So women are understandably dismayed when their doctors apply Band-Aid solutions to symptoms of hormonal imbalance like hot flashes, fatigue, anxiety and insomnia. Not only are these woefully inadequate solutions — they can also be downright dangerous.

Just as every woman is unique, so is her hormonal balance. Understanding and effectively treating hormonal imbalances requires a whole-body approach, rather than looking at your health as a set of independent issues. This is especially true with hormones, which are all interrelated. Here are just a few examples of the way conventional medicine fails women suffering from symptoms of hormonal imbalance.

The study was a bombshell because, at the time, more than 10 million women were being prescribed some form of synthetic HRT, most commonly during menopause.

The forms of synthetic HRT studied in the WHI included medications such as conjugated equine estrogen Premarin and synthetic progestins. Many conventional doctors backed off prescribing these drugs. But guess what? Thanks to the powerful driving force of Big Pharma, synthetic HRT has been creeping back as a standard treatment offered to women — with the same risks!

Women have so many other ways to effectively rebalance your hormones. Medical schools train doctors to take a reductive approach to treating their patients, as though the body was a machine with separate parts.

In order to truly rebalance the body and find lasting relief, you must first identify and treat the underlying causes of your symptoms. For example, there is an established connection between a high sugar diet and hormonal imbalance , but if doctors barely take any nutrition classes in med school, discussions about nutrition may elude them.

Although most people tend to focus on sex hormones related to pregnancy, menstrual periods and menopause, you actually have many types of hormones — and they control many other important functions including metabolism and weight, thyroid function, sleep cycles and your stress response. Hormonal imbalance occurs when normal levels and production of hormones in the endocrine system, or their ratio to other hormones, is disrupted.

Even though all your hormones together form the foundation of your health, you may not realize how many symptoms and health conditions are rooted in hormonal imbalance, including:. Our free, doctor-developed hormonal imbalance quiz can help you assess your symptoms and get on the right path to whole-body healing.

Take it now! A symptom-based syndrome tightly linked to the physical and emotional effects of chronic stress and excess cortisol. Being under stress day after day, week after week, forces the adrenal glands to work overtime, pumping out the stress hormone cortisol at emergency levels.

This produces symptoms including chronic fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, and more. Our stance? Menopause is inevitable — but suffering through symptoms is not.

Your thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate energy levels, healthy weight, and the metabolism of each and every cell in your body. When a thyroid hormone balance develops, you see it in the form of symptoms including weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, dry skin, brittle and thinning hair, and feeling cold all the time.

Phytotherapy, or plant-based therapy, is not only equally effective as pharmaceuticals — it also produces few, if any, side effects. Because it works with your body, a natural solution can actually prevent or reduce the severity of nearly all of your symptoms rather than just smoothing them over temporarily.

New research is constantly proving that plant molecules act to balance hormones at the cellular level, just as they have for thousands of years. Unlike pharmaceuticals, medicinal herbs rarely produce side effects.

While a drug usually contains an amplified active ingredient, a whole plant or plant extract generally contains an assortment of constituents that are synergistic working together. Phytotherapy uses cell signaling to benefit our bodies early in the process of disease and imbalance, whereas pharmaceuticals are generally designed to only eradicate isolated symptoms.

This does nothing to target, and resolve, the underlying cause of hormonal imbalance symptoms. With phytotherapy — particularly those adaptogenic herbs that tonify stimulate energy flow and nourish — the body can usually get what it needs, and only what it needs. Adaptogenic herbs are normalizing to your system and can be taken safely long-term.

Synthetic drugs simply cannot mimic the brilliant adaptogenic effect of natural remedies, or the level of safety provided by medicinal herbs.

The good news is that when a woman needs help for her symptoms, targeted herbal remedies — or phytotherapy — can make a huge difference for hormonal symptom relief. Hormonal imbalance can seriously disrupt your life. Holy basil, which is also known as tulsi, helps regulate cortisol levels, thereby working as a natural remedy for anxiety and emotional stress.

Studies show that holy basil can also protect your organs and tissues against chemical stress from pollutants and heavy metals, which are other factors that can lead to hormone imbalance.

These mushrooms have been used for over 2, years in Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM and are chock-full of beneficial compounds, including polysaccharides and polysaccharide peptides, beta-glucans, glycoproteins, and triterpenes that also support gut health, metabolic health and more.

TCM practitioners believe that the emotions of fear cause disease in your reproductive organs, kidneys and adrenals, affecting cortisol levels. This can lead to serious conditions like PCOS and infertility.

The emotions of frustration, impatience and unforgiveness cause disease in your liver, which can lead to an estrogen imbalance. Emotions of worry and anxiety can cause issues with your insulin levels , which can then affect several hormones.

A major component of balancing your hormones naturally is addressing any emotional imbalances that you are dealing with. You can do this by reducing stress levels, engaging in personal reflection and taking time for yourself. Practicing meditation or healing prayer can be extremely beneficial, and so can deep breathing exercises , spending time outdoors and exercising every day.

Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies like acupuncture and massage can also help to improve hormonal balance, combat stress and improve blood flow.

A better alternative is to use natural products made with ingredients like essential oils , coconut oil, shea butter and castor oil. The Environmental Working Group evaluated tens of thousands of products and ranked them in an easy-to-understand guide to make sure you have a resource to keep your family safe.

To replace toxic body care and cleaning products, use these hormone-balancing essential oils:. Clary sage helps balance estrogen levels because it contains natural phytoestrogens.

It can be used to regulate your menstrual cycle , relieve PMS symptoms, treat infertility and PCOS, and even reduce the chances of uterine and ovarian cancer.

It also serves as a natural remedy for emotional imbalances, like depression and anxiety. Diffuse three to five drops of clary sage to help balance hormone levels and relieve stress. To ease cramps and pain, massage five drops of clary sage with five drops of coconut oil into your stomach and any other area of concern.

Problems with your gut health have been found to cause autoimmune reactions, including thyroid disorders. Use fennel essential oil to relax your body, improve your digestion and gut health, boost your metabolism, and reduce inflammation.

You can rub two drops of fennel into your stomach or add one to two drops to a class of warm water or tea to take it internally.

Lavender oil promotes emotional balance, as it can help treat anxiety, depression, moodiness and stress. It can also be used to promote restful sleep, which helps balance your hormone levels as well. Diffuse five drops of lavender oil at home, add five drops to a warm water bath, or apply three drops topically to your temples, back or neck or wrists.

Sandalwood essential oil can be used to increase your libido, reduce stress, promote relaxation, boost mental clarity and even help you relax. The powerful fragrance triggers peaceful feelings and results in the overall reduction of stress that can lead to hormone imbalances.

Inhale sandalwood directly from the bottle, diffuse it at home, or apply two to three drops to your wrists and bottoms of the feet. Thyme oil improves progesterone production , which helps treat or relieve health issues like infertility, PCOS, menopause , depression, fibroids, hair loss and insomnia.

To help balance your hormones naturally, add two drops of thyme oil to a warm water bath, or rub two to three drops with equal parts coconut oil into your abdomen. Some can disrupt your hormone balance, leading to side effects like fatigue, appetite changes, altered sleeping patterns, low libido , sadness and even depression.

Infertility is defined as not being able to conceive after 12 months of regular sex without birth control. Conception depends on ovulation release of an egg from an ovary.

Ovulation depends on the timing of certain hormones, such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone GnRH , luteinizing hormone LH , and follicle-stimulating hormone FSH. Infrequent or irregular periods could mean that you're not ovulating. It's rare, but hormonal imbalance due to low LH and FSH levels can cause fertility symptoms in males.

Certain medications can also cause changes to hormone levels. Some of these are:. Hormones can get out of balance due to natural transitions in life, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.

Many medical conditions also affect hormones. That's why it's important to see a healthcare provider and find the cause. Your specific symptoms and clinical examination will determine the next steps. Hormone blood tests may include:. Treatment depends on the specific diagnosis. For example, low estrogen and low progesterone in females can be treated with hormone replacement therapy HRT.

HRT is typically used to treat menopausal symptoms. There are many ways to take it, including tablets, patches, and gels. It's not for everyone, though.

It may not be safe if you've had certain conditions, such as:. Hypothyroidism treatment usually involves taking synthetic hormones to substitute for those your thyroid can no longer make. Any underlying conditions, such as diabetes, must be treated as well. Treatment for PCOS and some other conditions may require more than one type of therapy.

In addition to balancing hormones, there are therapies to address particular symptoms. You might be able to affect hormone levels through diet. Certain plants contain compounds that mimic estrogen.

Foods that may help boost estrogen include:. Vitamins B and D can help boost estrogen, and a mineral called boron can help the body absorb estrogen and testosterone.

If you're considering taking dietary supplements, it's a good idea to speak with a healthcare provider first. Other natural ways to keep hormones in balance include:. Symptoms such as unexplained weight changes, menstrual irregularities, and skin problems may be related to hormonal imbalance.

Natural changes, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause can cause dramatic hormonal changes, as can medical conditions, such as thyroid problems and PCOS. Hormonal imbalance is treatable, so it's important to see a healthcare provider for diagnosis.

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