Period cramps common sign of hormonal imbalance

Twelve Common Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Women

Hormones play an essential role within our bodies – subsequently, a slight hormonal imbalance can throw off your system, leading to unwanted symptoms and side effects. 

Produced by the glands in our endocrine system, hormones act like little messengers. They relay instructions that tell your body what to do and when to do it. You don’t want them playing a game of broken telephone! 

Hormones and The Role They Play in Our Bodies 

You may be familiar with estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone, but our bodies have over 50 different hormones. 

They are essential communicators for reproduction, metabolism, growth, mood regulation, our sleep-wake cycle, and more. Often, these processes need a chain reaction of many hormones working together. If one is lacking, it can throw off the whole process. 

Look at your hormones as part of a recipe – too little or too much of one ingredient will mess with the results! 

12 Common Signs of Hormone Imbalance in Women 

Acne. 

Thought you left acne in your teenage years? If it’s making an unwanted comeback, you might blame excess androgens. Adult acne related to hormonal shifts is often centred on your lower face, around your jawline and cheeks.

Migraines.

Migraines are intense headaches, often on one side of your head, that can also include sensitivity to light, nausea, fatigue, or dizziness. Strong fluctuations of estrogen usually cause hormone-related migraines.  

Excessive growth or hair loss. 

Thinning hair and excessive facial hair growth are both signs of a hormonal imbalance. It is often the result of high androgen levels (male hormones). 

Low sex drive. 

While dips in libido are natural, a continual lack of interest in sex can signify a hormonal imbalance, often related to low estrogen levels. 

Unexplained weight changes.

Sudden weight gain or loss not associated with any lifestyle or health issues can be related to imbalanced hormone levels due to thyroid issues. 

Night sweats.

Waking up in the middle of the night needing to change your clothes is no fun! Low or fluctuating estrogen levels may be to blame if you have frequent night sweats. 

Fatigue. 

It’s normal to feel tired now and then when life is busy! But overwhelming fatigue that consistently disrupts your everyday life could signify excess progesterone or thyroid issues. 

Insomnia.

On the flip side, if you toss and turn and can’t seem to fall asleep at night or fall asleep but wake up often, it could signal low progesterone. 

Vaginal dryness.

Vaginal dryness tends to happen when entering menopause. But if you are younger and suffering from this symptom, it could mean your estrogen levels are too low. 

Memory issues. 

If you once had an excellent memory but now struggle to find your keys, your memory issues might be attributed to low estrogen levels. 

Irregular Periods. 

 If you are skipping periods, have an irregular cycle, or have excruciating cramping, that’s a sign that something is amiss! The ideal period shouldn’t disrupt your life – either low progesterone or imbalanced estrogen may be to blame. 

Infertility. 

Infertility is a heart-breaking issue that can signal a hormone imbalance. Fortunately, if the problem stems from hormones, there are treatments available that can help you conceive and carry a healthy baby. 

Hormones are small but mighty! They play essential roles within our bodies. Evidently, if you suffer from one of these common signs of hormone imbalance, see your naturopathic doctor for testing. It won’t just go away on its own – you need to find and treat the root cause to feel your absolute best! If you have questions about your hormones, please reach out – I’d love to chat!

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Blood Tests: Why Your ‘Normal’ Results May Not Be Optimal and How Naturopathic Blood Tests can be Helpful

“My doctor said my labs are normal. But I don’t feel normal.” It’s a statement I often hear as a Naturopathic Doctor, so I order in-depth and thorough blood tests for many of my patients. (This helps us dig a bit deeper and get to the CORE of what’s happening!) Because you deserve to feel AMAZING, not just ‘normal.’

If someone has dismissed your concerns and told you your symptoms, lab results, or blood tests came back in the ‘normal’ range, you aren’t alone. There is a big difference between normal and optimal and it is our job as Health care providers to understand what is optimal for your unique physiology. You deserve to understand what is happening in your body. That is why I take the time and discuss ALL of the blood test results with my patients. I ensure they leave my office with an understanding of what was run, why, and how the results are relevant to my treatment plan for them. 

Some of the ranges for blood test results are very WIDE. The ranges are based on what is expected in the general population and, unfortunately, many people are not in optimal health. This is why it is important to understand that just because something is common does not mean it is ideal.

Trust your gut if you have been told that your labs are okay, but still feel like something is off! You know your body better than anyone else – and what is ‘normal’ for one person may not be ideal for you.

How is Blood Work Ordered Through a Naturopathic Doctor Different? (H2) 

  1. Naturopathic Doctors look at your blood work through a different lens. We aim for OPTIMAL results for you as a person and not just what is common for most people. 

For example, The normal range for Ferritin (Iron storage) is between 5 and 272 ug/L (that’s a BIG range). If your results come back at 10, you are considered “normal,” and you won’t get a call from your Health Care provider. 

But as a Naturopathic Doctor, I like to see that Ferritin level at around 80 ug/L. Studies show that Iron levels that are suboptimal can still contribute to fatigue, hair loss, heavy periods, and more. 

  1. When symptoms present, we look at the body as a whole to get to the root cause of your troubles. It’s incredible how everything within our bodies is connected! A slightly abnormal result from one test can signal an issue in another area of your body that requires further examination. 

  1. Timing is essential with naturopath blood tests, especially for women with PCOS, infertility, or other period problems. Hormones have a natural fluctuation throughout your cycle, so we test at different times throughout the month to determine if these levels are elevating appropriately. 

Standard Blood Tests That Come Back ‘Normal’ 

Some test results pop up again and again within the ‘normal’ range that I would like to see in the ‘optimal’ range (such as the Ferritin test mentioned above). 

Thyroid tests are another lab that is often not thorough. Many doctors will test only for TSH, but a full thyroid panel includes TSH, T3, T4, Thyroid antibodies and reverse T3. If your TSH is normal, there can still be an issue with the other markers. 

Vitamin B12 is also a common test with a vast ‘healthy’ range. But people function better when it is at the high end of normal. 

Why aim for Optimal Results? 

I like to see optimal results over typical results because many of the symptoms we have been taught are normal – are simply NOT! Naturopath blood tests help us pinpoint markers causing these issues, and we can then take steps to address them. 

There is no need to suffer from irregular periods, fatigue, extreme cramping, or other issues people have told us to live with. There is a better way!

When we adjust to reach optimal levels, we set ourselves up for success – to feel great, prevent disease, and live our best lives! 

If you’ve received ‘normal’ results but feel something is off, reach out, and let’s chat!

b12 injection

All About: Vitamin B12 Injections

Have you heard the hype around Vitamin B12 injections? Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin which plays an important role in red blood cell production, cardiovascular health and the body’s nervous system.

This vitamin is not produced by our bodies and is found in animal products or foods that have been fortified with B12, like cereals, nutritional yeast, fish, eggs, and animal meat.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is common, especially in those who follow a plant-based diet. Certain medications can deplete B12 as well. Injections are an effective way of restoring healthy B12 levels in the body to ensure optimal health and to avoid deficiency. These injections are considered to be very safe with limited side effects unless you have an allergy.

Vitamin B12 can also help with: 

  • low energy/fatigue
  • mood
  • chronic pain
  • sleep
  • mental clarity
  • numbness/tingling
  • hair growth
  • hair loss prevention
  • mouth or tongue soreness
  • weight loss
  • and more!

An injection of this nature is often provided in the deltoid muscle on the upper arm. There are a few different forms of Vitamin B12 including hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin, and cyanocobalamin. For my patients, I use the form of B12 called Methylcobalamin–This is a well absorbed form of Vitamin B12 where bodies can use it right away for different pathways. People often come back feeling on top of the world with better energy and better, more restful sleep. Who doesn’t need energy and sleep?!

Because Vitamin B12 deficiency is so common, I aim to test all my patients with a blood test. This is to ensure that this vitamin is actually needed, and to help me dose appropriately. Connect with me to learn more and see if you could benefit from Vitamin B12 injections! Please note this is a service I provide for existing patients only.