MENSTRUAL CYCLE HEALTH
Heavy menstrual bleeding, PAIN, absent periods, MOODS, long cycles, PCOS, short cycles, ENDOMETRIOSIS
So you are having horrendous menstrual cycles, or they have disappeared and only seem to show up as a guest appearance. Maybe you are starting to get a really strong niggly feeling that things aren't right and there has to be something else!!
Have you already invested a lot of money in doctors, specialists and supplements? Even seen naturopaths?
Please read on as below I list what I look at in Naturopathic Clinic to understand what is happening for you.
I truly believe that peace can be found by all women with regards to their menstrual cycle. This is unique balance to each and every girl and woman. This can be achieved whilst also optimising for fertility and preparation for pregnancy. Even if you are not planning on starting a family yet, they go hand in hand - your menstrual cycle health and your fertility. Maybe you are not planning to have children, ever, or have your family created, this still applies to you.
Flow of Hormones
You know that something is not right with your hormones, and that is what I often get told in clinic by clients, but what does that actually mean?
Understanding and accepting that nothing in the body operates in isolation can take you on the first step to restore peace and calm.
That stressful work environment, that poor diet whilst studying for uni exams, those party all-nighters, that gut bug you picked up whilst in Bali, that string of antibiotics you took for UTIs, the lack of movement and exercise….. are all examples of what can affect your female hormone profile - and your menstrual cycle.
Understand that the oestrogen and progesterone that is produced in your ovaries is the result of stimulation from hormones from endocrine glands (the hypothalmus and pituitary gland) in the brain. Endocrine glands are little organs that produce hormones that then travel in the bloodstream to lock into receptors in the ovaries that then stimulate egg growth and the production of oestrogen and progesterone.This flow of hormones from the brain to the ovaries regulates your menstrual cycle and the levels of oestrogen and progesterone. The Hypothalamus and Pituitary glands in the brain also produce the hormones that stimulate the both the adrenal glands to produce cortisol in times of stress, and, the thyroid for optimal thyroid function. This flow of hormones is a finely tuned and connected orchestra, nothing happens in isolation.
Extra stress, inflammation, immune function can all have a very large impact on your female hormone profile.
This is a checklist to understand of what I look at in clinic to understand your menstrual cycle:
your hormone levels at designated times of the month so that correct interpretation of what is going on for you - oestrogen, progesterone, prolactin, SHBG, androgens
If you are suspecting PCOS have you tested insulin and glucose tolerance test to determine extent of insulin resistance, and a full hormone profile as above
If you have oestrogenic type symptoms have you looked at your liver health and function, and your bowel health ie gut health, for detoxificationa dn elimination of oestrogen
Vaginal health - recurrent UTI’s and bouts of thrush or discharge
And so many questions about your flow, your PMS symptoms, your moods, your energy, your sleep, your joy for life, your stress…..I want to get to know you and what makes you tick. Because you are unique and beautiful and deserve to be feeling your best.
Working with your healthcare providers is also important. Intravaginal ultrasound, laparoscopy and surgeries provide diagnostic understanding of what is happening for you, and surgery can be necessary to restore balance when your body is overwhelmed. Naturopathic care at these times can support recovery and reduce recurrence.
FERTILITY
A few short words about fertility, your fertility. Fertility is about you and conceiving, pregnancy, birth and beyond. A healthy menstrual cycle is the first step for ensuring optimal fertility. Preconception care for a minimum of 3 months prior to conception is not about taking a prenatal vitamin, or just falling pregnant - preconception care is about optimising your and your partners health for healthy egg, sperm, conception, pregnancy, birth and beyond.
These are some statistics with regards to fertility. I am not listing these statistics to scare you, but to empower you so that you are not one of these statistics. Connecting with your monthly cycle establishes your fertility and wellness.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises infertility as a worldwide public health issue affecting approximately 10-15% of men and women of reproductive age trying to conceive; the trajectory of these statistics is climbing each year.(1)
Currently, 1 in 6 couples in Australia are unable to conceive without medical intervention due to a blend of male, female, combined or unexplained factors.(2)
Female factor infertility (primary and secondary) makes up approximately 30% of cases and while the causes vary and can be multifactorial, the leading causes are ovulatory disorders.(1,3)
Anovulation or Suboptimal Ovarian Response
This is a bit more science if this interests you. Lack of ovulation, or inappropriate ovarian response will result in ammenhorrea or oligomenorrhea, no menstrual cycle or cycles longer than 35 days. If this is happening for you then in clinic we undertake hormonal testing, as listed above, to determine the cause.
3 categories to consider:
The first category accounts for about 10% of ovulatory dysfunction and relates to amenorrhoea (loss of the menstrual cycle) due to hypothalmic-pituitary failure, ie failure of the glands in the brain to secrete the hormones that stimulate the ovaries. This is considered either primary, the absence of menses by age 15 years, and secondary amenorrhea is the absence of or gaps between menstrual cycles in a previously menstruating woman.
The second category is more common and accounts for 85% of ovulatory disorders and involves a dysfunction of the hypothalmic-pituitary-ovarian axis. This group includes conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and conditions arising from significant weight gain or loss, and other disorders arising from dysfunction in the endocrine system involving hormones such as prolactin and cortisol.
The third group is ovarian sufficiency which affects around 5% of women. This may occur due to genetic causes, or autoimmune thyroiditis, endometriosis, and environmental toxin exposure. Cancer treatment, hormone therapies, antidepressants, medications for rheumatoid arthritis.
Understand that if there is a level of ovarian dysfunction then flow on effects to other areas of your health, including mental health may occur. Fluctuations in hormones, particular low progesterone levels in anovulatory cycles, can affect neurotransmitter levels, and result in negative influences on the stress response, resilience, sleep and mood.
NATUROPATHIC CLINIC FOR MENSTRUAL CYCLE HEALTH, WELLNESS AND FERTILITY
Naturopathic clinic allows time for a deep dive into your health.
Assessing your biochemistry with blood tests, and assessing testing already undertaken by your healthcare provider, or what have you tried in the past. Looking at your health history, your digestion and gut health, immune health, your diet, sleep, stress and lifestyle.
Treatment with the food you eat, herbal medicine and nutritional supplementation where necessary, to restore your balance - for healthy mind, body and spirit, the physical and the mental.
Reach out if you have any questions, and are wondering whether naturopathic medicine can help you.
References
Kanyada Koysombat AA& WSD. Current pharmacotherapy and future directions for neuroendocrine causes of female infertility. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2022;24(1):37-47.
Tanmay Bagade, Kailash Thapaliya, Erica Breuer RK, Zhuoyang Li ES& TM. Investigating the association between infertility and psychological distress using Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH). Sci Rep. 2022;12(10808).
Sasha Mikhael APP and LGJ. Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian Axis Disorders Impacting Female Fertility. Biomedicines. 2019;7(5).
