Tag Archives: Womens Health

Maybe Your Hormones are to Blame

Ever feel like you’re going crazy … maybe your hormones are to blame.

Buckle up you’re in for a bumpy ride!

If you’re a female aged in your late thirties to early fifties, you may be experiencing an assortment of emotional, mental and physical changes.

This life stage is know as Perimenopause. It can begin happening 10-15 years before actual Menopause. Hormonal flutuations are a normal part of life and happen month in month out. But when hormone levels become depleted due to stress, imbalances and natural aging, it can have a massive impact on your health and wellbeing.

So what symptoms might you experience during this time?

  • Anxiety
  • Mood Swings
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Brain Fog
  • Crying spells
  • Forgetfulness
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Dizziness/Vertigo
  • Lightheadediness
  • Headaches/Migraines
  • Palpitations
  • Fatigue
  • Irregular periods (longer, shorter, lighter, heavier)
  • Low libido, unexplained infertility, dryness & miscarriage
  • Insomnia/night sweats
  • Hot flushes
  • Itching/skin crawling sensations
  • Allergies
  • Muscle tension and aches
  • Joint Pain
  • Bloating
  • Indigestion
  • Gas
  • Gum problems/breath changes
  • Weak splitting nails
  • Facial hair growth and head hair thinning
  • Weight gain

Throughout this period the ovaries begin to run out of eggs. Suddenly you may experience ‘anovulation’ or a month where no egg is released. When no ovulation takes place no Progesterone is made and the effects can be debilitating, especially if fertility is your prime concern. Progesterone maintains a pregnancy from the moment of conception to Week 16 when the placenta takes over Progesterone production. Therefore, if Progesterone levels are low due to stress or anovulation trying to conceive becomes very difficult. It can also lead to miscarriages.

Progesterone is anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing. It’s calming and helps you to stay a healthy weight with plenty of energy and vitality.

Under stress, the female body will create additional Cortisol (anti-stress hormone) at the expense of Progesterone in an attempt to reduce Adrenalin (fight and flight hormone) and stress levels in general. Whilst this may sound like a great idea, the reality is that Cortisol leads to weight gain around the middle. Extra weight in this region increases your risk of Type II Diabetes and Heart Disease. Add to this increased inflammation and pain and higher Oestrogen levels and you have a recipe for hormonal hell.

When you reach Menopause (12 months without a period) Oestrogen production drops to 40% and is made largely made in the adrenal (stress) glands and the fat on the hips. Progesterone production falls out completely. In the intervening years the body adjusts to lower levels of these hormones but to maintain a good sense of wellbeing a healthy lifestyle with exercise, a nutritious diet and natural therapies can make a world of difference.

Don’t spend another day suffering with hormone imbalance. If you are struggling with any of the symptoms above we at Getting Well Naturally have you covered.