Hormones: A Continual Balancing Act

If you have ever watched someone spinning plates, you understand the vital importance of balance and counterbalance. Many women, as they go through the transition from fertility to menopause, struggle to maintain the hidden balancing act within their body. The years of perimenopause are often described as those in which estrogen levels fall drastically. This description is grossly oversimplified. As such, it can lead to treatment that not only doesn’t help a woman harness her inner power, but actually makes her feel worse.

The Intimate Connection between Estrogen and Progesterone

Estrogen is at the heart of a number of unpleasant symptoms. However, it is not this singular hormone that is the root cause of physical and emotional turmoil. The instigating factor in hormonal imbalance is the decrease in progesterone. When insufficiency in progesterone occurs, estrogen meets no opposition. The lack of counterbalance allows estrogen to dominate, which goes against the common view that decreased estrogen is the problem.

When estrogen dominance has developed, a woman may suffer:

• Low libido
• Irritability and depression
• Breast tenderness
• Bloating
• Premenstrual headaches
• Excess weight in the midsection and hips

Thyroid Function and Hormonal Imbalance

We often discuss hormones and the ovaries during the years leading up to menopause. However, research demonstrates that thyroid function is also a factor in the presence of symptoms. A high percentage of women with hormonal imbalance also exhibit symptoms of hypothyroidism. These may include:

• Low energy
• Increased irritability and depression
• Poor quality sleep
• Mental fogginess
• Weight gain

These symptoms look very similar to those associated with estrogen dominance! This is because the two are intertwined. The issue is not necessarily that the thyroid has stopped functioning as it should. In fact, many women tested during perimenopause will exhibit normal thyroid function. What is happening is that the dominant estrogen blocks the thyroid hormone from delivering the goods to the rest of the body.

Age Management can Help

Age management encompasses the various symptoms that women address as they go through a very important life transition. Menopause (and perimenopause) need not be so disruptive. With the right help, it is possible to not only make it through this transition, but to thrive!

Learn more about hormone replacement therapy and age management tools. Schedule your consultation at Thin Centers MD.