Period Problems? The Answer Lies in Your Hormones
One woman’s experience of periods often differs from the next. Periods can range from painful, to irregular, to non-existent. So what explains this variation?
Well, your period is an expression of your underlying health. Think of it as a monthly report card that provides a snapshot of your health at a particular point in time. When your period runs smoothly, it is generally an indication of good health, whereas a disrupted and irregular menstrual cycle or painful periods may be a sign of poor health. Therefore, charting your menstrual cycles is a good way of monitoring your overall health.
If you suffer from pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), painful periods (dysmenorrhea), absence of menstruation (amenorrhea), breast pain, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis, it is the result of underlying hormonal imbalance. This imbalance can stem from diet and lifestyle habits and environmental factors such as exposure to toxic metals and chemicals.
There is growing research indicating that exposure to chemicals known as xenoestrogens can disrupt our body’s regulation of hormones. These xenoestrogens encompass a range of harmful chemicals used in a countless array of plastics, domestic goods, foods, drugs, cosmetics and insecticides. The xenoestrogens from these products are absorbed into our body when we consume food and beverages, apply creams, makeup and shampoos to our skin and even inhale particles from window and floor coverings around the home. When xenoestrogens enter the body, they mimic our oestrogen hormones, blocking or binding our hormone receptors. This disrupts our hormones and causes harm to the reproductive system, including our menstrual cycles.
Among the most widely used xenoestrogens is ethynylestradiol, a type of synthetic oestrogen commonly found in hormonal birth control medications such as the oral contraceptive pill, Mirena, patches and injections. Ironically, these same medications are freely prescribed to treat the symptoms of the hormonal imbalance which drive menstrual disorders. While birth control medications are effective at eliminating the symptoms of hormonal imbalance — for example, by relieving pain — they do not remedy the underlying hormonal imbalance and thus only provide a band aid effect.
In fact, birth control medications have a dramatic effect on your hormones. For example, the pill works by switching off your natural hormones and replacing them with its own synthetic hormones. Whilst these synthetic hormones may alleviate symptoms of hormonal imbalance, they don’t address the root cause of the hormonal imbalance and may adversely impact fertility.
An alternative approach for treating complications with your periods is to address the underlying hormonal imbalance. Changes to diet and lifestyle may help but, in most cases, supplementation is often needed to detoxify and balance your hormones. Not only does this approach work to support your body’s natural hormonal function, but it avoids the adverse side-effects that come with birth control medications.
Essential Wellness Studio is here to help you overcome your period issues and restore your hormonal health.