by admin | Jan 25, 2019 | Gynecology, Wellness
I will literally never forget the crash of hormones that follows the birth of a child – the Baby Blues, they say. It was day 4. My child was exactly 4 days old, and I could feel the hormones beginning to fall like a wave about to crest over me and smash me down onto the sand underneath. Only…there was nothing I could do to stop them. I couldn’t move out of the way or side step the hormones. I couldn’t take a special pill or eat a special diet to keep it from happening. That crash was coming, ready or not. And ready I was definitely not.
A hormonal imbalance and crash after the birth of a child is completely normal. Your hormones have been soaring for a solid 9 months, and even though there were some ups and downs, they mostly stayed fairly high. After the baby arrives, your body takes a few days, and then a signal is sent that tells your body to shut it down. No baby means no more high levels of hormones. The only problem is that your body doesn’t do this gradually. The hormones fall drastically, giving many women the sensation known as the baby blues.
The baby blues is the slight depression that follows the birth of a child. It’s not full on, hard core depression, but rather a negative or down feeling. Most women suffer through for a week or 2, and then the hormones begin to level out. The baby blues start to subside, and women begin to feel normal again. The important thing to remember with the baby blues is that it is normal, and for most women, it passes fairly quickly.
But, what happens when it doesn’t pass? What happens when the baby blues turn into the long term blues? When this happens, you can almost be certain that hormonal imbalances are at play. When the hormones are not in balance, it can cause a wide array of symptoms, one of which is a feeling of the blues or even full on depression. If your baby blues seem to be turning into long term depression, then your hormones are likely still imbalanced. They are not returning to normal levels as quickly as they should, and it is causing your body and mind to experience the blues.
If you find this happening to you, get help right away. The right treatment can turn hormonal depression around and stop it in its tracks. At HerKare, a treatment professional may be able to test your hormones, determine whether an imbalance is present, and get you an appropriate treatment plan. When your baby blues turn into depression, or you suspect a hormonal imbalance for any other reason, get to HerKare to let a physician help you today.
by admin | Jan 25, 2019 | Hormone Replacement Therapy, Wellness
How many times have you thought to yourself, “Am I normal?” This question gets asked by most people pretty often. This is especially true when it comes to our bodies and general health. Something will happen and we immediately wonder whether or not our predicament falls within the normal range or whether we are just weird! Luckily, most of the time you can rest easy knowing that your current health situation is most likely normal.
Sometimes, however, even though it might be considered normal, it still isn’t something that you should live with. A great example of this is with our hormones. To find out whether your hormonal symptoms are normal, not so normal, or something that you just shouldn’t have to live with, check out these typical signs of an imbalance.
Turn Up the Heat
When your hormones are imbalanced, a great indicator is your body temperature. Many women that have hormonal problems suffer from some sort of temperature induced symptom. Night sweats and hot flashes are two of the most common. Whether you suddenly get so hot that you can’t stand it, or you wake up drenched in sweat, hormones might be to blame.
Fluctuating Weight
Another really, really frustrating symptoms is weight problems. On one end of the spectrum (and possible good news for some women!) is the potential for weight loss. Certain hormonal imbalances may trigger weight loss or the inability to gain weight. While this can seem like a dream come true, it is not the healthiest route to weight loss. On the opposite (and more frustrating!) end of the spectrum is weight gain. Many types of hormonal imbalances cause excessive weight gain or the inability lose. If you suddenly begin to gain weight, especially around the middle, with no apparent cause, hormones may be the ultimate culprit.
Mood Swings
Of course, you can’t go through a list of hormonal symptoms without mentioning mood swings. Excessive or strong mood swings may indicate a hormonal problem. If you feel stronger or more frequent changes in general moods or disposition, and especially if it gets in the way of everyday life, it may be beneficial to see if a hormonal problem is to blame.
Though these are not the only symptoms associated with a hormonal imbalance, they are some of the most common. If you think you may have a hormonal imbalance, don’t be afraid to get checked out. A physician at HerKare may be able to do that for you. Get your hormonal levels checked, and if a problem is present, let a treatment professional help you get a treatment plan just for you. Get to HerKare and get your hormonal problems under control so that you can feel happy and healthy again.
by admin | Jan 25, 2019 | Hormone Replacement Therapy, Wellness
When you think of a hormonal imbalance and the symptoms that may come with one, you probably imagine the big ones like mood swings that make you shudder or hot flashes that stop you in your tracks. While these can certainly be a symptom of hormonal imbalance, sometimes the symptoms are so slight that they go unnoticed. Take a look at these 2 common symptoms of a hormonal imbalance that often go ignored by women everywhere.
Fatigue
Extreme fatigue is often one of the first symptoms of a hormonal imbalance. The problem is that many women feel tired all of the time. If they don’t feel tired, then they expect to feel tired in the near future. It’s almost a rite of passage into womanhood. Oh, you’re tired? Welcome to being a woman. With kids and spouses to look after, careers to build, houses to maintain, and then the endless community and other obligations, and it is no wonder that women think fatigue is normal. While a little bit of fatigue can be normal, don’t think that you have to be overly tired all of the time. You don’t. And what’s more, if you are exhausted literally all of the time, it is likely that there is more at play than a busy lifestyle.
Weight Gain
This is another thing that many women just expect. If you are gaining weight or adding just a little bit of extra padding around the middle, many women see it as a “normal” process of getting older. They believe that it is inevitable. The higher the age, the higher the number on the scale. While a little bit of muscle loss and fat gain might be relatively normal, especially if you don’t really watch your exercise habits and diet, excessive weight gain or weight that won’t budge even with maximum effort on your part may not be so normal. This might instead be an indication of hormones that are not working optimally.
If you suspect that you have a hormonal imbalance, whether from these 2 symptoms or others, get help at HerKare. A physician at HerKare may be able to diagnose whether or not you have a hormonal imbalance. If so, they can get a treatment plan just for you. With properly functioning hormones, you may find more energy and weight loss happen before you know it. Get to HerKare for the hormonal help you need.
by admin | Jan 25, 2019 | Gynecology, Wellness
First time moms are often guilty of thinking that their post baby weight is going to fall off instantly. They take their pre baby skinny jeans to the hospital fully expecting to wear them home. They quickly find out that it doesn’t exactly work like that. While post baby weight doesn’t fall off the instant baby is born, it can come off in a timely manner with some consistent effort and regular medical exams.
Through proper nutrition and exercise, it is possible to drop those stubborn pounds. But, what happens when those stubborn pounds are a bit too stubborn? If your post baby weight is being more difficult than you think it should be, check out these 3 reasons that your post baby weight may stick around longer.
Lack of Sleep
A lack of sleep can cause a lot more problems than just being tired. It can also throw your body into a bit of a panic. It begins to produce the wrong chemicals causing hormone imbalance. in order to try and compensate for the lack of sleep. Its natural rhythm is thrown off, and because of that, your body may fight back in a number of ways. One such way is by hanging onto a few extra pounds. If you’re doing everything right, but still can’t drop the pounds, try asking for some help in getting a little sleep. Call on grandma or a friend, and get some rest. Before you know it, you will be rested up and you may find those stubborn pounds fall off.
You Are Nursing
I know that the conventional wisdom about nursing is that it helps you lose weight, but for a few women, it means hanging onto a few pounds. Nursing burns massive calories, but some women’s bodies refuse to burn about 10 pounds or so. It keeps that extra reserve to make sure that you don’t get too skinny and are unable to nourish your baby. If you are nursing and can’t lose weight, see what happens when you wean. If you still can’t lose, it might be time to look at other options.
Hormonal Imbalance
A lot of extra weight after baby happens because of a hormonal imbalance. It takes a while to get the hormones back on track after baby. For some women, it takes a lot longer than others. If your hormones are still out of whack after baby, it may manifest itself through an inability to lose weight. If you are doing everything right, and those pounds refuse to drop, a hormonal imbalance might be to blame.
If you suspect a hormonal imbalance, get to HerKare to let a treatment professional get you back on track. Losing that post baby weight is important to your health and your long term self esteem. Get your hormones checked and your weight back under control with the help of a physician at HerKare.
by admin | Jan 25, 2019 | Aesthetics, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Wellness
This past week, I went to the hair salon for the first time in 11 months. It had been nearly a year since my last appointment, and for a woman with long, color-treated hair, that is an exceptionally long time.
As I sat there getting my hair washed, dried, and generally pampered, I thought about how amazing it feels to get your hair done. You leave the salon refreshed, relaxed, and feeling fresh. When you really think about it, our hair is a huge part of our physical appearance, and so for many of us, it is also tightly linked to our self esteem. It can also, however, give us a clue as to the health of the rest of our body. For some problems, like hormones, hair might be one of your first signs of a problem.
Hormones affect hair in a big way. Think about when you were pregnant, if you have ever been pregnant. For me, pregnancy was the one time in my life that my hair was thick, long, and dare I say…luscious. I couldn’t get enough of my pregnant hair. I curled it, and it stayed. I straightened it, and it didn’t lie flat against my head. It was glorious. Then came baby. And very soon after baby, there went my beautiful, thick, to die for hair.
The hair that I had after baby is another great example of how hormones affect your hair. It was the opposite of glorious. It fell out in chunks. It was flat, dry, splitting at the ends, and as thin and lifeless as it had ever been. And, just like that my self esteem flipped from one extreme to the other. While these sorts of hair extremes are common around pregnancy, having these sorts of problems other times may indicate some sort of hormonal problem. Luckily, however, you don’t have to just live with it. If your hair woes are hormonally driven, there may be an answer out there.
So, how do you know if your hair is just going through a rough patch or suffering from hormonal problems? For starters, you know your hair and body best. Have you had a sudden change in hair that seems to have come out of nowhere? Do you have other accompanying symptoms such as mood swings, night sweats, weight gain, or fatigue? If so, then you might suspect hormones to be the culprit of your changing tresses.
If you suspect a hormonal problem in your life, get to HerKare and let a treatment professional help you. A physician may be able to determine whether a hormonal imbalance is causing your hair problems or other symptoms. If it is, they may be able to get a treatment plan in place that is just for you. Get your hair, your body, and your self esteem back on track with the help of a physician at HerKare.
