Zoom H. Heaton

Do you have heavy menstrual bleeding, depression, fatigue, and headaches? Are you anxious, irritable, moody, can’t sleep, have pain and inflammation? And on top of all this, you can’t lose those stubborn, unwanted pounds! These are common symptoms of progesterone deficiency. These same symptoms are also characteristic of hypothyroidism.   The reason why many women develop hypothyroidism during peri- and menopausal stages is that they lose progesterone, a vital hormone that activates an important enzyme responsible for thyroid function. Natural progesterone is the hormone produced by a woman’s ovary. It is not the synthetic version commonly dispensed by pharmacies as tablets with a prescription such as Provera® (medroxyprogesterone). Progesterone does more

Being a woman in the 21st century is tough, especially when endometriosis is afflicting 10% of all peri-menopausal women; premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is rising and afflicting close to 30% of peri-menopausal women; uterine fibroids are affecting close to 25% of women from age 35 to 50; and breast cancer is afflicting close to 10% of all women. Imagine starting out in your youth with endometriosis, PMS and fibrocystic breasts then progressing to uterine fibroids, hysterectomy, misguided hormone replacement and ultimately breast cancer as your menopause approaches. I don’t know about you but this journey sounds terrifying to me. Scientific evidence is mounting that hormone disruption is a major cause of

We can’t seem to get away from stress! It’s imbedded in our lives like taxes and death. Stress can come in many different forms, whether it be family tragedies or friction, finances, work, health, or just plain aging. Stress affects all of us but we feel it more prominently when we are going through the change with our hormones! Hormones play specific roles in our health and well-being. Some of our hormones are sexual in nature, but hormones play a whole range of other functions as well. When our hormones are balanced, we feel energetic and alive. However, as we age, our hormones decline in number and function, throwing us

Many women between the ages of 35 to 55 come into my office complaining of extreme fatigue or “crashing fatigue” where there is a rush of exhaustion and the feeling of being drained of energy. They typically tell me this crashing fatigue is debilitating because it prevents them from carrying out the simplest of everyday tasks. Along with feeling overwhelmed with deep tiredness, their crashing fatigue can come with its own set of challenging symptoms including irritability, reduced enthusiasm about life, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, frequent hunger, inability to sleep well, racing thoughts at night, waking up tired, and feeling overwhelmed, anxious or emotionally stressed. Many say they’re tired

We all know how hormones play such an integral part in our daily lives. They regulate everything from a person’s blood pressure to how well they sleep at night. Hormones affect how we feel, our appetite, metabolism, fertility, reproduction, and even the regulation of pain. These chemical messengers are produced throughout the body. Through their communication with our organs and with one another, they help maintain a balance designed to keep us happy and healthy. The delicate balance of hormones can be disrupted in both men and women of any age, though it is most commonly seen in adults beyond middle age. How do you know you might be out

The biggest complaint from women going through the “change” is the inability to sleep. Without restful sleep, our bodies cannot heal properly, increasing our risk for dangerous medical conditions like heart disease and cancers. There are many reasons in present-day society as to why we cannot sleep, such as stress, emotional turmoil, and environmental factors. However, for women approaching menopause, sleep disturbances are likely to be caused by hormonal imbalances. Hormones Involved In Maintaining Sleep Estrogen is a sleep-maintaining hormone. An upset in estrogen balance is common during peri-menopause and menopause, resulting in one’s inability to get a full night’s sleep. Progesterone plays a role in maintaining and calming the

Are you between the ages of 35 and 49 years of age and have gone through either early natural menopause or a surgical one? Are you having bothersome symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, headaches, and memory loss, and are afraid to try hormone replacement therapy? Good news! There is new research endorsing hormone replacement among women going through menopause before age 50. Reason for Reluctance Many women remain reluctant to use hormone therapy (HT) due in large part to the halted government-sponsored Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Program in 2002. This study focused on a drug Prempro® (which contains synthetic estrogen and synthetic progesterone or progestin). The study was

Many women complain to me about hair loss. The majority of them are in the perimenopause and menopausal phases of their lives. It is interesting to note that during these phases, hormonal imbalance tends to be in play along with other factors like stress, medications (birth control pills and synthetic hormones), thyroid dysfunction, and poor diet and lifestyle choices. Let’s explore some common causes of hormonal imbalance related to hair loss. Progesterone and Estrogen Levels Out of Balance During perimenopause, our vital hormones like estrogen and progesterone begin to decline in production. Unfortunately, when progesterone levels get too low, estrogen dominance (a state of having too much estrogen in one’s

It’s that time of year again. Children are back in school, football season starts, and cold and flu season begins! The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has released its guidelines for this flu season, and there are a few facts that you need to know. Composition of Influenza Vaccine The composition of the influenza vaccine for 2015-16 is different from the vaccines released in 2014-15. The influenza A H1N1 virus is the same. The changes are in the influenza A H3N2 virus and the influenza B virus. The second B virus in the quadrivalent vaccine will be the same one used in the quadrivalent vaccine of 2014-15. As of this

Do you feel tired all the time? Is your memory failing you? Do you feel more depressed and moody? What if your bone density were declining and you didn’t know it until you had a fracture and it landed you in the hospital? These are some very common symptoms that occur as a result of drug-induced nutrient depletion. A little known but life-saving fact is that common medications deplete your body of a host of vital nutrients essential to your health. Nearly 50 percent of all American adults regularly take at least one prescription drug and 20 percent take three or more. Unfortunately our increasing reliance on prescription medications has contributed