Women's Hormonal Problems Overview

Women's Hormonal Problems Overview

When women specific health problems develop, there is almost always a hormonal problem involved. Hormone imbalances can cause simple things like acne and premature aging in women, to more complicated and serious problems such as extreme menstrual pain, and very heavy menstrual blood flows too. In many cases, hormonal imbalances can actually cause problems such as infertility, or the inability to carry babies full term as well.

Now, most people think that women don't start having hormonal problems until they're reaching menopause, but this is not always the case. Many women have hormonal problems all throughout their lives. Teenage girls of course, are known to have big hormone swings because their bodies are growing and adapting to puberty. Hormone problems can continue however, in young adult women too. In fact, some women have hormonal related problems all throughout their lives without actually knowing it.

Pre-menstrual symptoms are commonly caused by hormonal imbalances in the body for instance. And severe ones indicate severe hormonal issues. Other things can be caused by hormone problems as well though. Some things which seem quite simple, such as allergies, depression and fatigue, are all caused or contributed to by hormone problems.

Some women get frequent headaches, become dizzy or can't think straight. Some have low sex drives, and some have more severe medical issues such as Endometriosis, frequent urinary tract infections, and Uterine fibroids.

For some time, doctors have prescribed synthetic hormones to help women with many of these problems. These prescriptions were more commonly prescribed for women entering menopause, but it's not uncommon for doctors to prescribe birth control pills for instance, which adjust a woman's hormone levels in her body, to help relieve very painful or heavy menstruation periods.

Recent research has revealed however, that in the past two years breast cancer rates have gone down. And these decreasing breast cancer rates coincide with a decrease of the use of synthetic hormones. One theory is currently on the table in the medical science community, which suggests that synthetic hormones for women may have been a cause of breast cancer. It may be many years before we know for sure, if we do at all, but the point is this: Synthetic hormones have health risks all their own. And we may not even know yet just how dangerous these types of prescription medications can be.

There is hope for women with hormonal imbalance problems though. There are many herbs and natural remedies which can help balance the body's hormones, and there are lifestyle changes that can help quite a bit as well.

Breast cancer sources: Top news story across US in mid April, 2007. Just one clip of many can be seen here: Breast Cancer Tied To Hormone Therapy

Common Hormone Symptoms/Conditions

There are a whole host of problems, symptoms, and conditions which are related to, or caused by, hormonal imbalances in a woman's body. In fact, so many things are caused by hormonal problems, that many of the complaints are dismissed by doctors who don't know any better.

Just a few of the problems caused by hormonal imbalances include acne, night sweats, chronic fatique, vaginal dryness, mood swings, depression and anxiety, headaches, fuzzy thinking, and water retention or swelling in various parts of the body.

More severe problems are also caused by hormonal imbalances though. Some of these include infertility, Endometriosis, Fibroids, heart palpitations, urinary disfunctions and infections, breast pain, irregular periods and more.

These problems are not limited to women entering menopause however, which is the common belief of both men and women. In fact, many problems which affect teenage girls, young adult women, and middle aged women are all caused in whole or in part by hormonal problems.

Teenage girls often experience heavy acne problems when their body is going through puberty, and this is known to be caused by the hormonal changes happening within her body. Unfortunately many young women never get their hormones balanced properly though, so they continue to struggle with acne throughout their lives.

Very painful periods and menstruation which produces heavy blood flow is another symptom or side effect of hormonal imbalances of women at all ages. In fact, a common prescription remedy for these symptoms for years has been to prescribe birth control pills, which are known to adjust the hormone levels in a woman's body.

Women's bodies create two hormones naturally: estrogen and progesterone. Both hormones play important roles in a woman's body, and the balance needs to be kept in order for everything to work properly. Many things can throw the balance of these hormones off however, including stress and lack of nutrition or proper exercise.

Doctors and medical scientists appear to be concerned primarily with estrogen however, probably because a woman's body produces less of this hormone as she ages. The link between the two hormones, and the full importance of the progesterone's role in a woman's body is not fully known. So common treatments simply try to replace estrogen in a woman's body as it begins to be produced less.

The natural approach however, is to restore the balance of the hormone levels in the body. This in turn relieves the myriad of conditions and symptoms caused by an imbalance, and helps improve a woman's overall health in the process too.

Balancing Hormones With Food

This concept often seems strange to many people, because you can't actually eat hormones. What people don't often realize though, is that all parts of the body are tightly intertwined. When something is wrong in one area, it can have a dramatic affect on many other areas of the body. And nutrition is often an underlying culprit to many health problems seen today.

The body's hormones are balanced by the various glands. The thyroid, pituitary and adrenal glands for intance, all have major impacts on how the body operates and functions. When these glands are not operating as well as they should be, this can cause a variety of health problems in the body. And hormonal imbalances is one of the major problems caused.

The various glands in our bodies can be managed and maintained though, simply by choosing healthier foods and lifestyles. A lack of vitamins, minerals and general nutrition causes our body's glands to not operate well. Since these glands don't have the proper support they need in the form of nutrition, they have a more difficult time doing their job of maintaining the various health functions of the body.

So the very first step in helping to balance hormonal problems is to start eating better. You hear the same mantra time and again for almost any type of health related problem and the reason you keep hearing it is because it really does make a difference.

Sugars and simple starches wear down your body with malnutrition. They also add excess body fat, and make all areas of your body have to work harder to clear out the added blood sugars you're feeding it.

Fiber rich foods though, particularly fruits and vegetables, are very high in many types of nutrition that our bodies desparately need. Just the small step of adding more fruits and vegetables to your daily food intake can make a huge difference in how your body feels on a daily basis.

Now, if you have a difficult time adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, you can get some very healthy doses of those vitamins and minerals by taking herbal supplements. Essentially, herbal supplements are like having vegetables in a pill. Most herbs contain a wealth of vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients our bodies are sorely lacking.

By boosting your nutrition with food and herbs, you'll help your body's thyroid and other glands begin to operate properly again, and this will in turn start regulating your hormone levels naturally.

Balancing Hormones With Herbs

Now there are a wide variety of herbs that can help with balancing your hormones, or boosting your nutrition and health levels. When you boost your nutrition and health in general, this helps the body start balancing the hormone levels itself. All of which give you the end results of feeling much better, and resolving various health complaints and problems you may have suffered from over the years.

As we mentioned in an earlier article, many hormonal problems are caused by disfunctions in the body's glandular systems. One of the most important glands for balancing hormones is the thyroid. When the thyroid is not functioning well, it can cause a wide variety of problems. Some of these include lack of energy, moodiness and depression, or weight gain.

One herb which is excellent for regulating the thyroid is Kelp. This herb is also quite high in natural iodine, iron, and potassium - all of which are critical minerals for women during menstruation particularly. Many other vitamins, minerals and nutrients are supplied by this herb as well though, and these contribute to your overall health and wellness. Some include various B vitamins, calcium, and magnesium.

Taking herbs which are excellent sources of various vitamins and minerals is a way to boost your overall health and wellness too, especially when you're unable to get adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables into your diet. There are several herbs which can be used as natural daily vitamins though. Kelp is just one of those...

Parsley is another herb which can be used as a general daily vitamin to help improve your overall health, and balance your hormone levels. Parsley is the highest source of iron in any green vegetable, and it has three times as much Vitamin C as citrus. This herb is also high in Vitamins A and B, pluse it's wonderful for regulating a woman's menstrual cycle.

Parsley shouldn't be used by women who are nursing though, because it helps dry up milk in the breasts.

Dandelion root is yet another herb which is very nutritous. This herb is particularly helpful in stimulating the liver though, which helps the body clear out built up toxins, wastes, and bacteria which could be throwing your hormones out of balance.

Alfalfa is another highly nutritious herb which should be on your list of options for daily vitamin and nutrition boosting. Alfalfa has eight of the essential amino acids our bodies need. Amino acids can't be made by our body, so they have to be gotten from our food sources instead. Alfalfa is quite high in Vitamins A and K, plus iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium and many other vitamins and minerals too.

Though hormonal imbalances can often be corrected with proper vitamins and nutrition, there are other herbal remedies and supplements which are used specifically for their natural hormonal properties.

Red Raspberry is an herb often used in tea form, which works wonderfully for a variety of common female problems. In fact, red raspberry is such an excellent general female herb that it's often used as the basis for any female herbal remedy mixture, and all women should regularly keep this herb on hand.

Red raspberry helps strengthen the entire female reproductive system, including the walls of the uterus. It also helps reduce heavy menstrual blood flows and painful cramps, and it can prevent or reduce hemorrhaging during childbirth and labor. Red raspberry is also an excellent remedy for morning sickness in pregnant women, and it will increase the milk production in nursing mothers.

Black Cohosh is an herbal source of natural estrogen. This herbal estrogen does not provide the same side effects and dangers of synthetic estrogens do though. This herb is an excellent natural treatment for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, particularly when combined with other female herbs.

This herb also helps regulate menstrual blood flows, and when combined with Ginger, Black Cohosh can also help relieve painful menstrual cramps. Ginger alone is an herb to use for supressed menstruation.

Black cohosh has added health benefits too though. It helps stimulate the secretions from the kidneys, liver and lymph glands for instance, as well as helping to break up mucus in your head, lungs, and sinus cavities.

Some women can get headaches from taking too much black cohosh. If this happens, simply reduce the amount of herb you're using next time. The headache itself will go away on its own in a few hours.

Sarsaparilla is a hormone balancing herb which works wonderfully for both men and women. It's a natural source of progesterone, testosterone, and cortin, plus it stimulates the action of estrogen in women.

Kelp is often used for female hormonal problems too, because it provides a wide variety of vitamins and nutrition, but it also helps stimulate the various glands in the body. Kelp is particularly helpful in regulating the thyroid, and it's a natural source of iron, calcium and iodine. All of these are particularly important for women during menstruation, especially if you tend to have heavy blood flows.

It's said that menstrual blood contains 40% more calcium than other blood, so getting plenty of calcium is extremely important for women during their periods. Another particularly good herb for this is Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll can be found in herbs such as Alfalfa and Parsley.

Note: Some statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice.

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