Ever feel like something’s just not right with your health? You visited your doctor, they ran some tests, and they told you everything looked “normal”.
But yet, you still feel off. The cause could be something that traditional medicine often fails to fully diagnose and address: hormonal imbalance.
But what is a hormonal imbalance? What causes it? And, most importantly, how can you fix it?
If you’re dealing with hormone imbalances and seeking a natural solution, functional medicine might be what you need.
At Alive and Well, a functional medicine clinic in Austin, we have been addressing hormonal imbalances for years.
Read on to discover how functional medicine can correct your hormonal imbalances and help you feel well again.
Note: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for specific health concerns.
Understanding Hormones
Before we look at ways to help hormonal imbalances, it’s important to understand what hormones are and how they work.
What Are Hormones?
In simple terms, hormones are chemicals that control the processes your body needs to live and function. Hormones play an essential role in:
- Growth and development
- Metabolism
- Sexual function
- Blood pressure regulation
- Blood sugar regulation
- Body temperature regulation
- Sleep-wake cycle
- Reproduction
- Mood
The endocrine system makes and releases most hormones. But other organs and tissues in your body also release hormones, including the kidneys, liver, gut, and fat tissue.
You may be familiar with some of the better-known hormones, such as:
- Melatonin – Melatonin helps you feel sleepy. Your brain produces this hormone in response to darkness.
- Insulin – Insulin helps your body get energy from food and regulates blood sugar levels. Your pancreas makes this hormone naturally.
- Testosterone – Testosterone is an important sex hormone for male reproductive health, as well as bone health in both men and women. It’s produced in the testes in men and the ovaries and adrenal glands in women.
- Estrogen – Estrogen is an important sex hormone for female reproductive health, bone density, and blood sugar levels. It’s produced in the ovaries in women and the testes in men.
In total, scientists have identified over 50 hormones in humans. They influence nearly every system in your body, so even small changes in hormone levels can seriously affect your health.
For this reason, fixing hormonal imbalances can be life-changing.
What Does Balanced Hormone Health Feel Like?
When your hormones are “balanced”, it means your body is producing the right amount. A hormonal imbalance happens when your body produces too much or too little of a hormone.
Signs that your hormones are balanced include:
- Restful sleep
- Healthy weight
- Clear skin
- Balanced mood
- Normal hair growth
However, it’s possible to have hormonal imbalances without obvious symptoms. The best way to be sure is to get the proper lab tests.
Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance
Hormones are very complex. So it can be difficult to diagnose hormonal imbalances without comprehensive medical testing.
Often, patients come in with various symptoms without realizing they’re connected to hormonal issues. But in general, these symptoms could indicate a hormonal imbalance:
- Low energy
- Mood fluctuations (anxiety, depression)
- Acne
- Thinning hair or excessive hair growth
- Weight gain
- Inflammation
- Digestive and detoxification issues
- Heavy menstrual flow
- Low libido (sex drive)
- Fertility challenges
Note that many other diseases and disorders can cause these symptoms.
Our functional medicine team can help you rule out other causes and offer the right support options.
Causes of Hormonal Imbalances
Identifying a hormonal imbalance is an essential first step to healing. But after that, the next step is finding the cause.
Since hormones affect nearly every system in your body, it can be challenging to identify the cause of an imbalance. But here are some common causes:
- Dietary habits and nutritional deficiencies
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Poor hormone clearance (the body can’t eliminate excess hormones effectively)
- Stress
- Adrenal dysfunction
- Gut microbiome imbalances
- Environmental toxins
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Chronic inflammation
These causes are the most common, but this is a non-exhaustive list. The best way to find the cause of your hormonal imbalance is to get the right examination and testing from a medical professional.
Conventional Medicine vs. Functional Medicine for Hormonal Balance
It’s typical for conventional medicine providers to prescribe hormone therapy or antidepressants when a patient is dealing with a hormone imbalance:
- Hormone therapy – Hormones via pill, injection, or cream.
- Antidepressants – A class of medication used to treat mental health conditions. Providers usually choose these medications to help with hormonal mood fluctuations.
Although these medications are successful for some, they often don’t target the root cause of the imbalance.
Conventional medicine views your hormone levels as either normal or abnormal. This simplistic approach can overlook underlying causes such as:
- Stress
- Environmental toxins
- Diet and nutrition
- Genetics
- Lifestyle issues
Functional medicine takes a different approach. A functional medicine provider looks at the whole picture of how your systems interact with one another. This includes comprehensive lab testing, but it doesn’t stop there.
At Alive and Well, our functional medicine clinic in Austin, our providers understand the complexities of hormone imbalances, including that they hide in “normal” test results. Our providers work tirelessly with you to understand your symptoms, lab results, and lifestyle.
Our providers will examine how your hormones, immune system, microbiome, nervous system, and reproductive system interact before prescribing medications.
They may even recommend exercise plans, nutrition plans, and overall lifestyle changes.
How Does Functional Medicine Work for Hormonal Balance?
If you’re considering functional medicine to help your hormonal imbalance, you probably have lots of questions. So let’s take a closer look at how functional medicine can help your hormone health.
The first thing to know is that functional medicine looks at your whole body, not just individual systems. Every person’s body is different, so your specific therapy plan will vary.
But at Alive and Well, our providers typically reach for the following holistic therapies when a patient comes in with hormonal balance issues:
Reducing Inflammation
Inflammation happens when your body detects something that doesn’t belong, like a virus or toxin. Inflammation itself isn’t bad. It’s a natural part of how your body fights infection and heals.
But if you have chronic (long-term) inflammation, it can harm your health and well-being.
For example, inflammation from chronic stress can lead to high levels of the hormone cortisol. This can cause symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, and a suppressed immune system.
Your functional medicine doctor can recommend a number of steps to reduce inflammation, including:
- Supplements
- Exercise
- Anti-inflammatory diet
- Detoxification
- Weight management
- Stress reduction (such as meditation, massage, breathing exercises, or talk therapy)
Healing Gut Health
A healthy gut is the foundation of good health, so it’s one of the first areas our providers look at when evaluating a patient.
Scientists are still studying the effects of gut health on hormone production and balance.
But we know an unhealthy gut is associated with obesity, depression, and anxiety. Because these can also be symptoms of hormonal imbalance, a conventional medicine provider might overlook the underlying gut-related causes.
Ways to maintain a healthy gut include:
- A varied diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Regular exercise
- Stress management
- Supplements such as probiotics
Supporting Mitochondrial Health
As you may remember from high school biology, mitochondria are the “powerhouse of the cell”. They turn the food you eat into the chemical energy (ATP) your cells need to function. Healthy mitochondria are critical for overall health.
Mitochondria play an important role in producing hormones such as estrogen. So a problem with mitochondrial health can lead to problems with hormonal balance.
Some ways you can keep your mitochondria healthy include:
- Avoiding exposure to toxins
- Exercise
- Eating a balanced diet
- Supplements such as methylene blue
- Ozone therapy
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy isn’t the first thing a functional medicine provider will choose to treat hormonal imbalance. Before that, they’ll address other aspects of functional health.
But if they’ve ruled out other causes, then your provider may recommend hormone replacement therapy. This involves giving a patient hormones to replace the ones the body has trouble making naturally.
For instance, your provider may administer the hormones estrogen and progesterone to help with menopause and perimenopause.
Be aware that not all hormone replacement therapies are the same. At Alive and Well, we only use bioidentical hormones, which are chemically identical to the ones produced by your body.
This is in contrast to the synthetic hormones many conventional providers use, which can be harmful in the long term.
Benefits of Functional Medicine for Hormonal Balance
Why should you choose functional medicine to address your hormonal imbalance? Functional medicine offers several benefits:
Personalized
Conventional medicine takes a one-size-fits-all approach to health. Functional medicine, in contrast, knows that every body is different.
Your functional medicine doctor will take the time to get to know you and your specific health situation. From there, they’ll craft a personalized support plan to help balance your hormones.
The result is a program that improves your long-term health.
Holistic and Comprehensive Approach
Conventional therapies for hormonal imbalance focus on lab tests and prescribing medications. While both of these approaches can be useful, they aren’t the only (or even always the best) options.
Functional medicine looks at the whole picture, not just your endocrine system. Among other things, your provider will consider your:
- Diet
- Adrenal health
- Blood sugar
- Hormone clearance
Fix Causes, Not Just Symptoms
To truly heal, you need to address the root causes of your hormonal imbalance. Yet many conventional providers only focus on fixing the symptoms.
This approach can help you feel better in the short term. But without addressing the causes, your symptoms may come back later.
Functional medicine goes deeper, helping you see lasting improvements in your hormone health.
Empowering to Patients
A typical doctor visit can leave you feeling discouraged and frustrated. Your health can feel out of your control, as if your only options are medication or learning to live with your symptoms.
Functional medicine takes a different approach.
We focus on empowering patients to actively participate in managing their hormonal health.
Long-term Impact
Functional medicine includes accessible lifestyle changes that you can implement throughout the rest of your life, leading to long-term impact.
It also goes to the root causes of illness and supports holistic health, making sure the benefits last long term.
Leading Functional Medicine Clinic for Hormonal Balance in Austin, TX
If you are based in the Austin region and looking for a functional medicine clinic for hormonal imbalance, visit our office. We also have offices in Dallas and Boulder.
Our Approach to Functional Medicine for Hormonal Balance
Our functional medicine approach is designed with your personal health requirements in mind. We start with thorough health assessments to identify your body’s specific needs.
Our team of functional medicine experts creates a personalized health plan that may include dietary guidance, lifestyle changes, and cutting-edge therapies.
With our approach, patients may see changes in 30 days, but everyone is different.
Who Can Benefit from Functional Medicine for Hormonal Balance?
Many different patients can benefit from functional medicine for hormonal balance. We have therapies specific for:
Adults
Adults struggling with chronic fatigue, weight management, acne, hair loss, and mood disorders can all benefit from our functional medicine for adults program.
Women
Functional medicine for hormonal balance can help women experiencing PCOS, Post Birth Control Syndrome, Endometriosis, PMS, and PMDD.
Fixing hormonal balance can also help with menopause, perimenopause, and infertility.
Our clinic has several providers who specialize in women’s hormone health:
- Lauren Colleti, FNP
- Dr. Roxanne Pero, MD, FACOG, DIPABLM
- Karla Mehlenbacher, DC, DACNB, FIBFN, FABBIR
- Melanie Shafranek, FNTP
Men
For men experiencing low testosterone, correcting hormonal balance can help with low sperm count, low energy, decreased muscle mass, and erectile dysfunction (ED).
We have a provider who specializes in men’s hormone health: Daniel Chege, FNP.
Hormonal Imbalance Conditions Addressed by Functional Medicine
Our providers can help support many conditions related to hormonal imbalance. Our areas of emphasis include:
- Longevity
- Regenerative Medicine
- Allergies
- Anxiety, Depression, and Mood Disorders
- Autoimmune Disorders
- Female Hormone Imbalance (including PCOS, Post Birth Control Syndrome, Endometriosis, PMS, PMDD)
- Digestive Disorders
- Fatigue
- Menopause and Perimenopause
- Infertility and Preconception
- Food Sensitivities
- Hair Loss
- Insomnia
- Thyroid Conditions (Hashimoto’s, Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, Goiter)
- Skin Rashes and Acne
- Mold Illness and CIRS
- And many other conditions
Experience our integrative and holistic medicine services and deepen your connection with your wellness and healing journey. Schedule your consultation today.
