If you've ever wondered just what happy hormones are and if they actually exist then read on. Any woman can experience the odd irregular cycle that’s a bit more ‘crampy’ than a normal period, or a minor mood fluctuation in the latter couple of weeks of her cycle – however, regularly experiencing pain or discomfort though common is most definitely not normal and therefore should be assessed by a health professional so it can be resolved.
Optimal female hormone health, and conditions such as PMS, PCOS or Endometriosis are not merely the result of hormonal levels. Instead, it is dysfunction across the nervous, digestive, immune, and entire hormonal system.
The way to successfully treat these conditions and keep your hormones happy is to identify the upstream triggers in order to resolve the downstream hormonal symptom manifestations.
Factors that can impact your normally happy hormones
Stress
When the body is under stress it ramps up production of the stress hormone Cortisol and over time can also lower the reproductive hormones like progesterone, oestrogen and testosterone leaving you with an imbalance, irregular cycles and also many other hormonal conditions.
Hormone Detoxification
Did you know body needs to excrete the hormone Oestrogen to maintain a healthy hormone balance? This occurs primarily in the gut and also via the liver, however if your gut is under - functioning due to intolerances and poor digestion and liver is impaired due to medication, alcohol and fatty liver disease then the hormones can't be properly flushed. They may actually be reabsorbed into circulation leading to hormonal imbalances like heavy periods, fibroids and endometriosis.
Blood Glucose
If you have a metabolic syndrome, diabetes or carry excess weight then it's likely you have increased blood glucose levels. This increase can cause inflammation, excess testoterone production in PCOS and blood glucose imbalances.
Medications
If you are taking a synthetic hormone medication like the birth control pill you are effectively switching off your bodies own natural processes. When you decide to stop you may experience absent periods or irregular cycles or even heavier bleeds and pain.
Hypothyroidism
When you have poor thyroid function then your happy hormones turn unhappy...as will you! PMS levels will usually be higher and on the flipside low thyroid function can impact how your liver detoxes.
Endocrine Disruptors
Endocrine disruptor chemicals can be found in fragrances, plastics, personal care products, paints, upholstery, food, cleaning products and skin care. These pesky disruptors have been linked with hormonal disruption and disease in women.
Thankfully we have many ways to test your hormones to give us a clear picture of how yours are behaving. Then we can get down to the nitty gritty and make your hormones happy once again.
