Get Back in Balance: Options for Menopause
Neurotransmitter imbalances can affect hormone balance.
Ask Dr. Holec to check your neurotransmitter
and hormone levels and recommend a program to
restore your body’s balance.
A Time of Change
Hormones are one of the many ways our cells communicate with each other in the body. Hormones are substances produced by specialized glands in the body (like the ovaries, testes, adrenals, and pituitary). When released into the bloodstream, they act like chemical messengers, traveling to distant receptors sites where they exert a specific action on a target organ or cell. There are hundreds of hormones produced in the human body, including estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, cortical, melatonin, and others.
In the natural course of a woman’s lifecycle, she experiences transitions that are characterized by a shifting and re-adjustment of the hormones associated with reproduction. During menopause a woman’s ovaries gradually make less of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and later testosterone. Menopause is the transition that signals the end of menstruation, and with it, reproduction.
But natural menopause doesn’t typically happen abruptly - hormone levels can fluctuate in the months and years leading up to menopause, during the period known as “perimenopause”. It is during perimenopause that women begin to experience the symptoms that arise from an imbalance or shifting of hormone levels.
Facts about Menopause
A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for 12 months in a row. The average age of menopause for women in the USA is 51, but menopause can occur earlier or later. Menopause may be premature (occurring prior to age 40) or artificial due to such circumstances as radiation exposure, chemotherapeutic drugs or surgery. Early onset of menopause may also be initiated due to smoking, poor nutrition, or a co-existing medical condition.
Menopause & Neurotransmitters
Like hormones, neurotransmitters also act as messengers in the body. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that relay signals between nerve cells, called “neurons”. They are present throughout the body and are required for proper brain and body functions, including interacting with the endocrine system to facilitate proper glandular function and hormone release. The ovaries are an important site for the production of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. As the ovaries age, they can become less responsive to the signals from the brain that guide their function. They decrease their production of hormones, leaving hormone production in the care of other tissues in the body, most notably the adrenal glands and fat tissue. A proper balance of neurotransmitters is important in helping the body adapt to the changing levels of hormones.
Environmental and biological factors - including stress, poor diet, neurotoxins, or genetics - can cause imbalances in the levels of neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain. These imbalances can lead to or exacerbate hormone imbalances. Often, addressing neurotransmitter imbalances can reduce or correct hormonal imbalances through optimized communication between the brain and the hormone-producing glands.
Every neurotransmitter behaves differently. Some neurotransmitters are inhibitory and tend to calm the brain. Others are excitatory and have the opposite effect. Extensive clinical research reveals a close link between menopause and deficiencies in four major neurotransmitters in the central nervous system - GABA, epinephrine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. By identifying neurotransmitter imbalances and understanding how neurotransmitters function at menopause, Dr. Holec can develop a program to bring chemical levels back into balance and alleviate symptoms.
How Prescription Therapies Work
Many prescription drugs used to alter hormone levels either imitate hormones in the body (synthetic) or are identical to human hormones (bio-identical). These medications provide relief by elevating hormone activity through substitution or replacement. When using any type of hormone supplementation, it is important to monitor body levels in order to reduce the likelihood of creating an imbalance between the various hormones. Because of the risks due to long term supplementation of some of the hormone preparations, there is a greater tendency of physicians to use reduced levels of hormones, or non-hormonal prescriptions to address hormone issues. Some prescriptions do not address the hormone levels at all, but merely treat specific symptoms of hormone imbalances. Often these medications have limited effectiveness as they fail to address the underlying cause of the symptoms.
How Neurotransmitter Therapy Works
To more fully address the needs of individuals suspected of having hormonal imbalances. Dr. Holec offers saliva & urine tests to measure hormone levels in your body. If an imbalance in neurotransmitter or hormone levels is detected, Dr. Holec will develop a Targeted Amino Acid Therapy protocol to address the imbalance.
These formulas are all-natural and highly effective. They combine specific amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that adjust your body’s production of specific neurotransmitters.
While no program can guarantee success for everyone, therapy programs which address neurotransmitter imbalances have been highly successful in helping women suffering from hormone imbalances around menopause. NeuroScience programs can be used alone or in tandem with prescription medications, as directed by Dr. Holec.
Menopause Indicators
Menopause is unique to each woman. Historically, menopausal symptoms were thought to be associated solely with fluctuating hormone levels. New findings suggest that neurotransmitter imbalances may also contribute to the symptoms some women experience. These imbalances may explain why some women have few symptoms at menopause, while others are more seriously affected. During perimenopause and menopause, hormone and neurotransmitter imbalances may cause any of the following complaints.
Are you experiencing any of the complaints listed below?
- Changes in menstrual flow (heavier, lighter, clots)
- Changes in menstrual frequency (longer, shorter, or irregular cycles)
- Weight gain Hot flashes (flushes) and/or night sweats
- Sleep disturbances (awakening at night, trouble falling asleep)
- Mood swings, tearfulness
- Nervousness
- Panic attacks, anxiety
- Irritability
- Headaches
- Changes in the skin (itchiness, thinning, dryness)
- Fatigue
- PMS-type symptoms
- Breast tenderness
- Foggy thinking
- Dizziness
- Hair loss or thinning
- Problems with memory
- Difficulty concentrating
- Achy joints or muscles
- Vaginal dryness
- Loss of bone density
- Worsening allergies
- Changes in sense of taste or smell
- Changes in breath or body odor
- Gastrointestinal complaints (gas, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, constipation)
- Urinary incontinence (especially with laughing or sneezing)
- Heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat
- Tinnitus (ringing or other sounds in the ears)
- Changes in sexual desire or function
- Weakening of fingernails
If you're experiencing any of the above, discuss these concerns with Dr. Holec. Since there are a broad host of complaints women may experience around menopause, Dr. Holec may want to rule out other contributing health factors. Ask Dr. Holec if NeuroScience products and services may be right for you.
Take The First Step Today
If you are struggling with physical and emotional issues and suspect hormone or neurotransmitter imbalances may be the cause, ask Dr. Holec to do a simple urine and saliva lab test to measure these levels in your body. If the levels are out of balance, ask about NeuroScience Targeted Amino Acid Therapy programs - an effective non-hormonal approach to addressing hormone changes at menopause.
|
