HORMONE HEALTH

Hormones are chemical messengers that are produced by different glands in the body where they travel in the blood affecting the tissues that have receptors for them. The endocrine system is a group of glands throughout the body that produce and regulate hormones. It is a highly integrated and complex system that maintains internal balance. The main glands involved in the female endocrine system are the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovaries. Hormones from other glands in the body can also affect the female reproductive cycle such as thyroid hormone from the thyroid gland, insulin from the pancreas and cortisol from the adrenal glands.  Imbalances in any of these hormones can cause a wide variety of woman’s health conditions and symptoms including fibrocystic breasts, PMS, light or heavy periods, irregular periods and/or uncomfortable perimenopause/menopause symptoms (including hot flushes, brain fog, vaginal dryness, and low libido).

It is important to note that hormone imbalances can be caused by many factors including any combination of the following:

 
• Stress and overexertion
• Not enough time for relaxation and play
• Improper breathing; improper diet (excess saturated or hydrogenated fat, sugar, refined carbohydrates, meat, dairy, toxins in fish)
• Nutritional deficiencies (eg vit B5, B6 and C, zinc, selenium, magnesium, tyrosine, essential fatty acids)
• Food sensitivities and/or environmental allergies
• Infectious organisms and/or imbalance in intestinal flora
• Intestinal toxins (such as yeast toxins)
• Impaired liver function
• Elevated blood sugar
• Excess alcohol and smoking
• Exposure to radiation, electromagnetic fields, environmental chemicals or heavy metals
• Pharmaceutical drugs including the birth control pill
• Lack of exercise or excessive exercise
• Light at night or lack of exposure to sunlight
• Shift work
• Insomnia
• Obesity or being underweight
• History of trauma or abuse
• Negative thought patterns and emotions
 

At Kamloops Naturopathic Clinic we recognize the importance of achieving optimal hormonal balance.  This is attained by determining hormonal status and then restoring hormone balance as indicated.  Hormonal testing includes salivary and/or serum hormone testing.  The salivary hormone panels that we run at our clinic include a female panel (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol), a male panel (testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, DHEA), an estrogen metabolism panel, and an adrenal function panel (4 point cortisol).  Treatment to restore hormonal balance may include botanical support, homeopathy, phenolics, acupuncture, bioidentical hormones and/or lifestyle counseling.