Happy Hormones, Happy Life
It's not you, it's me.
No, really!
No, I'm not breaking up with you. But I imagine quite a few of you have uttered the phrase a time or two in your lifetime in an effort to spare the feelings of the poor soul whose heart you were breaking (even if it was most definitely them!). If you are like me prior to balancing my hormones, and that phrase was to come out of your mouth now, it might actually be true!
Love and Hate of Aging
Getting older can be a beautiful thing. With age can come wisdom, experience, financial stability, grandchildren, emotional maturity, and let's not forget about the senior discounts and retirement that's right around the corner. With all of that positivity, get older sounds like a blast!
Once we look on the bright side and finally come to terms with aging and choose to embrace it, we are unfortunately often greeted with the negative side effects of aging that prevent us from fully enjoying our new lease on life. The constant fatigue, aches and pains, loss of lean muscle mass, gaining fat, developing wrinkles, and becoming less interested in sex are just a few common signs of getting older. Most just accept these as a part of life and make do the best they can. But what if you didn't have just to make do?
The Hormone Difference
It's not a coincidence that you start experiencing these symptoms as you get older. The difference this time compared to when you were in your 20s or 30s is your hormone levels. Many age-related changes in your hormone levels can help explain why you feel the way you do.
Hormones are special chemical messengers produced by various organs and glands that are part of the endocrine system. Organs and glands of the endocrine system secrete hormones to regulate and control multiple body functions. With age, the amount of some hormones produced can decrease, the rate at which organs produce hormones can fall, the metabolism or breakdown of hormones can slow, or the target tissue can become less sensitive to the hormone.
When these changes occur as you age, blood levels of some hormones increase, some decrease, and some are unchanged. This change in hormones happens to both men and women, although they may have some different symptoms.
Some common symptoms of hormonal imbalance in adult women include:
HOT FLASHES
FATIGUE
LOSS OF INTEREST IN SEX
VAGINAL DRYNESS
PAINFUL INTERCOURSE
WEIGHT VARIABILITY
IRRITABILITY
DEPRESSION
IRREGULAR MENSTRUAL CYCLES
NIGHT SWEATS
INSOMNIA
ACNE
DARKENING OF SKIN
EXCESSIVE OR UNWANTED HAIR
OSTEOPOROSIS
Some common symptoms of hormonal imbalance in adult men include:
DECREASED ENERGY
COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
LOSS OF MUSCLE MASS
MUSCLE WEAKNESS
LOW LIBIDO
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
INFERTILITY
DEPRESSION
OSTEOPOROSIS
HAIR LOSS
WEIGHT GAIN
INCREASED CENTRAL BODY FAT
Many of these uncomfortable symptoms of hormone imbalance are from the age-related loss of sex hormones (androgens and estrogens). In women, the declining levels of estrogen and progesterone are what lead to menopause. In men, declining levels of testosterone can lead to andropause. These hormonal changes can significantly affect your physical and mental health and lead to decreased functional performance and reduced life span for both men and women.
Testosterone and Men
Low total testosterone levels in men older than 60 are associated with an increased occurrence of osteoporosis and increases in hip and nonvertebral fractures. A decline in muscle mass leads to decreased muscle strength. This decrease in strength precedes functional limitations, such as balance problems and risk for falls and injuries.
Testosterone influences more than just skeletal muscle, and deficiencies have been linked to premature death. Inadequate testosterone levels are associated with sexual disorders, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased fat in the abdominal area, sleep apnea, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and a decreased quality of life in aging men.
Testosterone and Women
Androgens are precursors for estrogen production and synthesis and play a vital role in the maturation processes of ovarian follicles in women. Even though women have 20 to 25 times less circulating concentrations of testosterone than men, it is an essential hormone for women.
The sudden and swift decline in testosterone levels plays a crucial role in aging women's morbidity and functional limitations. Low testosterone in women has been associated with cognitive and sexual function deficiencies, decreased lean body mass, increased bone loss and frailty, and emotional changes.
Estrogen and Men
The fat tissue and the adrenal glands can produce some estrogen in men. Estrogen is also produced through aromatization, where testosterone is converted into estrogen in the limbic system and brain tissues. Levels of estrogens and androgens decrease in men with age are inversely related to fracture risks.
Low estrogen levels in older men lead to osteoporosis and increased testosterone levels. Estrogen plays a crucial role in the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates. Estrogen resistance has been linked to early heart plaque and associated increased risk of cardiovascular events.
Estrogen and Women
Estrogen is produced mainly from the ovaries in women. It promotes the development of female genital organs and features, helps control the menstrual cycle, and helps maintain pregnancy. Women have about four times the amount of estrogen as men, but during the first year of menopause, they lose on average 80% of their estrogen.
Estrogen plays a crucial role in regulating bone health and strength in aging women. The accelerated loss of estrogen as women age results in an accelerated decline in muscle mass and strength, which decreases function. Low estrogen concentrations are also correlated with an increased threat of cardiovascular events.
Progesterone
Progesterone plays a significant role in fertility and menstruation and thus essential for procreation. It is also a necessary precursor of all the sex hormones and contributes to many physiologic functions. Progesterone levels decrease as menopause approaches, with the level dropping to nearly zero at menopause.
Low progesterone levels are correlated with osteoporosis, decreased sex drive, vaginal dryness, and vaginal atrophy. When women stop making enough progesterone, they will often have irregular menstrual cycles, headaches, sudden mood changes, and insomnia.