IS IT HORMONES?

Have you ever found yourself reacting strongly to something your signi cant other said or did? A er the fact, you may have had a sort of "great and powerful Wizard of Oz" feeling that there was someone behind the curtain, pulling the levers of your mood. Sometimes we all let our emotions get the best of us, but there may be more to the story that we don't always consider: the body's chemical messengers, aka hormones.

While uctuations in hormone levels during different stages of life, and speci cally during PMS, peri-menopause and menopause are quite normal, sometimes those hormones can get too far out of balance, causing unpleasant and confusing symptoms that directly impact mood and behavior. This in turn impacts relationships with loved ones.

Hormonal imbalance and uctuations can cause many uncomfortable symptoms in both women and men. Speci cally in women, commonly seen symptoms include:

Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: This may be indicative of low estrogen levels.

Mood Swings, Depression and Irritability: Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine may be impacted by low estrogen levels.

Headaches and Migraines: As estrogen levels decrease, headaches and migraines may occur, especially right before or during your period.

Foggy Thinking and Memory Trouble: Estrogen and progesterone level changes may result in memory problems and not thinking clearly.

Low Libido: Women with low testosterone levels sometimes experience a loss of sexual desire.

Fatigue: Excessive levels of progesterone or low levels of thyroid hormones can bring about feeling excessively tired.

Irregular Menstrual Cycle:

A possible sign of too much or too little estrogen and progesterone. If you’re in your late 30s to early 50s, it can indicate perimenopause.

Sleeping Problems:

Sometimes caused by low progesterone levels.

Weight Gain: A drop in estrogen levels may cause sudden cravings leading to weight gain.

Stomach Issues: Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can impact food digestion, and potentially cause bloating and other stomach problems.

With all of these various symptoms that present when your hormone levels are too high or too low, it's really not surprising that there are times where you don't feel like yourself at all.

Maintaining our thriving relationships can be hard, but joyous work. Sometimes the symptoms of hormone imbalance can make that work more challenging than it used to be. Addressing the root cause of this imbalance through hormone therapy may prove to be critical in helping to maintain the relationships with those we care about most.

Hormone therapy consists of measuring an individual's current levels of hormones along with an understanding of symptoms and medical history. If appropriate, by supplementing with customized doses of prescription hormone medications, many patients see alleviation of symptoms related to hormonal imbalances, which can help improve relationships.

Medical professionals that have experience specializing in hormone replacement therapy can help patients determine if it may be appropriate and beneficial.

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN learning more about hormone and wellness consultations, simply text “hormone” to 701-365-6050 or go to: inhealthcompounding.com/balance.

MARCH 30

– MAY 4

6:00 – 7:15 PM each Tuesday

"When Mourning Dawns" is our six-week series that looks at the seasons of the year to guide our conversations about the seasons of your grief. Preregistration is required and space is limited. Please call or email us if you have questions or interest in this series. for more info: boulgerfuneralhome.com

These meetings are led by our Grief Support Coordinators Sonja Kjar and Ann Jacobson. 701-237-6441 griefsupport@boulgerfuneralhome.com