We can’t seem to get away from stress! It’s imbedded in our lives like taxes and death. Stress can come in many different forms, whether it be family tragedies or friction, finances, work, health, or just plain aging. Stress affects all of us but we feel it more prominently when we are going through the change with our hormones!
Hormones play specific roles in our health and well-being. Some of our hormones are sexual in nature, but hormones play a whole range of other functions as well. When our hormones are balanced, we feel energetic and alive. However, as we age, our hormones decline in number and function, throwing us into unfamiliar territory of feeling anxious, run-down, moody, fat, unable to sleep and generally blah! This is very common during perimenopause and menopause.
Let me show you how stress triggers the downward spiral of our hormone system disrupting hormone balance and sending us into health hell that makes us lose control in many parts of our lives.
Out of Whack?
During perimenopause and menopause, estrogen and progesterone are the two hormone culprits in our body and mood changes. However, they are only two hormones in a very complex system of hormones called the endocrine system which is responsible for carrying out a variety of biological functions. During perimenopause, when estrogen and progesterone are fluctuating wildly and are often out of balance, a women can feel“out of whack” and “not myself.” This imbalance causes most of the unpleasant symptoms. At menopause, our adrenal glands take over sex hormone production and this is when managing our stress level is of utmost importance for us to have hormonal harmony and health for the rest of our lives. The pituitary glands and hypothalamus are also releasing hormones which can become out of balance as well, making a bad situation feel a lot worse.
For example, many women who come to me often complain of “crashing fatigue” during perimenopause, yet they are still unable to sleep. Cortisol, a hormone produced in the adrenal glands (two tiny glands that sit atop your kidneys), is regulated and released by the hypothalamus during times of stress. It is often a contributor to this problem. The breakdown with the stress hormone system or cortisol rhythm typically is the underlying reason for female hormone symptoms such as PMS and menopausal symptoms. As the adrenal or stress hormones slowly continue to lose proper function, this negatively affects the digestive system which will further contribute to hormonal imbalance and unpleasant symptoms.
All diseases begin in the gut
Hippocrates stated that “all diseases begin in the gut” and today after 2000 years, he is being proven correct! We are seeing a rash of gastrointestinal dysfunction in today’s society necessitating the use of antacids, over-the-counter medications and prescription medications like Pepcid, Nexium, Prilosec, etc.. There are TV commercials dealing with constipation, gas, diarrhea, bloating, telling us to take Pepto-Bismol, eat Activia yogurt, take Tums and on and on. This is just an indication of how poor our gut health really is! Since our gut comprises at least 60-70% of our immune system, it is no wonder that our population is sick! When we have a gut problem, we have an immune problem. Gut issues impact our adrenal glands since they are a constant stress to our adrenals.
Unstable blood sugar, over consuming of carbohydrates and sweets, poor digestive function and food sensitivities wreak havoc with our adrenal glands. This causes inflammation of the digestive tract thereby causing leaky gut and a weakening of our immunity contributing to female hormonal problems. This can put undue stress on our thyroid, causing it to malfunction and ultimately causing hypothyroid or decreased thyroid function. So you can’t lose weight no matter what you do. One cannot have a well-functioning thyroid without first bringing blood sugar under control and maintaining a healthy gut.
Do you see how stress affects major systems of the body, causing hormonal imbalance that makes you spiral out of control? Stress-induced hormone imbalance is becoming so common that nine out of 10 patients need added functional support in addition to hormone replacement. If you feel that your hormones may be off balance and are experiencing enormous stress in your life, please get tested to see how much of the stress is affecting your hormone balance.
