The Answer May Be on the Tip of Your Tongue

Carol had been experiencing insomnia, headaches, irritability, night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, and low energy. In addition, the 40 year old woman just couldn’t seem to lose those last few unwanted pounds.  Sound familiar?

It’s All About Stress
Women frequently blame their hormones for these symptoms, usually associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Yet, these common indicators are often linked to a woman’s adrenal glands. The adrenal glands, which sit atop the kidneys, produce hormones that help our body cope with stress. When these glands are under chronic stress they become fatigued, and normal hormone production is impaired. If we do not address the underlying adrenal issue, our hormones will never be balanced without the aid of some type of external hormone booster, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The more balanced a woman’s hormones are, the longer she can ward off menopause and avoid taking synthetic hormones, which studies have linked to an increased risk for heart attack, stroke, and breast and uterine cancer.

Women don’t have to be approaching menopause to experience these symptoms, because stress is one of the most significant factors linked to their well-being. Many believe that stress is only caused by mental or emotional difficulties, but stress can actually be caused by physical and environmental factors as well. Common physical causes of stress include certain aches and pains, lack of sleep, or even disrupted sleep.  Environmental stress can stem from the foods we eat, the products we use, or those to which we are exposed. In the course of a single day, we are faced with a multitude of stresses.

Testing for Useable Hormones
Hormone testing can be done at any time and it is just as important in your 20s and 30s as it is when approaching, or even during, menopause. The most accurate way to determine the levels of the hormones produced by your adrenal glands is through saliva testing. A saliva test will give your healthcare practitioner a better assessment of your hormonal activity so that he/she may provide a more personalized plan of care. Painless saliva testing for hormones provides useful information about the amount of hormones in our body that are available for use by our cells. The other, more common, blood test for hormones evaluates all circulating hormones regardless of their availability to our cells. One of the most important hormones for stress control is cortisol. As cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day, it is recommended that saliva be analyzed at the following times: morning, noon, afternoon, and evening. The salivary hormone levels that I recommend to have tested are:

• Cortisol,
• DHEA,
• Estradiol,
• Estriol,
• Progesterone,
• Testosterone, and
• Melatonin

“I feel more like my old self,” Carol now says. “Within a couple of weeks of doing my saliva test, starting on the proper supplementation, and getting adjusted, I started noticing a difference. After just a couple of months, I was sleeping through the night and my night sweats and hot flashes had disappeared. Even better, I’ve been able to lose that extra weight since I now have enough energy to work out again.”

Establish Proper Nerve Function
Along with saliva testing, X-rays are also relevant to understanding why a woman feels the way she does. As a chiropractor, I see many women who suffer from pressure on the nerves that go to their ovaries, uterus, cervix and to other related glands that control hormone function—such as the adrenals and thyroid. Since proper nerve function is essential to a woman’s health, it is also necessary to address and correct any nerve interference. Spinal adjustments free the nerves of any such interference keeping the body from functioning at its optimum, while giving the body back the ability to heal and function properly in those areas.

Take control of your stress today.
Have your hormones tested, your nerve function evaluated, make some basic lifestyle changes, and you’ll see a dramatic improvement in the quality of your life.