Do You Have a Hormone Imbalance?

Hormones are your body’s messengers, sending signals to various organ systems to perform in ways that support and maintain healthy bodily function. When you experience a hormone imbalance, these messengers have become imbalanced, and your body suffers in a wide variety of ways.

Dr. Thierry Hertoghe, a leader in lifespan/ pro-aging medicine, believes that aging is caused primarily by the progressive appearance of hormone imbalances, exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyle and nutritional deficiencies. His approach to graceful aging is to correct these issues.

At Water’s Edge Natural Medicine, we focus on the latest and most effective hormone-balancing techniques, including bio-identical hormone treatments, in order to troubleshoot your symptoms and help your body heal the root causes of various maladies.

The following symptoms are often associated with hormone imbalances:

• Excess weight: If you gain weight easily and have a hard time losing those pounds, you may have excess estrogen in your system. Because this can fuel both breast and uterine cancers, getting help early is essential. Exercise and eating right are a great first step to managing your hormone levels, since gaining weight has been known to increase levels of this hormone in women. Weight gain may also be linked to an underactive thyroid gland, or excess level of cortisol produced by too much stress.
• Hot flashes and joint pain: During menopause, many women experience these symptoms due to a natural drop in estrogen levels.
• Low libido: During both menopause and andropause, women and men may experience reduced libido caused by decreased testosterone and the slowing of sex hormone production in the ovaries and adrenal glands.
• Male-pattern baldness or excess body hair: Both may be signs of excess testosterone in men.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome and irregular periods: In women, excess testosterone may manifest in these reproductive organ issues.
• Depression and poor sleep: As we age, our bodies produce less melatonin, which maintains the body’s circadian rhythms. This can cause sleep disturbances and depression. Bio-identical hormone therapy can help to regulate your body’s natural rhythms and create regular, fully restful sleep. A low-functioning thyroid can also cause depression, so be sure to address both possibilities with your physician.
• Overeating: Ghrelin and leptin are two hormones that regulate the way your body perceives its own hunger. If either are out of sync, you may not be able to recognize when your body is satiated, leading to overeating.
• Anxiety, racing heart, sweating, and diarrhea: These four symptoms are often associated with a hyperactive thyroid.

If any of these symptoms look familiar, you may have a hormone deficiency. We’re here to help! Call us to schedule an appointment with one of our naturopaths. We’ll assess your hormonal balance and help you determine, based on your symptoms, age, and medical features, the best course of action for balancing your body, so you can attain optimal health and feel better than ever!