Estrogen Dominance And Birth Control Pills
Natural hormone balance is the foundation of a womans emotional and physical health. During a womans natural menstrual cycle her estrogen levels rise and fall at different times of the month. The pill disrupts this cycle altogether keeping estrogen levels high all month.
Continuously elevated levels of estrogen can overload the liver, which cant perform its essential function of detoxification. As a result, these unhealthy estrogen metabolites go back into your bloodstream and get circulated in your body quickly leading to Estrogen Dominance
ED from the pill also leads to too much estradiol , also known as an aggressive estrogen, compared to estriol , which is the protective estrogen. This imbalance can be behind tender breasts, mood swings, hair loss, weight gain, fibroids, endometriosis, breast, and ovarian cysts, and even breast and ovarian cancer.
High estrogen levels can also cause a rise thyroid binding globulin, which binds up thyroid hormones making less available to do its work in your body. ED has also been linked to the development of thyroid nodules and cancer.
To learn more about estrogen dominance and what you can do to reduce it, read my other blog post on the topic.
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Is It Safe To Have Tests During The Pandemic
Dr Aziz-Scott: Its understandable that there is some hesitation about being around others at this time, but we would like to reassure you that your safety is of the utmost importance to us. It is safe to have your blood tests during the pandemic and as per Government advice, it is recommended that you keep any appointments or procedures you have booked.
Get The Sleep You Need
While you sleep, growth hormones are released that boost your immune system and aid in tissue repair.8 A good nights sleep also helps control your levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, so you are better equipped to deal with stress during the day ahead. If you find you have trouble falling and staying asleep, you can make simple lifestyle changes to reach optimal sleep, such as supplementing with my Rest and Restore sleep formula.
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Try Stress Reduction Techniques
Stress harms your hormones in several ways.
The hormone cortisol is known as the stress hormone because it helps your body cope with long-term stress.
Your bodys response to stress activates a cascade of events that leads to cortisol production. Once the stressor has passed, the response ends. However, chronic stress impairs the feedback mechanisms that return your hormonal systems to normal .
Therefore, chronic stress causes cortisol levels to remain elevated, which stimulates appetite and increases your intake of sugary and high fat foods. In turn, this may lead to excessive calorie intake and obesity (
50 ).
In a review of 21 studies in 2,250 people, those assigned to a short sleep group showed higher ghrelin levels than those who got the recommended amount of sleep .
Plus, your brain needs uninterrupted sleep to go through all five stages of each sleep cycle. This is especially important for the release of growth hormone, which occurs mainly at night during deep sleep .
To maintain optimal hormonal balance, aim for at least 7 hours of high quality sleep per night.
Summary
Poor sleep has been shown to decrease fullness hormones, increase hunger and stress hormones, and increase insulin resistance.
What Is Hormonal Imbalance
Hormones are produced by the endocrine glands, which create hormones to travel throughout the body to tell your organs what to do. These are responsible for many of the vital functions of your body, including your metabolism and reproduction. If the levels are too high or too low, this leads to significant negative effects on the body.
Various tests can be used to test your hormone levels, which can offer excellent insight as to what may be causing your problems. Then you can begin the right treatment to help you get back to feeling like yourself.
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Appetite And Weight Gain
You may gain weight during hormonal shifts, such as menopause. But hormone changes donât directly affect your weight. Instead, it likely happens because of other factors, like aging or lifestyle. For example, when youâre feeling blue or irritated, as you can be when your estrogen levels drop, you may want to eat more. It can also impact your bodyâs levels of leptin, a hunger-revving hormone.
Swap Carbs For Healthy Fats
Foods that balance hormones include a variety of fat-containing foods that provide short-, medium- and long-chain fatty acids. Your body needs various types of fats to create hormones, including saturated fat and cholesterol.
Not only are these essential fats fundamental building blocks for hormone production, but they keep inflammation levels low, boost your metabolism and promote weight loss.
Healthy fats have the opposite effect of refined carbohydrates, which lead to inflammation and can mess with the balance of your hormones.
My four favorite sources of anti-inflammatory, healthy fats include coconut oil, avocados, grass-fed butter and wild-caught salmon.
- Coconut oil uses are plentiful. For example, coconut oil has natural antibacterial and fat-burning effects.
- Avocado benefits include improving heart health, lowering inflammation, controlling your appetite, and contributing to your daily intake of fiber and nutrients, such as potassium.
- Salmon nutrition is also impressive. Its one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to lower inflammation and help with cognitive functions. Omega-3 fatty acids are a large component of brain-cell membranes and are important for cell-to-cell communication in the brain. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids help protect against hippocampal neuronal loss and reduce pro-inflammatory responses.
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What Kind Of Doctors Treat Hormonal Imbalances
Primary healthcare providers can diagnose and help you manage many hormonal imbalances, but you may benefit from seeing an endocrinologist.
An endocrinologist is a healthcare provider who specializes in endocrinology, a field of medicine that studies conditions related to your hormones. They can diagnose endocrine conditions, develop treatment and management plans and prescribe medication.
What Are The Treatment Options
Hormone replacement therapy is one of the most common treatments of low hormone levels.
For people experiencing menopause, premature menopause, or primary ovarian insufficiency as well as after oophorectomy or chemotherapy estrogen therapy can offer some relief. Estrogen therapy alone is recommended for those who have had a hysterectomy. You can take estrogen in different forms, generally estrogen pills and estrogen patches.
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Preparing For Hormone Testing At Cedars
We explain the tests you need and answer any questions you may have.
Here’s what to expect:
- Stop certain medications: We let you know whether to stop taking drugs such as oral steroids or estrogen supplements before your test.
- Visit one of our labs: You go to a Cedars-Sinai lab and provide a blood, urine or saliva sample. If you need stimulation or suppression testing, we let you know in advance how long you’ll need to stay.
- Collect samples at home: If we need samples over a period of time, you may be able to perform testing at home. We give you special containers for collecting saliva or urine samples and detailed instructions on how to handle them.
- Receive more than one form of hormone testing: Blood testing is one way we evaluate hormone imbalances. We may recommend additional tests, including stimulation or suppression tests, to learn more about what’s causing the imbalance.
- Undergo other forms of testing: For problems such as tumors or a possible cancer diagnosis, we use imaging to learn more about their size, location and nature.
Have Questions or Need a Second Opinion?
To make an appointment or refer a patient, call us or send a message to the Endocrinology care team.You can also have us at your convenience.
How And Why Do Men And Women Experience Hormonal Imbalances Differently
Hormones impact men and women differently, particularly when youre dealing with those specific to the reproductive system. Men and women also go through different developmental stages. Women will experience hormonal changes with their menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause, which men do not experience. Women may experience hormonal imbalances that present through:
- Vaginal dryness or discomfort
- Erectile dysfunction
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What Is A Reference Range
A reference range is also known as normal values, and is determined by examining the normal test results of a group of healthy people. Most typical people will sit within this reference range.
However not everyone is ‘typical’. Even if your results fall within the normal range you could still experience symptoms. If you are completely healthy it is also possible for your results to fall outside of the reference range. If either of these scenarios occur you will need further investigations.
Which Tests Are Best For Hormonal Imbalance
Most companies that offer hormone test kits have several options. If you suspect a specific hormone imbalance, like a thyroid issue, you can order a test kit that focuses on those hormones. Otherwise, most companies offer a comprehensive test option that will check the levels of most or all of your major hormone types.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Low Estrogen In Men
In men, male menopause may result from too little estrogen in addition to lower testosterone levels, at least according to some recent studies. Diminished libido, strength and energy are the main symptoms. However, testosterone levels tend not to fall as sharply in aging men as estrogen does in women who are post-menopausal. Further research is needed to determine if changes that come with aging are due to hormonal declines and if so, which hormones are the culprit.
When To Test For Hormone Imbalance
So when do we want to test your estrogen and progesterone to best understand what the relative balance or imbalance is? Most of the time when there’s hormone imbalance going on, the women is premenopausal or perimenopausal. This would be from age 17-18 all the way up to say 50 or even 55. If you are still menstruating you are susceptible to the relative balance of estrogen and progesterone. Imbalance is more common closer to menopause though. When we check your estrogen and progesterone typically, we want to do this at the peak of the progesterone. We do that because low progesterone is often times part of the problem and causing the imbalance and other times it is high estrogen. To verify this you want to check the levels at a specific time of the month when the progesterone is peaking. For any female that is menstruating, we want to tested for estrogen and progesterone on cycle day 21 or close to it. If you have a shorter cycle that peak of progesterone may come a little bit earlier. If that is the case, you may want to do it on cycle day 19 or something close to day 21.
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Need More Hormone Help
If youre needing some health upgrading, its time you started you looking into whats going on with your hormones.
Ive designed a 4 day hormone detox and evaluation to help you understand exactly whats out of whack and how you can start getting back to balance so that your hormones no longer have to suffer.
to get your FREE detox and evaluation!
Get The Lowdown On Your Hormone Levels
Why measure hormone levels? Because these cell-signaling compounds govern everything your body does, from weight loss to prostate cancer. We offer complete male and female hormone tests, so you can get your hormones checked for hormone replacement therapy, weight loss, menopause and more. Find out if your hormone levels are normal today.Do I need to fast for hormone testing?Generally speaking, noyou do not need to fast to take hormone tests. You can do dried urine hormone testing, comprehensive hormone testing through blood draw, even saliva tests for sleep disorders.
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When Thyroid Levels May Be Tested
You may need a thyroid hormone test if you have symptoms of either an underactive thyroid or an overactive thyroid .
Hypothyroidism symptoms include:
| Pituitary disease |
If results start out with low TSH and high thyroid hormones and then reverse with further testing, it indicates thyroiditis, which is inflammation of the thyroid gland.
Common Signs Of And How To Test For Hormone Imbalance
“The content below is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding amedicalcondition.”
Are you suffering from painful periods, weight gain, or unusual hair growth?
Is it a struggle to drag yourself out of bed each morning?
Maybe your friends have dropped some less than subtle hints about your mood, andyoure wondering if your hormones may be to blame.
Help is on the way.
If youre concerned that your hormones may be out of whack, read on.
This guide will cover everything you need to know about the symptoms and how to test for hormone imbalances.
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Signs Of Hormonal Imbalance In Men
As hormones play a crucial role in many bodily functions, there is a broad range of symptoms that could indicate a hormonal imbalance in men. These signs can vary depending on the hormones or glands that are affected. The following are signs of hormonal imbalances in men:
Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia, or enlargement of the breast tissue, is a sign of hormonal imbalance in men. While breast tissue may become larger due to age, diet, or lifestyle, a decrease in testosterone or an increase in estrogen can also lead to its growth.
It may not be physically harmful, but gynecomastia can have an impact on self-esteem. It may also be a sign that a hormonal imbalance may be affecting other functions as well.
Loss of libido
Another sign of low testosterone or high estrogen levels is a loss of libido, or sex drive. While these changes in libido can have many root causes, a hormonal imbalance could be a factor. A low sex drive can be a psychological challenge and can strain intimate relationships.
Erectile dysfunction
Hormonal imbalances can also interfere with sexual performance. This can lead to erectile dysfunction , or difficulty having or maintaining an erection for sexual activity. Erectile dysfunction can be influenced by factors like age, depression, heart disease, stress, chronic illness, and insomnia.
Some medications, like opiates and those that treat hypertension , can also lead to erectile dysfunction. ED can also be a sign of low testosterone.
Loss of muscle
Saliva Testing Vs Blood Testing For Hormone Levels: Which Is Better
Have you ever said in a moment of moodiness, I think my hormones are out of whack!?
Did you consider that you might be right on the money? Fatigue, weight gain, anxiety, moodiness these can all be signs of a hormonal imbalance. A simple blood or saliva test in a doctors office can check your hormone levels and find out if lows or highs are responsible for your ongoing health concerns. But which is more accurate? Blood testing or saliva testing?
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Can Hormone Imbalance Cause Weight Gain
Yes, certain hormone imbalances can cause weight gain, including:
- Hypothyroidism: This condition happens when you have low levels of thyroid hormone, which causes your metabolism to slow down. This can cause weight gain.
- Cushings syndrome: This is a rare condition that happens when your body has too much of a hormone called cortisol. It results in rapid weight gain in your face , belly, back of your neck and chest.
- Menopause: During menopause, many people assigned female at birth gain weight due to hormonal changes that cause their metabolism to slow down. Its important to remember that this type of hormonal imbalance is natural and an expected part of life.
Several other factors contribute to weight gain. If youre experiencing unexpected weight gain or are concerned about your weight, talk to your healthcare provider.
Macafem For Hormonal Balance
Macafem is rich in essential nutrients and beneficial alkaloids that support the endocrine system, nourishing and stimulating the hormonal glands. Unlike phytoestrogens and hormone treatments, this 100% natural dietary supplement does not introduce exogenous hormones into the body it simply helps the body naturally produce its own again. Overall, how Macafem works is by improving the endocrine systems functions to offer a holistic approach to hormonal balance and ultimate health and well-being.
Ultimately, it is important for you to listen to your body and how youre feeling on a day-to-day basis. Are you feeling down for no reason? Are you experiencing body aches and pains even without having performed strenuous physical activity? Are you starting to see more hair in the shower drain? All of these and more could be signs of an underlying hormonal imbalance. With proper lifestyle changes implemented and supplementation with Macafem, it is possible to get hormones back on track.
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What Time Of Day Should I Take My Hormones
In general, blood samples are best taken in the first half of the cycle when normal and abnormal hormone levels are more clearly separated. However, progesterone may be deliberately measured on day 21 in the middle of the second half to see if ovulation has occurred.
How can I check my female hormone levels at home?
When you order an FDA approved hormone test kit online from Health Testing Centers, you can test at home for hormone levels with an easy sample collection such as a saliva testing or finger prick . All home collection health test kits include a prepaid shipping label.
What food causes hormonal imbalance?
Here are 6 foods you need to cut out of your diet to steer clear of hormonal issues:
- Red meat. Red meat is rich in saturated and hydrogenated fats which are considered unhealthy and should be avoided.
- Certain vegetables.