The signs of hormonal imbalance it can be hard to spot for some, and glaringly obvious for others. Things can get even more complicated because often, the signs of hormonal imbalance it can mimic dozens of other conditions. Which means things get dismissed or misdiagnosed. Many women, especially younger women, do not realize that their hormones and lack thereof hormone balance it’s what’s causing their uncomfortable symptoms…and they spend years struggling before finding answers.
In this article, I will walk you through what hormonal imbalance it is, what causes it, and more importantly, how to bring things back into balance.
First we need to talk about the what hormonal imbalance is. And also validate your concerns. Because some people will say things like “hormonal imbalance it’s not real.”
But I can assure you, having treated tens of thousands of women as obstetricians, hormonal imbalance it’s definitely real, and it can make you feel horrible, especially if you’re perimenopausal, menopausal, or postmenopausal.
That said, many couples hormone balance each other out in the body.
But for the purposes of this article, we’re going to talk about the two hormones that cause the most trouble for menopausal women:
Estrogen and progesterone.
When things are going well and your hormones are behaving as they should, estrogen and progesterone contrast each other very nicely.
Estrogen is extremely important for so many reasons. It regulates your menstrual cycle and sex drive, for sure. But it’s also a key player for your heart, bones, skin, hair, muscles and more.
Progesterone is also critical to your body in many ways – yes, it’s also a critical part of your cycle, and it’s an important factor in early pregnancy. But progesterone also calms your nervous system.
And progesterone also helps counteract the sometimes overwhelming effect of estrogen on the body.
What causes hormone imbalance?
This is where it all goes wrong.
Starting in your 30s, progesterone levels begin to decline rapidly. Think of a steep drop on a roller coaster.
At about the same time, estrogen levels also begin to decline, but they move more erratically as they fall. Think of a zigzag line on a graph.
Then the problems begin. Because your progesterone levels are on such a downward spiral, they simply cannot keep up with the estrogen your body is producing, especially when estrogen is at the higher end of this zigzag pattern.
This is a condition we refer to as ‘estrogen dominance’ or ‘excess estrogen’. It sounds like a misnomer because your estrogen levels are often low at this point, but it’s just that your estrogen isn’t *as* low as your progesterone.
When you have that low estrogen and low progesterone state – that’s when you start to feel it signs of hormonal imbalance.
What does hormonal imbalance look like?
When you hormones are out of balance And your estrogen outpaces your progesterone, things can feel terribly uncomfortable.
Sometimes, when estrogen goes unchecked for too long, other, more serious symptoms and conditions can occur.
Things like:
- Cancer
- Fibroids
- Gallstones
- Endometriosis
- Very heavy periods
Advocate for yourself when you have Hormonal imbalance
That’s why it’s important to make sure you don’t discard them symptoms of hormonal imbalance very fast. You or your doctor may be tempted to dismiss these symptoms as part of another condition or to think that these symptoms are unrelated to your hormones. But if you have one or more of the symptoms on this list, I would recommend that you dig deeper into your hormonal situation with the help of your doctor.
My philosophy has always been that for many women, things like anxiety and depression they are not a final diagnosis. They are symptoms of something else, and sometimes that is an underlying hormonal imbalance. I have found many times that addressing my patient’s hormones has allowed us to avoid antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications altogether.
It is important to note that not everyone has serious problems symptoms of hormonal imbalance, especially at the beginning. Some women may have trouble sleeping a few times a month and just chalk it up to insomnia or stress. Others may find their energy lags in the afternoon—and assume it’s just because they’re tired from their heavy workload.
Only you know what your normal, basic state is feels like. And if something is off, even just a little bit, don’t ignore it and keep running. Support yourself and your quality of life, no matter what stage of life you are in.
How to stop hormonal imbalance
As an obstetrician, my secret weapon to help balance your estrogen and progesterone is topical organic progesterone cream.
When you put progesterone cream on your skin, it helps the progesterone enter the body rather quickly…and makes things feel much more balanced.
For many women, bioidentical progesterone is the key to successfully achieving hormone balance that leads you through menopause.
Is progesterone safe?
It’s extremely important to clarify here: I’m talking about bioidentical progesterone, which is identical to what your body makes at the molecular level. I’m not talking about progestin, which is a chemical that is often prescribed to women not recommend. Many, many medical professionals use the terms “progesterone” and “progesterone” interchangeably, but they are not actually the same thing!
You may have heard someone talk about the dangers of progesterone, but what they’re really talking about is progestin.
Bioidentical progesterone is made from wild yams. It’s a natural way to support your body and doesn’t come with the risks of progestin.
Finding hormonal balance
While you can’t stop menopause, you can find relief from so many of its discomforts when you keep your progesterone levels high.
My personal cheat code?
Balance cream.
This “dream cream” contains bioidentical progesterone made from wild yams and also contains pregnenolone, which is a hormone that your body uses to make more sex hormones. So it’s an invaluable tool in the menopause toolbox.
Learn more about Balance and how it can help you achieve hormonal balance, whether you’re still cycling or not HERE.
