The Complete Guide To Decoding Hormones For Women Over 40
by admin | Sep 20, 2022 | Health, Women’s Health |
Anyone whos had a monthly cycle knows that hormones are complex. And once we turn 40, were confronted with all sorts of new questions and situations Some more surprising than anything thats come before. With perimenopause on deck or perhaps menopause in full swing, its time for us to get clear on our hormones And why theyre actually our superpower.
Contact Nava Health And Vitality Center
If youre a woman experiencing perimenopause, work with an expert in hormone replacement to get a perimenopause test and treatment. At Nava Health and Vitality Center, we help patients like you to find the correct hormone replacement for your body. We can also recommend a helpful perimenopause diet.
Finding the correct mixture of hormones is critical for the success of this type of treatment. To do this, patients must work with experienced professionals to be tested and diagnosed. The information gleaned from the tests helps the medical provider determine what types of hormones will help. To find out more about hormonal changes at 40, symptoms, and hormonal imbalance treatment, contact us today to make an appointment.
Low Estrogen Levels And Weight Gain: Is There A Connection
Sex hormones, such as estrogen, influence the amount of fat in the body. Estrogen regulates glucose and lipid metabolism. If your estrogen levels are low, it can result in weight gain.
Research suggests that this may be why women approaching menopause are likely to become overweight. Being overweight can increase your risk for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
If your estrogen levels are low and its affecting your weight, speak with your doctor. They can assess your symptoms and advise you on next steps. Its always a good idea to try to eat a balanced diet and exercise as often as possible. Talk with your doctor about developing a diet and exercise plan thats right for you.
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What Supplements Are Best For Women Over 40
If you’re a woman over 40, you might be thinking about taking supplements to help you with common symptoms that come with the perimenopause years.
I believe food always comes first , but supplementing vital nutrients can help avoid vital nutrient deficiencies that can contribute to common symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, insomnia, digestive issues, hot flushes and more.
You can watch the video below or listen to the podcast
What Is Hormone Therapy For Menopause Like
During menopause, your body goes through major hormonal changes, decreasing the amount of hormones it makes, particularly estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen and progesterone are produced by the ovaries. When your ovaries no longer make enough estrogen and progesterone, hormone therapy can be used as a supplement. Hormone therapy boosts your hormone levels and can help relieve some symptoms of menopause. Its also used as a preventative measure for osteoporosis.
There are two main types of hormone therapy:
- Estrogen therapy : In this treatment, estrogen is taken alone. Its typically prescribed in a low dose and can be taken as a pill or patch. ET can also be given to you as a cream, vaginal ring, gel or spray. This type of treatment is used after a hysterectomy. Estrogen alone cant be used if you still have a uterus.
- Estrogen Progesterone/Progestin Hormone Therapy : This treatment is also called combination therapy because it uses doses of estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone is available in its natural form, or also as a progestin . This type of hormone therapy is used if you still have your uterus.
Hormone therapy can relieve many of the symptoms of menopause, including:
- Hot flashes and night sweats.
- Vaginal dryness.
- Pulmonary embolism.
These risks are lower if you start hormone therapy within 10 years of menopause. After that point, your risk for cardiovascular diseases is higher.
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What Are The Risks Of Hrt
The health risks of HRT include:
- Increased risk of endometrial cancer For women who have had a hysterectomy , this is not a problem
- Increased risk of breast cancer with long-term use
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
- Increase in inflammatory markers
- Increased risk of blood clots and stroke, especially during the first year of use in susceptible women
All women taking hormone replacement therapy should have regular gynecological exams . The American Cancer Society also recommends that women over age 50 should:
Added Benefits Of Hrt
HRT reduces the risk of various chronic conditions that can affect postmenopausal women, including:
- diabetes taking HRT around the time of menopause reduces a womans risk of developing diabetes
- osteoporosis HRT prevents further bone density loss, preserving bone integrity and reducing the risk of fractures, but it is not usually recommended as the first choice of treatment for osteoporosis, except in younger postmenopausal women
- bowel cancer HRT slightly reduces the risk of colorectal cancer
- cardiovascular disease HRT has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease markers when used around the time of menopause.
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Your Sleep Patterns Change
Many women report difficulty sleeping as they get older. Or, maybe you just dont feel rested, even after a full nights sleep, which means you have less energy to exercise or be active.
Two of the biggest sleep disruptors at this age are hot flashes and night sweats. You can thank your shifting hormones for that, too.
The fix: First things first: Establish a soothing bedtime routine. In particular, reduce your use of electronics before going to sleep, Dweck says.
Harvard researchers found that the blue light emitted from these devices can disrupt your bodys natural circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin. This is the hormone that makes you sleepy at night.
If hot flashes and night sweats keep you up at night, Dweck recommends a cool shower before bed and breathable pajamas.
Also avoid caffeine and alcohol, especially red wine, which are known triggers for hot flashes, she says.
Urinary Problems Will Increase As You Get Older
According to Lauren Streicher, M.D., director of the Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine, estrogen appears to provide protection against the bacteria that cause urinary tract infections. UTIs become more common in women as perimenopause, and then menopause, shut down the ovaries production of estrogen.
Most urinary tract infections can be treated quickly and easily with antibiotics, and fortunately, symptoms usually disappear within two days. When taking antibiotics, its important to take all of the doses prescribed, even if you are feeling better before you run out of your medication. Failing to take the entire prescription as recommended could result in a relapse of the infection.
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A Change In Recommendations
These studies were the first large-scale trials that looked for cause and effect with heart disease and HRT. HRT does offer some benefits, such as preventing osteoporosis and reducing the risk of colon cancer. But the data on heart-related risks from these studies were very compelling. As a result, the American Heart Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration developed new guidelines for the use of HRT:
The bottom line, say physicians at the Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic: weigh the benefits of HRT against the risks and discuss the whole subject of HRT with your physician to be able to make an informed decision.
Can Menopause Cause Depression
Your body goes through a lot of changes during menopause. There are extreme shifts in your hormone levels, you may not sleep well because of hot flashes and you may experience mood swings. Anxiety and fear could also be at play during this time. All of these factors can lead to depression.
If you experience any of the symptoms of depression, talk to your healthcare provider. During your conversation, your provider will tell you about different types of treatment and check to make sure there isnt another medical condition causing your depression. Thyroid problems can sometimes be the cause of depression.
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Hrt Can Make Weight Loss Over 40 A Reality For Women
It can happen rather insidiously. Your youthful figure gives way to a pooch here and a bulge there. The metabolism that has once allowed you to enjoy your favorite foods without regret seems to have forsaken you. Suddenly you no longer look or feel like yourself.
Many women over 40 are seeking to lose weight some for the first time in their lives. As perimenopause takes hold, the body and shape with which you are familiar are replaced by a foreign silhouette, one that is heavily influenced by shifting hormones and a slowing metabolism.
Muscle mass declines and stubborn belly fat appears, and the effects can be more than aesthetic. Some studies have even shown that having a higher body mass index can exacerbate some symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes and night sweats.
Plus, weight gain can put you at risk of a whole range of diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, that can create life-threatening health problems and seriously affect your quality of life.
You are not doomed to live with those extra pounds. Today, there is more support available than ever before to help you look and feel your best as you age. And, with the right strategies, you can make weight loss over 40 a reality for you.
What Causes Hormonal Changes In Women Over 40
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Hormonal imbalance develops when the normal functioning of the endocrine system is disrupted. Yup, that may sound basic, but we are talking about the production and control system of our hormones!
The common endocrine-disruptors that cause our hormone levels to change in menopause are poor nutrition, inadequate sleep, gut problems, stress, sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise !
Experts say that our bodys endocrine system normally involves very small changes in hormone levels. However, even these small changes have a significant impact on the overall balance. Our body feels the changes and it lets you know through symptoms! Listen, so you can start working with your body and overcome the discomforts.
Lets get to the core and discover the common causes of hormone fluctuations as you enter menopause:
Food has a direct effect on our hormones. Try to think of it this way: Your food choices will either promote healthy hormonal production or lead to hormonal imbalance. Thats how important a good diet is!
To help you sort this out, the following are among the top triggers of hormonal imbalance. Avoid them as much as possible:
Let these foods help you achieve hormonal balance! Youll never go wrong with good nutrition and healthy eating habits. They will not only harmonize your hormone levels, but will also improve your overall well-being!
2. Inadequate Sleep
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What You Will Get After Hgh Therapy
What you will get after HGH therapy will be priceless, for you cannot put a price on good quality of life. What is HGH prescribed for in women? When a growth hormone deficiency is corrected and a body is back in the correct hormonal balance with the correctly prescribed HGH dosage, a person can look and feel better than ever. The list below are the anti-aging advantages of HRT.
When we say anti-aging, we are not referring to stopping the aging process or turning back the hands on the clock as this is impossible. All people will grow older, lose their growth hormones and experience the symptoms associated with that inevitable process. However, HRT can stop the symptoms because it involves adding an exact replica of what the body naturally made before the pituitary gland slowed down.
It is important to remember that HRT is not stopping aging. HRT is helping the aging process to be exciting, joyful, a new chapter in life and all with good health and happiness. What does HGH do for women? What will you get after HGH therapy?
What you will notice with HGH for women before and after will make you thrilled that you were able to partake in hormone replacement therapy. The research proves that this kind of treatment can be highly successful and the patients who have experienced it first hand confirm that fact over and over again.
Your Hormones Are Starting To Bubble Out Of Whack
The biggest culprit behind your bodys changes after 40? Hormones. These are the chemical messengers that control most body functions, from reproduction to hunger.
As you approach menopause, levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone fluctuate, says Alyssa Dweck, MD, gynecologist and assistant clinical professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
This fluctuation in hormones causes a cascade of changes, from decreased bone density and lean muscle mass to lower sex drive and mood changes.
The fix: Dont feel resigned to grinning and bearing the hormonal fluctuations! Talk to friends or family members, or find an online group. Youll probably hear that youre all going through something similar.
When women hear positive stories and that this phase will end, its helpful, says Amanda Thebe, a certified personal trainer and health coach who runs the Facebook group Menopausing So Hard.
naturally slow with age, lower estrogen levels contribute to a sluggish metabolism.
You also start to accumulate more fat, especially around your waistline, says registered dietitian Melissa Burton.
Researchers have found that hormonal changes caused by perimenopause and menopause contribute to changes in body composition, fat accumulation, and fat distribution.
The fix: The best way to keep your metabolism humming? Stay active.
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Putting The Pieces Together
The obvious answer to weight loss is reducing calorie intake and exercising more. But if you have maxed out your capacity to diet and exercise without seeing the desired results or have hormone-related symptoms that interfere with your ability to make healthy lifestyle changes, its time to do more. For many, the answer could be hormone replacement therapy .
For women experiencing menopause or perimenopause, HRT under the guidance of a hormone health specialist can be life-changing. Researchers have found strong evidence that estrogen or combined estrogen-progesterone replacement therapy may help to prevent menopause-related changes in body composition and the associated metabolic consequences. Additionally, many women find that HRT alleviates symptoms that interfere with weight loss such as fatigue, sleep disturbances and mood symptoms and allows them to make the choices necessary to shed unwanted pounds.
If a thyroid condition is thwarting your efforts for weight loss over 40, getting a specific and accurate diagnosis is critical. If your lab results and symptoms point to hypothyroidism, hormone therapy is the gold standard in treatment and can help you restore balance and take control of your health.
Ready to make an appointment with a bioidentical hormone therapy specialist? Find a qualified hormone therapy practitioner in your state now.
Are You Eating Adequate Nutrients To Support Your Lifestyle
Females at any age involved in fitness are at risk for common nutrient deficiencies, such as low protein, iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. This may be the case if you are experiencing hair loss, brittle nails, eczema, period problems, or food cravings.
When participating in an exercise program over 40, be sure your diet is nutrient dense paying special attention to iron, zinc, omega 3 fatty acids, folate, and antioxidants. This also means eating enough nutrients, especially when cutting calories in an attempt to lose weight which may require supplementation to meet your needs.
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The How And Why Of Womens Hormones:
Of course, female sex hormones – estrogen and progesterone – have the most significant effect on a womans health, from menstruation to pregnancy to menopause and more. But, your body makes and utilizes a variety of other hormones that affect other aspects of your health – from your energy level, weight, mood and more.
Heres a closer look at the main hormones within a womans body, how they work and what happens when you have either too little or too much of each.
Hrt Does Not Cause Weight Gain
Weight gain at the menopause is related to age and lifestyle factors. An increase in body fat, especially around the abdomen, can occur during menopause because of hormonal changes, although exactly why this happens is not clear. Normal age-related decrease in muscle tissue, and a decrease in exercise levels, can also contribute to weight gain.
Most studies do not show a link between weight gain and HRT use. If a woman is prone to weight gain during her middle years, she will put on weight whether or not she uses HRT.
Some women may experience symptoms at the start of treatment, including bloating, fluid retention and breast fullness, which may be misinterpreted as weight gain. These symptoms usually disappear once the therapy doses are changed to suit the individual.
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