Body Repair & Immunity

AAI Rejuvenation Clinic is the Anti-Aging Answer for Women’s Health

Women’s hormones are very complicated, and finding the right anti-aging serum can be challenging. A true hormonal balance governs a woman’s physical and mental function throughout their life. The key hormones in Women’s Health are estrogen, progesterone, testosterone/DH EA, growth hormone, thyroid hormones, and cortisol; however, the levels of most hormones decrease with age. With estrogen and progesterone, this ultimately leads to peri-menopause and menopause, which are associated with noticeable changes in the bones, muscle strength, skin elasticity, energy, mood, memory, and libido. Most women think that peri-menopause and menopause just cause inconvenient symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue, hot flashes, and low libido. However, what many people do not realize is that these hormonal imbalances also increase the risk of serious diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, obesity, depression, stroke, and cancers (especially breast cancer). Therefore, it is crucial to prevent and treat the cause of these symptoms as soon as they start to appear, usually around the late 30’s. This will help maintain a good quality of life and feelings of well­being while also reducing the risk of disease.

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI 2002) was a major multi-national study that included thousands of women receiving synthetic estrogens (Premarin, birth control pills, Nuvaring) and/or synthetic progesterones (Provera, progestins, birth control pellets/injections). However, this study had to be stopped abruptly because women in the study experienced a much higher incidence of heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and breast cancer than women in the general population. This led to women being taken off their synthetic hormone therapy, which meant that they had to live with the bothersome symptoms and the risk of serious illnesses.

This means that bioidentical or non-synthetic hormonal therapy is the only option for women to treat the symptoms of peri-menopause and menopause symptoms, decrease the risk of age-related diseases, and increase their quality of life. Although most physicians are not familiar with bioidentical hormone therapy, experts in the field of anti-aging medicine specialize in this area.

A woman’s reproductive life is composed of three stages:

• Pre-menopause – the period years
• Peri-menopause – the rollercoaster years
• Menopause/post-menopause – the end of periods

Pre-menopause

During their teens, 20’s, and 30’s, Women’s Health experience fairly regular cycles of balanced estrogen and progesterone production. However, younger females who are prone to excess stress, crash diets, and contraceptive use do not ovulate regularly. Anovulatory cycles can lead to symptoms of hormonal imbalance, severe PMS, and more serious health issues such as polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, and infertility.

Peri-menopause

The peri-menopause lasts for around 10–15 years as the body gets ready to start menopause. This period often contains mood and emotional symptoms that women do not realize are to do with their hormone levels. It begins in the late 30’s and lasts until menopause, which begins at an average age of 51. Women begin to experience a whole new range of symptoms because their estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate dozens of times a day due to wavering ovarian function. These symptoms range from classical menopause symptoms such hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings to not so typical ones including high anxiety, foggy thinking, bone loss, weight gain, depression, fatigue, and low libido. These hormonal fluctuations take Women’s Health on a rollercoaster ride! At this point, the search for symptomatic relief begins with bioidentical hormones.

Menopause/post-menopause

Menopause officially starts when a woman has experienced 12 months in a row without a period, usually around the age of 51. However, it is not uncommon to experience symptoms much sooner. For example, acute or prolonged stress can negatively impact ovarian function and can precipitate premature menopause in vulnerable women as early as their mid-to-late 30’s. The menopause can also be surgically induced through hysterectomy, radiation, or chemotherapy. Although hormones control our sexual and reproductive systems, they also regulate processes throughout the body. WAs hormone levels decline, their ability to protect the health of the brain, bones, muscles, skin, breasts, and heart are diminished.

Supplementation with bioidentical hormones could be a matter of life or death.

Common hormone imbalances in Peri Menopause & Menopause:

Obtaining the right balance of anti-aging serum and hormones is vital to a woman’s health and well-being. During perimenopause and menopause, hormone levels drop and lead to hormone deficiencies. Logically, one would think that hormonal deficiencies should be resolved with hormone supplementation. Unfortunately, there are so many hormones at work in a woman’s body that deficiencies in one hormone may trigger excesses of other hormones, which leads to hormonal imbalances. Remember, that low levels of hormone can be as harmful to your health as high levels.

The following are the most common hormone imbalances in Women’s Health and their symptoms:

• Estrogen dominance – mood swings, migraines, fat gain, low thyroid, breast cancer risk
• Low estrogen and progesterone – hot flashes, night sweats, palpitations, foggy thinking
• High testosterone and DHEA – acne, hair loss, irritability, belly fat, polycystic ovaries
• Low testosterone and DHEA – decreased bone/muscle mass, energy, and libido (sexual desire)
• High or low cortisol (stressed adrenals) – insomnia, anxiety, chronic fatigue, allergies, food cravings, low immunity

There is a vast array of symptoms of hormonal imbalance, including:

• Mood swings
• Cold body temperature
• Scalp hair loss
• Memory lapses
• Incontinence
• Sleep disturbances
• Stress
• Difficulty losing weight
• Thinning skin
• Fatigue
• Bone loss
• Uterine fibroids
• Hot flashes
• Sugar or salty cravings
• Aches and pains
• Decreased libido
• Tender breasts
• Weight gain (waist and/or hips)
• Heart palpitations
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Polycystic ovaries
• Night sweats
• Oily skin
• Increased body/facial hair
• Vaginal dryness
• Heavy menses/bleeding changes
• Foggy thinking
• Anxiety
• Water retention
• Nervousness
• Depression
• Foggy thinking
• Tearful

Troublesome or persistent symptoms during peri-menopause and menopause are a sign of hormonal imbalances that may increase the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, breast cancer, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease Symptoms vary dramatically from one woman to another. If you experience three or more of the symptoms listed above, you may have a hormonal imbalance.

How Can I Balance my Hormones Naturally?

A good hormone balance and the knowledge that hormones work together to create a healthy mind and body are key to achieving optimal health and relief from peri-menopause and menopausal.

Here is how Women’s Health help balance your hormones:

1. Identify your symptoms.
2. Measure the levels of ALL of your hormones to identify any specific imbalances.
3. Find a board-certified physician specialized in anti-aging medicine and bioidentical hormonal therapy.
4. NEVER use estrogen alone, even after a hysterectomy.
5. ALWAYS use bioidentical hormones with the same chemical structure as the endogenous hormones produced by the body.
6. STOP using all synthetic hormones, including Premarin, Provera, Progestins, birth control pills, pellets and injections, and intrauterine devices (they all contain synthetic hormones).
7. Supplement with nutraceuticals (pharmaceutical-grade nutritional supplements that are prescription-strength, free from harmful contaminants, and absorbed by the body) to make sure that your body has the building blocks it needs to regenerate the tissues and function properly.
8. Detoxify to ensure that your bioidentical hormone therapy work at its best
9. Limit your exposure to “xenoestrogens” (substances that mimic estrogen in the body and cause precipitate hormonal imbalances), such as pesticides, nail polish, and fumes.
10. Purchase hormone-free foods and products.
11. Maintain an ideal weight to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
12. Boost your hormone levels naturally with exercise to make your hormonal therapy work optimally and be more stable.
13. Minimize stress and use stress-management techniques like yoga, meditation, and prayer.
14. Stop smoking ASAP.
15. Eat more fiber.
16. Get deep, restful, uninterrupted 7–8 hours of sleep each night. This is the only way to ensure that your body regenerates.