Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — HRT

 Do You Have Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance? Symptoms from one woman to another are as highly individual as a thumbprint! Symptom Checklist: … Mood swings, Hot flashes, Night sweats, Fatigue, Headaches, Depression, Anxiety, Nervousness, Irritability, Tearfulness, Memory lapses, Difficulty losing weight, Decreased libido, Vaginal dryness, Heavy menses, Bleeding changes, Incontinence, Fibrocystic breasts, Polycystic ovaries, Tender breasts, Uterine fibroids, Water retention, Sleep disturbances, Weight gain—waist and/or hips, Foggy thinking, Bone loss, Heart palpitations, Stress, Cold body temperature, Sugar cravings, Increased facial/body hair, Scalp hair loss, Acne/oily skin, Thinning skin, Aches and pains, Fibromyalgia, Frequent illness. Sound familiar? Two or more troublesome...

  By Sherry LaBeck, ND. ZRT Laboratory. It is highly likely that women aged 60 to 90 have vivid memories of the astonishing healthcare news from 2002 when the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a comprehensive long-term national health study, was abruptly terminated earlier than expected. The initial trial results sent shockwaves through the medical community and had a profound impact on the lives of numerous women. Furthermore, this news fundamentally transformed the perception of routine menopausal hormone replacement prescriptions for years to follow. The WHI Hormone Therapy Trials The WHI was launched in 1991 as a 15-year trial, one of the...

  Menopause is a natural and inevitable stage in a woman's life that marks the end of her reproductive years. While it is a significant milestone, menopause can also bring about a variety of symptoms that can disrupt daily life. These symptoms are primarily caused by hormonal imbalances as the body adjusts to the decline in estrogen and progesterone production. Hormone testing and subsequent treatment play a vital role in managing and alleviating menopause symptoms, enabling women to lead happier and healthier lives during this transitional phase. Hormonal Imbalance and Menopause Symptoms: During menopause, the ovaries gradually reduce their production...

  Important clinical context: Hormone levels fluctuate during perimenopause, so a single blood or saliva result does not reliably diagnose or exclude it. Assessment is often based on age, symptoms and menstrual history; routine hormone testing is not a prerequisite for HRT and home panels do not establish a safe HRT dose. The original discussion below overstates these uses of testing. Discuss persistent symptoms, unusual bleeding or suspected early menopause with a qualified healthcare professional, who can select any appropriate investigations and treatment. Understanding Perimenopause Perimenopause, also known as the menopausal transition, is a natural and normal part of a...

Hormonal contraception suppresses ovarian function, which means saliva and blood spot hormone test results will appear artificially low — but this doesn’t mean hormone levels at the tissue level are low. This guide explains how to interpret hormone test results correctly when using the pill, patch, ring or IUD, and when to collect your sample for the most meaningful data.