Today I will spend time talking about female hormones imbalances and how that can be one of the many causes of infertility or irregular periods in women. During the menstrual cycle there are four hormones that are essential for the ovulation to take place. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogens and progesterone all have specific levels that need to be reached during different times of the menstrual cycle. If there are improper levels of any of these hormones during the menstrual cycle it will cause imbalances preventing ovulation, or releasing an egg from a woman’s ovary. If the egg is not being released then a man’s sperm cannot cause fertilization to occur. If a woman is not releasing an egg month after month after month she is considered to have infertility issues or problems. Even without ovulation a period, which is the shedding of the uterine lining, can still occur.
During the first part of a woman’s cycle, which is usually the first two weeks or so, the ovaries produce estrogens. The estrogens have to get to a peak level in order to cause, LH, or luteinizing hormone to reach its peak level and cause ovulation. If estrogens do not get a high enough level or luteinizing hormone doesn’t get to a high enough level ovulation will not occur. The reason why women will still have a period even if they are not ovulating is because the uterus creates a lining based on the amount estrogen or progesterone being released from the ovaries.
A reason why women may have irregular periods or spotting throughout the month has to do with the levels of estrogens and progesterone during the month. When estrogens and progesterones become low the uterus sheds its lining and that causes spotting or bleeding.
Some of the causes that will make estrogens and progesterones to be off balance in the body include excess fat on the body, xenoestrogens, excess corisol from stress or over use of cortical steroids. Xenoestrogens are industrial-made compounds that mimic estrogen effects in the body. Xenoestrogens are found in many plastic products and this is why there are cautions about heating foods in plastic containers in the microwave.
How to you test to find out about your hormonal levels? My suggestion is to use salivary testing so you can test several days to get a good picture of if your hormones are at appropriate levels throughout the menstrual cycle. This allows your doctor to create a treatment plan that is specific to your underlying hormonal cause. For more information about salivary testing find me on the web www.healthydaes.com
Live Vibrantly,
Dr. Dae
Dr. Dae's website: www.healthydaes.org
Dr. Dae's book: Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living can be purchased @ www.amazon.com or www.healthydaes.org
Dr. Dae's Bio:
Daemon "Dr. Dae" (pronounced Dr. Day) Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who completed her training at the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is certified as a General Practitioner by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE). Dr. Dae provides tailored treatment to meet the unique needs of every individual she sees in her practice. She also provides specialized support for persons challenged by nutritional deficiencies, weight problems, hormonal and reproductive system disorders, attention deficit disorder and those experiencing chronic diseases. Dr. Dae is an adjunct faculty member for Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts. She is the author of Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living, The Healthydaes Newsletter, and is a regularly featured writer for the Elite GoogleNews Website EmpowHER.com where she shares her personal and professional vision for living whole and living well. To learn more about Dr. Dae, her products and services, please visit her on the Web at www.Healthydaes.org