HORMONE levels may begin to change in your 30s, as you enter perimenopause, the interval in which your body begins its transition into menopause. In the years leading up to menopause, small hormonal imbalances can exist, so by the time menopause begins, you may have already experienced close to 20 years of hormonal imbalance.
Perimenopause and menopause hormone imbalance can be marked by a variety of symptoms — weight gain, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, anxiety, depression, foggy thinking, memory changes, headaches, menstrual irregularities, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, dry skin, and fatigue.
These symptoms of hormone imbalance are caused primarily by an incorrect relationship between the two main female hormones — progesterone and oestrogen — in the body. They, along with other hormones, DHEA and testosterone, exist in a delicate balance, each performing a unique biological function. Variations in that balance can have a dramatic effect on your health, resulting in symptoms of hormone imbalance. The amounts of these hormones produced by your body can vary depending on factors such as stress, nutrition, exercise and ovulation.
When the balance between oestrogen and progesterone is thrown off in favour of oestrogen, a woman may become "oestrogen dominant". This condition is associated with a number of conditions, including endometriosis, uterine fibroids, polycystic ovaries, and breast cancer. Oestrogen dominance can occur in any woman, but perimenopausal women, who typically experience a more rapid decline in progesterone than in oestrogen, are especially at risk.
Lifestyle changes
Your lifestyle has a direct effect on your hormones. Your health and hormones can be balanced through lifestyle changes such as eating healthily, exercising on a regular basis, getting adequate sleep, reducing stress and when necessary, using hormone replacement therapy.
Nutrition
Food is fuel for your body. If you eat junk, you cannot expect your body to operate normally. As you age, you may notice that you just cannot eat the way you used to without feeling bloated or gaining weight. Excess calories will get stored as fat -- literally "from the lips to the hips and belly". Your diet should include soybeans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables which contain natural phytoestrogens (plant-based oestrogens) , healthy proteins and small amounts of carbohydrates.
Exercise
Exercise is part of the complete and total package for good health. Regular physical exercise increases your metabolic rate, burns calories and improves fitness. Exercise reduces your risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, breast cancer, osteoarthritis, and depression.
Sleep
At night during sleep, hormones rebalance. Sleep problems can affect women at different times, but are especially common in the perimenopausal and menopausal periods. Stress, anxiety, depression, medications, and hormone imbalances can cause sleep disturbances.
Stress management
Manage stress. High stress levels increase the production of cortisol -- a stress hormone -- affecting other hormones and throwing them off balance.
Bioidentical hormones
Women should begin to monitor and, if necessary, correct hormone imbalances long before menopause, when there is still time to restore youthful hormone levels. Among younger women, it may be possible to balance oestrogen and progesterone levels with natural hormones, such as phytoestrogens. Menopausal and postmenopausal women who have dramatically reduced levels of hormones, may find it necessary to use specially formulated hormones that are bioidentical and supplied in approximately the same ratio found in the body. These bioidentical hormones are manufactured in a laboratory by using different types of plants and they have the same molecular structure as hormones made by the body. They are often used in conjunction with supplements that have been shown to reduce the side effects of menopause. Any type of hormone replacement therapy needs to be tailored to your needs as what worked for your friend may not work for you.
Every aspect of your lifestyle can affect hormone balance and just as importantly, hormone balance can profoundly influence every aspect of your life. Restoring hormone balance can be the key to feeling your best and alleviating health problems.
Dr Jacqueline E Campbell is a family physician and the author of the book A Patient's Duide to the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus.
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