Teen Rap: Hormone Facts Adults Don’t Always Know By Dr. Loretta
Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP
Are you wondering how to handle your body’s changes, acne, mood
swings, anger, or just plain stress? Here’s the scoop—there’s a
possible solution to these symptoms of hormonal problems that is
simple to determine and inexpensive, too.
Stressing Out Teens today experience many hormonal imbalance
symptoms as a result of the pressures of being a teen today. Too
often you’re exposed to chemicals in foods and in the
environment from pesticides, plastics, beauty products,
cleaners, and lawn and garden chemicals, just to name a few
sources. Water alone can contain hormones. You’re exposed to so
much junk food, fast food, and soda. Dairy products and farmed
fish have added hormones and antibiotics. Antibiotics to control
yeast and acne also stress the body. Your body can be overloaded
by the time you enter your teen years.
Many of you are being put on birth control pills to control
premenstrual syndrome (PMS)— symptoms that occur before or at
the beginning of your period--or to prevent pregnancy. Or maybe
you’re on medication for ADD or depression.
Then there’s all the stress that a typical teenager today is
under with school work, social life, dating, sports,
expectations to “be the best,” high achievement pressure, summer
school, get into college, etc. Your home environment might be
stressing you with sibling arguments, disagreements with
parents, a death in the family, alcoholism, an unexpected
divorce, or a parent running off. Or you’re helping a friend
going through some of these issues and share their pain. The
list is endless.
What Happens to the Body Adrenal glands, which regulate the
hormones in your body, do a good job under normal circumstances.
But too much stress creates hormonal imbalances, which then
creates emotional instability. Your adrenals can get exhausted,
then can cause hormone imbalances, or hormone imbalances can
cause adrenal exhaustion. Regardless of the cause, the results
are the same.
So to handle all of the stress, your adrenals produce a large
amount of a steroid called cortisol. This over production leads
to a huge reduction of the hormone progesterone. When this
happens, another hormone estrogen takes over. So now two
hormones are affected. They have become unbalanced.
Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance Below are symptoms of this
imbalance. These can occur anytime:
• Abdominal bloating • Abdominal cramping • Accident proneness,
coordination difficulties • Acne, hives • Aggression, rage,
anger • Anxiety, irritability, suicidal thoughts • Asthma • Back
pain • Breast swelling and pain • Bruising • Confusion •
Depression, withdrawal from others, emotional liability • Edema
• Exacerbation of preexisting conditions (lupus, arthritis,
ulcers, herpes, etc.) • Excessive sleep patterns, fatigue,
lethargy • Fainting • Food binges, salt cravings, sweet cravings
• Headache, migraine • Heart palpitations • Insomnia • Joint
swelling and pain • Nausea • Seizures • Sinus problems • Sore
throat • Urinary difficulties
What Can Be Done Progesterone can greatly improve overall
hormone balance. Natural progesterone is safe and non-toxic.
It’s a natural hormone to the body with no undesirable side
effects, when used as directed. It can be bought over the
counter, so no prescription is needed. Progesterone helps to
balance the effects of hormone imbalances, and has a calming
effect on the nervous system. Some teens notice a leveling off
of their emotions when they get their progesterone levels up to
where they should be. Many of the symptoms listed above
disappear quickly within the first couple of weeks of use.
At Oasis Advanced Wellness we offer hormone saliva testing kits
that allow you to test yourself within the comfort of your own
home. With test results, you can determine your need for natural
HRT. The use of natural progesterone in combination with
lifestyle changes often improves symptoms and general health and
well being. Be sure to work with your healthcare professional in
determining dosages. For more information go to:
www.menopause-pms-progesterone and www.oasisserene.com
It’s never too early to learn how to take care of your body.
Education allows you to understand and take control of your
health. Prevention is always the best way.
About Author :
Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP is a Doctor of Naturopath,
Clinical Nutritionist and Holistic Health Practitioner in the
Houston, TX area and Founder / CEO of Oasis Advanced Wellness.
Dr. Lanphier is Editor of the worldwide E-newsletter Advanced
Health & Wellness. www.oasisadvancedwellness.com Be sure and
visit our hormonal balancing site at
www.menopause-pms-progesterone.org and www.oasisserene.com