Are your Hormones Balanced?
Vickie S. Barkley, NP

Upon entering puberty, each of us has been “on hormones.” At that time, both boys and girls begin releasing estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone – hormones that support sexual growth and development. Always seeking to balance the body and bring a sense of wellbeing, these hormones continue to be released, along with many others, throughout our lifetime.

Women, whose periods (menses) begin around the age of 9 and last until an average age of 50, are more likely to experience hormone fluctuation after puberty. A menstrual cycle is determined from the first day of the period to the first day of the next period and can vary in length from 18-30 days. So, if a woman menstruates for an average of 41 years, minus 20 months for two children, she would have about 472 periods. That is, if everything goes perfectly well with her endocrine system.

When things don’t go perfectly well, a woman’s hormones may be out of balance. By adding progesterone during the last half of the menstrual cycle, pain and bleeding can be reduced. Transdermal hormonal patches, applied to the skin, are now available for stabilizing hormonal fluctuation that might be the causing the pain and excess bleeding. 

Menopause begins with the cessation of the menstrual cycle and reduced ovarian hormone production. If a woman lives to the average age of 80, she will spend a third of her life in a menopausal state. During this time she will be faced with reduced levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, as well as reduced levels of other hormones such as DHEA, melatonin, and thyroid hormones. These imbalances can lead to fatigue, insomnia, loss of cognitive function, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, and possible cardiovascular problems. Urine and blood lab studies can validate the loss of hormones and indicate the need for hormone replacement therapy, which can help bring a woman’s system back into balance as well as prevent many of the conditions that can occur as a result of hormonal imbalance. Living life without the proper balance of hormones is living without that which keeps you healthy and feeling good. 

Women today have better options and methods for hormone replacement and symptomatic relief than ever before. Bio-identical hormones mean hormones that are the same as what you would produce for yourself naturally. The regulation of absorption is crucial in hormone replacement therapy for effective results. A powder mix of the pure form of the hormones can be mixed in a cream base that is applied to the skin. Cream is a better regulator for hormone absorption than pills taken by mouth. When hormones are taken by mouth they are absorbed at variable rates by the gastrointestinal tract, secondary to food and  enzymes.

Men can also have a deficiency in hormone production and need hormone replacement therapy. A decrease in testosterone at a later age is a common problem for men, causing fatigue, loss of body mass index, and decreased libido. Stress, exposure to chemicals, drugs, and alcohol can also cause hormone imbalances in both men and women at any age.

A study conducted by the Women’s Health Initiative led some women and their health care providers to become fearful of hormone replacement. This study was flawed because it used non-human estrogen and synthetic progestin, and women who were an average age of 63, rather than the average age of 50 for most menopausal women. Because of the older age of the women in the study, the results did not show prevention, but rather indicated disease that was already present. 

A new focus on healthcare blends traditional (allopathic) medicine and complementary medicine. If you have a leg with a compound fracture, you want traditional anesthesia for surgical repair, and pain medicines to support recovery. However, it is also important for you to take care of your health in a natural way. Your body has the innate ability to heal given the proper support.

There are immune-boosting products and healing techniques such as detoxing the body from accumulated contaminates (toxins) that can facilitate a person’s return to health. Simple actions you can take to help yourself such as drinking clean water with a filter, using plastic that has no BHT, eating locally grown and organic produce when possible, getting plenty of sleep, exercising for fun, and thinking good thoughts can help. And remember that thoughts become things. Choose the good ones.

It is a choice to care for oneself. Take care of yourself before you become sick. If your system is out of balance physically, nutritionally, and hormonally, do something about it now. Get a check up with your medical provider and then begin learning how to care for yourself. Medical providers are there to assist you in bringing your body into balance. Then you do the rest. 

Begin now to take care of yourself. And bio-identical hormones then become the icing on the cake.

Vickie S. Barkley, NP, has been in the health field for 39 years. Always looking outside the box for more information on how the body can heal, she now has incorporated this knowledge into a A Living Well Center, specializing in anti-aging, bio-identical hormones, detox, and nutritional healing.  For appointments and community talks, contact Vickie at A Living Well Center, 1623 York Ave Suite, High Point, NC. 336-307-4096, http://www.alivingwellcenter.com.