Pregnancy loss is a common concern I see in practice. And there are a number of factors that a Naturopathic Doctor will want to consider when working with individuals who are struggling with recurring pregnancy loss.
Addressing Melatonin Through Your Lifestyle
Melatonin is a ‘neurohormone’ which can be used to regulate sleep-wake cycles. Endogenous (what’s made in your body) melatonin is released by the pineal gland, found within the brain. Production and release of endogenous melatonin is activated by darkness and depressed by external/environmental light sources.
Book Recommendation: Taking Charge of Your Fertility
Should You Exercise While You Have Your Period?
Variety in Acupuncture Approaches & Practice
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), your entire being (physical and emotional; your constitution) is taken into consideration and an acupuncture protocol is created based on your particular goals and needs. Points are picked according to their action and can be stimulated in a number of ways – ex. acupuncture (dry needling), electroacupuncture, acupressure, moxabustion and ear seeds.
Pain During Ovulation - Is It Normal?
Mittelschmerz – the lovely, weird name for the physical sensation experienced during or directly after the release of an egg from an ovary (ovulation). This pain is felt in the lower part of your abdomen and is often one-sided (but can alternate between sides, month-to-month). Some women will experience this ovulatory pain as a mild, dull, aching sensation and some women may even experience even greater discomfort. Some won’t experience it at all.
Androgen Excess - Acne, Hair Growth & Hair Loss?
Your Questions: Natural Approaches to Period Cramps?
Birth control is NOT the only option for painful (dysmenorrhea) and/or heavy periods (menorrhagia). And before jumping on a medication or supplement your HCP should always look into potential causes of extreme cramping – ie. endometriosis, fibroids, etc.
Prostaglandins are a major factor in menstrual cramps – once a month (when Aunt Flow comes to town) they cause uterine muscles to contract in order to release the uterine lining (endometrium). Prostaglandins aren’t bad (they are important for blood clots, inducing labour, etc.), but if certain prostaglandins are high in your cycle – this can predispose to more painful menstrual cramping.
Your Questions: The Return of Your Period in the Postpartum Phase
Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea - Where's My Period?
Amenorrhea: the absence of your period.
And then amenorrhea is divided into 2 categories: primary and secondary.
We’re going to talk about secondary amenorrhea, which can be observed as: the absence of a period for 3 months in women who had previously had REGULAR cycles, or the absence of a period for 6 months in women who had already been experiencing IRREGULAR cycles.
The Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal-Thyroid (HPAT) Axis - Hormone Connections
I talk a lot about cortisol, but it doesn’t exist as a lonely hormone. If you look closely, you can see that the thyroid (see TSH, T4, T3 and rT3) and adrenal glands (ACTH, cortisol) are tightly connected. The (+) and (-) icons indicate positive and negative feedback throughout this entire axis – how fascinating.
How Alcohol Affects Your Hormones
So - the liver is responsible for detoxing alcohol. But it’s also important for metabolizing estrogen. In women, more than one alcoholic drink per day has been shown to increase circulation of androgens (ie. testosterone) and estrogens (1, 2) – this predisposes you to symptoms of estrogen dominance.