For many people suffering from hormone problems, finding a solution can be an arduous affair. Hormone problems can manifest differently in every person, and because many health care professionals don’t check hormone levels, the problems never get corrected. This can cause a person to try a variety of therapies and a variety of health plans to correct their symptoms, but the underlying cause is never addressed. By working with a functional medicine provider experienced in correcting hormone problems, a person can begin feeling like themselves again and stop trying therapy after therapy.
The first step to hormone solutions is finding just exactly which hormone is out of balance. For instance, is a person is experiencing persistent belly fat in spite of eating right and exercising, this could be the sign of a thyroid problem. Because the thyroid helps regulate metabolism and helps the body digest food, a person will continue gaining weight no matter how well they may be eating.
Belly fat could also, however, be a sign of excess cortisol, or a stress hormone. When the body is stressed out, the brain produces this hormone to help the body defend itself. This means storing fat for use later and saving the energy spent on metabolism and using it for the fight or flight response. Unfortunately, as our jobs have become more stressful and as the boundary between work and home life has become blurred, it can lead to the body feeling constantly stressed. This can lead to many health problems for a person.
While each of these hormone problems causes similar issues within the body, the solutions for correcting them are quite different. For thyroid problems, it can mean changing a person’s diet and encouraging a person to get more exercise to stimulate thyroid production. For increased cortisol levels, it can be encouraging a person to achieve a better work-life balance and take time each day to find some activity that is pleasurable and gives the brain a rest from the stress. It is only by identifying these hormone levels that a person can correct them.
Since each person’s hormone problems are different, each person’s therapy will be different. It is important to work with a functional medicine doctor who will devise an individualized therapy plan that is tailored specifically for you. Some people may try a one-size-fits-all therapy plan that is made for general hormone problems but does not address the root cause of your issues. This will ultimately prove to be ineffective. It is only by creating an individual plan that a person can find a true hormone solution.
Similarly, these hormone solutions should be all-natural and not rely on synthetic hormones or other drugs. Those drugs can have dangerous side effects or lose their impact over time. By focusing on all-natural therapies, a person can get on a path of true wellness.
To learn more about getting your hormone levels balanced and finding a solution for your specific hormone problems, contact a functional medicine provider today and start feeling like your old self again!
-Dr. Ashley Woyak, Forward Natural Medicine