Women and men of any age can be affected by hormone issues. Women who have menstrual cycles may experience infertility, premenstrual syndrome, mood swings, anxiety, painful periods and other symptoms as a result of hormone imbalance. Women in peri-menopause and menopause often experience debilitating sleep disturbances, night sweats, hot flashes, accelerated bone loss and many other symptoms related to hormone changes.
Other conditions associated with hormone imbalance include:
- weight gain
- depression, irritability, difficulty coping
- bone loss
- breast cancer
- acne
- PCOS
- PMS
- fatigue
- sleep difficulties
- endometriosis
- infertility
Saliva Hormone Testing
Testing is simple, accurate, and easily obtained. The following are the hormones tested with 1 up to 4 salivary collections.
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- DHEA
- Testosterone
- Cortisol
Treatment options include treating the presence of estrogen dominance, a progesterone deficiency or estrogen deficiency. Treatment of a hormone imbalance includes using nutrition. A better digestive tract improves your hormone response. Botanical Therapies includes herbs in combination with essential vitamins and minerals to reduce estrogen, increase progesterone or increase estrogen. Lastly, Bio-identical hormones can be used in menstruating women and menopausal women. It is a natural hormone therapy derived from wild yam that delivers a natural dose of progesterone and/or estrogen by cream or vaginal suppository form.
DUTCH (dried Urine Hormone test)
This is a 24 hour dried urine test that provides important information regarding hormone production and metabolism, to provide insights into your overall hormone balance. It provides a detailed overview of sex steroid hormone and hormone metabolite results.
Steroid metabolizing enzymes are enzymes that are involved in steroidogensis and steroid metabolism. They are responsible for the biosynthesis of the steroid hormones, including sex steroids (androgens, estrogens, and progesterones) and corticosteroids (glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids) and well as neurosteroids, from cholesterol. These enzymes are also involved in the inactivation of steroids.
Influencers of Steroidogenic Enzymes
- Nutrients: vitamins and minerals are required for proper enzyme function
- Stress: can affect the balance of estrogens, progesterone and testosterone
- Toxins: many negatively impact steroidogenses by mimicking natural hormones
- Thyroid: thyroid dysfunction may affect hormone metabolism by altering the rate of biosynthesis, secretion, plasma- protein binding, and metabolic clearance of hormones.