The female age 30-44:

You are not in 20’s stay up until 3 am and be able to go to work or have a few glasses of wine but no hang-over the next day. Those days are over. Work, social, family, finance and fertility pressure build up this age group. Some are still at the school, some are building their career, some are looking for the perfect-fit-husband-to-be and some already have one to two kids and juggling the busy schedule. When I ask my patients that you sound like you have estrogen dominance syndrome, almost all of my patients ask me “what is it?”.  There is not the exact term to call this hectic time period of women’s age of 30 to 44 and it happens to be the age group of women I treat in my clinic every day. Are you ready to see the symptoms of estrogen dominance?

img_5420Fibroids, tender or lumpy breasts, endometriosis, UTI, PMS, difficulty conceiving, not able to carrying a pregnancy to term, sudden weight gain, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, depression, foggy thinking, memory loss, migraine headaches, very heavy periods, very light periods, big dark clots with periods, bleeding between periods, spotting before the periods, cold hand and feet, thinning hair, diagnosed as hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune disease,  food sensitivity, yeast infection (Candida), leaky gut, easy to get cold and flu, crave for sugar and coffee, severe exhaustion, eye strains and soreness, muscle tensions, TMJ, chronic sinus infection comes back over and over again, gum disease, more cavities, brittle nails, vertigo, lightheadedness, constipation, Colitis with loose stool and more…

Estrogen dominance women are the individuals living in the tight schedule every day with demanding full-time job, long commute, the first child a couple of years ago, no time to think about cooking for a dinner every night. She is totally overwhelmed but she thinks it is normal because everybody else around her is like her. Their FSH is high, TSH is often high (hypothyroid) in 3.0-5.0. When I do the adrenal stress test, her cortisol is all over the place that means she does not have too high or too low cortisol (stress hormone), and her adrenal is burned out. The walnuts sized adrenal gland sits on the top of the kidney is very important endocrine gland to secrete all of the female hormones. Imagine this gland is sleeping not able to communicate to ovaries? Your pituitary gland in the brain shout “it is the time to release follicles (ovulation)” but ovaries are not getting their shouting because adrenal glad is still in sleep mode. Did you get an idea? This is the extract of my favorite book describing premenopause:

“A women’s hormone balance can begin to shift anywhere from her late twenties to her late forties, depending on a variety of factors. Symptoms do increase with age and as you get closer to menopause, especially if you ignore them early on. The earlier in your life that you detect symptoms of the premenopause syndrome and acts to balance them, the easier it will be to stay in balance as you approach menopause. Even if menopause is a decade or more away, how you treat yourself now will play a pivotal role in how you feel later. If your hormones and your life have been out of balance for decades, in the 5-10 years before menopause the symptoms of imbalance will become extreme because you no longer have the reserves of youth to draw on. This concept of prevention is a tough sell to a woman in her mid-30’s who is roaring through her life with the pedal to the metal, busy taking care of everyone else. If you need some inspiration to take care of yourself, ask women in their 50’s-60’s what they would have done differently (Tamie’s comment here -Oh yes, I will do very differently if I can go back to my 30’s -40’s and the early 50’s), and you will find they are nearly unanimous in their wish that they had paid more attention to their own needs. If you are out of balance, all of the systems will not be getting the message that down-regulation is in the process, and they will, in effect, be shouting at each other to try to provoke a response, causing night sweats and hot flashes. Your brain will secrete a large number of regulatory hormones in an attempt to get the ovaries to release higher levels of hormones. Your ovaries may be asleep for a few months, deaf to the shouts of the brain, and then wake up are responding to the shouting from the brain with a great surge of hormones. It is this type of biochemical over-reaction or under-reaction that causes high libido, low libido, acne, allergies, tender breasts, water retention, insomnia, night sweat, and mood swings to name a few and makes you wonder if you have reentered adolescence.” page 161-163 What your doctor may not tell you about Premenopause – Dr. John Lee M.D.

Though men and women do share many similar health concerns, women do face their own health concerns that need special attention. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists devotes a section of their Web site to Women’s Issues.

Endocrine System
PMS Symptoms
Ovarian Cysts
Uterine Fibroids
Vaginitis
HPV
Vitamins and Mineral Deficiencies
Breast Cancer

Endocrine System

The endocrine system, which regulates our hormones, is responsible for much more than we might perceive. Though the endocrine system inherently strives to retain a state called “homeostasis” (balance within the body systems), an endocrine imbalance can cause insomnia, weight gain, headaches, depression, anxiety, brain fog, profound fatigue, digestive distress, aches and pains, and other symptoms. If you are feeling any of these symptoms and can’t seem to find an outside cause (i.e. stress), you might consider hormonal testing.

Estrogen Dominance 101:

PMS Symptoms

Ovarian Cysts

Uterine Fibroids

Vaginitis

HPV

Vitamin and Mineral Deficienciessprouts1

Two of the most common deficiencies in women are Vitamin B (B1 -> B12) and Magnesium, two important factors in blood and heart health, among other benefits. Vitamin B is important for a healthy nervous system, as well as keeping your blood healthy by promoting new red blood cell growth, and lack of it can cause anemia. Vitamin B12 cannot be produced by the body, so you must eat the right foods, and consider taking a good supplement.

  • NY times article – it could be old age, or it could be low B12. If your B-12 vitamin is listed as “(Methylcobalamin), it is synthetically made vitamin. Choose whole foods based vitamins
  • Eye, hair, nail, mouth, and skin symptoms are among the early warning signs of B-vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Check this website for the list of symptoms.
  • Vitamin B deficiency symptoms article
  • The top 5 B2 (Riboflavin) deficiency symptoms (mouth, tongue)
  • Well –B2 deficiency signs
  • B3 (Niacin) deficiency often seen in people have depression
  • B6 (Pyridoxal Phosphate) deficiency are often seen in people have high anxiety and living in the chronic stressful life
  • B7 (Biotin) deficiency 
  • B9 (Folic Acid) deficiency – think about switching to take Folate instead. Many of individual’s Folate methylation pathways are blocked by the SNPs called MTHFR so that taking Folate will help this issue instantly.
  • B12 deficiency.org – take methylated B12! Most inexpensive B12 is Cyanocobalamin. Take a look at your B12 vitamin bottle!
  • America’s B12 deficiency– Dr. OZ show’s episode (video)
  • A silent epidemic B12 deficiency
  • B12 and Thyroid connection – website

Research shows that the majority of woman are deficient in Magnesium. This mineral, which may have anti-inflammatory properties, has been shown to improve PMS symptoms, as well as insomnia symptoms, particularly when used at night. Though supplements are helpful, it is always advised to try to get your magnesium in the food you eat.

Breast Cancer

  • Thermography – is the better form of testing than going to get a mammogram. Here’s a few information!

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