiative Study’ that ended early due to fears of an increased the risk of hormonal cancers. However, when the data was re-examined, the increased risk was extremely low and was mainly related to synthetic forms of progesterone (called progestins).
Natural hormones are finally becoming more available in Australia and can be safely taken by most woman during this phase with a very low risk of cancer, with massive improvements in the risk of other conditions such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis (bone thinning), which affect a massive percentage of women.
Herbal medicine is also very helpful in providing symptom support and allowing for a smoother transition.
How we can help
We can help with all aspects of Women’s Health and Hormonal Imbalances
Irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, absence of periods, cramping, skin breakouts, hair loss, excess hair, weight gain, and fluid retention.
A syndrome driven by insulin resistance or excessive blood sugar fluctuations driving imbalanced testosterone and oestrogen. This can cause irregular cycles, hair growth, acne and weight gain.
Growth of endometrial tissue outside of the abdominal cavity. Common symptoms include extreme menstrual pain, changes in bowel function and fertility issues. Pain in other locations can also occur if tissue has grown in other less common locations.
Growth of endometrial tissue in the uterine wall resulting in uterine enlargement, and usually pain, cramping and heavy bleeding.
You build your long-term health and vitality through your everyday actions (or lack of action). If you are putting off addressing key health components for too long, you will not only shorten your lifepan, but you will also decrease your healthspan. Pushing through and medicating symptoms may work for a while, however if you plan to one day to retire, travel or simply slow down ... you may find that your health isn't as robust as you would like and may not even be sufficient to enjoy simple things, such as time with your family. Don't wait any longer! We can help you to start prioritising your health and create your personal plan for lifelong wellness.
Our Functional Medicine Approach
We have extensive experience with women’s health and have helped thousands of women with hormonal imbalances or navigating times of hormonal change. We have a strong passion for following the latest research in this area, being women ourselves and understanding the massive impact that hormones can have on both physical and mental well-being.
Although there are patterns, no woman’s experience and symptoms are the same. Functional medicine practitioner work with you to discover the underlying causes and fine-tune your wellness plan, until you regain balance.
We practice holistically, so although we will focus on specific health areas to provide quick symptom relief, we are always aware that you can never treat an organ or condition without consideration for the entire mind and body. This is especially true for hormonal imbalances, as hormones have more than one target tissue and can therefore have a multitude of different actions throughout the body.
Hormone Testing
Most hormonal testing does not detect subtle imbalances between your hormones. Blood testing for hormones is generally used to assess if you are ovulating or going into menopause; not if you are excesses or deficiencies in your hormones.
General hormone testing does not assess your hormone metabolism or detoxification pathways.
Supporting hormone metabolism and detoxification is important for addressing hormone-dependent conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS and even your risk of some familial chronic diseases.
Excess oestrogen is a common driver in these conditions, however in some cases your levels may be normal, but you may be detoxifying your oestrogen via a more problematic pathway. Some liver pathways can create more harmful types of oestrogens, which rely on adequate internal antioxidant defences along with health gut function. Hormone metabolism is determined by both your genetics (which we can also look at), as well as your lifestyle and can have a massive impact on your overall hormone balance.
How we can help
Hormonal imbalances are usually the result of a complex interplay of factors
A Holistic Approach
Functional medicine offers a holistic approach to addressing hormonal imbalances by identifying and treating the root causes rather than just the symptoms. This approach involves a comprehensive evaluation of your lifestyle, diet, stress levels, and environmental factors. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact us today. Together, we can create a personalised plan to help you achieve balance and well-being.
