Irregular cycles, painful cramps, heavy periods, severe acne, mood swings… any of these symptoms ring a bell? It’s possible that hormone imbalances are at play.
Imbalances between male and female sex hormones can range in severity and symptoms, with the more severe cases resulting in conditions like endometriosis or PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
Today, one in ten women are diagnosed with PCOS worldwide, but up to 50% of women with PCOS remain undiagnosed. Similarly, 10-15% of women of reproductive age are diagnosed with endometriosis, and this condition accounts for 70% of women with pelvic pain.
The fact is, painful periods are not normal. Usually, it’s an indication of some level of inflammation in the pelvic area. So, how are these irregularities addressed?
Conventional treatments for hormone imbalances tend to be limited: oral birth control pills, NSAID painkillers, hormone replacement therapy, and in some cases, surgery.
While these measures may sometimes be necessary, there’s actually a lot you can do before resorting to them. Using functional medicine and lifestyle change, you can find the root cause of the hormone imbalance (which can be elsewhere in the body) and treat it — often without medication.
Here are 4 ways Sarah Bird, DNP, functional medicine nurse practitioner and women’s health expert, treats hormone imbalances in her patients.
1. Heal leaky gut and rebalance your microbiome.
As Hippocrates said, “All disease starts in the gut.”
One of the lesser-known but nonetheless common root causes of hormone imbalances is dysbiosis, or an imbalance between good and bad bacteria, which is mostly housed in the gut. You may be wondering what your gut health has to do with hormones — and the answer is: everything!
Your “good” bacteria produce a thick mucous layer that protects the gut wall, which is very thin. This protective layer lets in nutrients and helps filter out any unwanted particles.
However, when “bad” bacteria outnumber the good, this protective layer becomes compromised and as a result, toxins, viruses, and food particles leak through the gut wall into the bloodstream (hence the name “leaky gut”). The immune system activates, overwhelmed by the aggressors. As the immune response perpetuates, it starts to attack its own tissues, unable to distinguish friend from foe; this is called an autoimmune response.
“This immune activation causes inflammation in the abdomen and surrounding pelvic organs, throws off hormone balance, and can even start to change stem cells in the abdomen into endometrial lesions,” says Sarah.
To support the growth of good bacteria and re-establish balance in the microbiome, incorporate plenty of prebiotic and probiotic foods: root vegetables, kimchi and other fermented foods, yogurt, kefir, and kombucha.
2. Address underlying insulin resistance.
Another unexpected root of hormonal conditions — particularly relevant for PCOS — lies in insulin resistance. Insulin itself is a hormone, but it regulates your blood sugar levels. When you eat and your food is broken down into sugar, those sugars need to be taken up from the bloodstream into the cells of the body. Insulin is the “key” that opens the cells to take in the sugar.
When your blood sugar levels are consistently high, though, cells respond less and less efficiently to those signals from insulin, so the cells don’t take in the sugar, and in turn, your blood sugar levels continue to rise. In response, then, more and more insulin is secreted, even though the cells aren’t responding efficiently to it.
These elevated insulin levels are where the problem begins for your sex hormones. Excess insulin leads to a change in enzymes in your ovaries, causing them to produce more testosterone and androgens (male sex hormones). The elevated testosterone then aggravates insulin resistance even more, perpetuating the cycle.
So, how do we address insulin resistance? According to Sarah, “We can start with nutrition, supplements, and exercise.”
3. Manage stress and trauma.
Stress is a major driver of inflammation in the body, whether it’s physical stress or psychological stress.
For this reason, according to Sarah, “Women who experienced adverse childhood events are more likely to develop a condition like endometriosis.” And, for those who are already struggling with a hormone condition or imbalance, ongoing stress will perpetuate the cycle of symptoms by constantly triggering inflammation.
So, if you aren’t already prioritizing stress management, it’s time to start.
We know that in order to calm the mind, you have to calm the body first. Try gentle movement like walking or stretching, deep breathing techniques like cardiac coherence, or regular wellness services like cryotherapy, infrared therapy, salt room sessions, float tanks, massages, and more.
It can also help to work with a counselor or a well-being coach to look into and address the root causes of your stress.
4. Detoxify regularly.
We are constantly surrounded by toxins: in our environment, in our products, and even within the body (read more on toxic burden). Many of these toxins are endocrine-disruptors, meaning they disrupt the proper functioning of your hormones.
These endocrine-disrupting chemicals are most often found in the plastics used in water bottles, containers, and food packaging, pesticides used on non-organic produce, and phthalates used in many personal care products like shampoos, deodorants, cosmetics, tampons, and more.
Because of their detrimental effects on your hormones, one of the most important things you can do for your PCOS, endometriosis, or hormone imbalance is to detoxify regularly.
This means intentionally encouraging your lymphatic system to circulate more fluids to flush out the toxins built up in your system. Sarah’s top-recommended detox methods include:
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- Getting lymphatic drainage massages with castor oil packs
- Using cryotherapy and infrared sauna sessions
- Exercising and moving regularly
- Eat foods high in fiber and cruciferous vegetables
- Eliminating daily
- Taking supplements like glutathione
- Consuming organic produce when possible
- Opting for clean household and personal care products (you can check if your products are clean using a site like this)
When fixing a leak in the ceiling, simply covering up the leak or placing a bucket under it doesn’t really solve the problem. You have to fix the damage in the roof. Your health is no different; in order to fully treat a hormone imbalance (or any condition for that matter), it’s important to find the root cause, which sometimes lies elsewhere in the body.
And, since your lifestyle is so integral to your health and well-being, it’s often the best place to begin with treatment.
To learn more about how root-cause functional medicine works and why it’s so effective, check out this article from our blog.
Interested in taking a comprehensive and functional approach to treating PCOS, endometriosis, or other hormone imbalance? If you’re not already a member of our medical practice at PALM Health, you can schedule a meet and greet with Sarah Bird to see if it’s a good fit for you.
PALM Health is an innovative lifestyle medicine and wellness center that offers a comprehensive range of advanced medical and wellness services, empowering people to transform their health and feel their best in mind and body.
