How to Know if Your Hormones are “Out of Whack”

Many people who have hormonal imbalance don’t even know it. All they know is they are feeling “off”. They may feel tired, have mood swings, their brains feel foggy, they lack a sex drive, or they have trouble losing weight despite proper diet and exercising regularly. They may also notice their exercise performance isn’t what it used to be and they are losing muscle mass and strength.

Hormonal imbalance can present as a myriad of seemingly unrelated symptoms that the individual often just chalks up to being stressed out or other factors like not sleeping well. In menopause or perimenopause certain symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, and vaginal dryness can become hard to ignore. This is often when women seek out assistance because the symptoms can become very bothersome and start interfering with life. It’s important to realize that women much younger than this can experience hormonal imbalance as well, which may result in things like breast tenderness, bloating, PMS, and irregular periods. For men, symptoms such as low libido, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, weight gain, reduced exercise tolerance, and trouble gaining muscle mass even when working out regularly often indicate there’s a hormonal imbalance going on. Men go through what’s called andropause, which is similar to menopause, and this is when the symptoms often start becoming more pronounced. This is often when men also start seeking out assistance, although hormonal imbalance in men can occur at any age.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) helps your body’s hormones to return to youthful levels which assists with slowing, or even partially reversing, the aging process. Our hormone levels naturally decline as we age. Replenishing these hormones helps with a vast array of symptoms such as muscle loss, weight gain, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, erectile dysfunction, and loss of sex drive. There are several studies that support the safety of BHRT over synthetic hormones. “Bioidentical” means they are biologically identical to the hormones produced in our bodies, and since our bodies recognize these hormones, this results in fewer side effects.

Balanced hormones can make a world of difference in how you feel, and your overall health and vitality at any age. Naturopathic Doctors who are specifically trained in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and advanced clinical endocrinology can help. Comprehensive dried urine hormone testing such as the DUTCH test gives you a complete look at all your hormones and their metabolites that is more comprehensive than blood testing alone. It can also tell you about your adrenal health and whether this is a contributor to your imbalanced hormones. Blood tests done alongside the DUTCH test can also tell you about your thyroid function, blood sugar, and insulin levels, which also impact hormone levels in the body. If taking hormones isn’t something you want to do, there are different things that can be done to balance hormones utilizing herbs, nutrients, exercise protocols, specific dietary measures, and lifestyle interventions.

For more information on what Naturopathic Doctors trained in bioidentical hormones can do to help you balance your hormones, please call and book a free 15 minute consultation with one of our Naturopathic Doctors at Dimension Health & Wellness by calling 778-704-0621. Our team looks forward to working with you on your journey towards optimal health.