How does hormone health impact your immune system?

With all of us trying to stay healthy and avoid getting sick, it seems like everyone is willing to try anything to strengthen their immune system for better protection from disease. Many adopt a healthy lifestyle by eating better and getting more exercise. Others stock up on supplements. And some try getting more sleep. But few people realize that all of these habits may not be enough if your hormones are unbalanced. That’s because your hormones have a direct effect on the strength of your immune system. See, balanced hormones equal better immunity. If you’re experiencing hormonal imbalance, it’s more important than ever to discover the root and the remedy to keep your immune system strong and tip the scales in favor of better health. 

The Balancing Act Between Hormones and Your Immunity

So how do your hormones affect your health and your life? Well, hormones are chemical messengers produced by your body that regulate many processes, from your mood and your energy level, to your blood pressure, appetite, sex drive, physical performance—and yes, your immune system. As a result, hormones control how you feel and function.

The Impact of an Imbalance

The hormones that play the biggest role in our health and our quality of life are estrogen, progesterone and androgens like testosterone. As we age, our body’s natural levels of these hormones can drastically fluctuate. This sudden shift can also result from menopause, obesity and other medical conditions.

No matter the cause, the result is a hormonal imbalance that completely disrupts the many processes that your hormones normally control. That’s why so many women and men that have a hormonal imbalance experience fatigue, weight gain, mood swings, loss of sex drive, lack of strength—and yes, a weakened immune system which leaves you more likely to feel run down and makes it harder to stay healthy.

Don’t Get Mad, Get Even

You should never ignore a hormonal imbalance. Not only because the symptoms are too uncomfortable to ignore, but because one of the processes it impacts and impairs is your immune system. And the longer your hormones are out of whack, the harder they are to get back in sync. So if you’re trying to boost your immunity but your hormones are unbalanced, you can take an alphabet of vitamin supplements or completely change your lifestyle, but nothing you do may do any good.

Help for Hormonal Imbalance

If you’re worried about a hormonal imbalance, you need to speak to a healthcare provider, like New Leaf Wellness, to discuss your different options. One possible and popular treatment is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Several studies support its benefits, with research showing that estrogen plays an important role in a woman’s immune response, along with medical evidence that HRT can reverse the hormonal changes that women naturally face after menopause. Another alternative is nutrient IV therapy, which infuses high doses of vitamins and minerals directly into your bloodstream to help support and strengthen your immune system. But only your New Leaf Wellness provider can help you find the remedy that’s right for you.

Take the Next Step

By getting to the root of the issue and getting your hormones back in balance, you will be able to get your immune system and your life back on track. Set up a FREE consult today!

New Leaf Wellness offers comprehensive, individualized, and a healing approach to total wellness and age management. By focusing on customized medicine, New Leaf Wellness helps patients earlier in the aging process in order to help prevent, rather than treat age-related issues. Dr Robert Sieman, Medical Director, is dedicated to helping patients identify the root causes of any issues in order to restore the body to its peak performance, alleviate symptoms and ultimately, reverse the effects of aging and prevent age-related diseases. New Leaf Wellness creates personalized treatment plans with proven, effective and safe anti-aging solutions that include highly advanced testing, bioidentical hormone therapy, nutrient therapy, sexual health programs, medical aesthetics, weight loss and much more.

Effects of Low Estrogen

Estrogen is an essential hormone so the effects can be quite wide-ranging. Learn about just what all the effects are of low estrogen.

Symptoms of low estrogen may include the following:

  • Irregular periods: Estrogen is one of the main hormones driving the menstrual cycle. Low estrogen may lead to missed or irregular periods.
  • Infertility: Low estrogen levels can prevent ovulation and make getting pregnant difficult, leading to infertility.
  • Weak bones: Estrogen helps keep the bones healthful and strong. As estrogen levels decrease, bone loss may occur. For example, women who are post-menopausal are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis and bone fractures.
  • Painful intercourse: Estrogen can affect vaginal lubrication. If levels become too low, vaginal dryness can occur, which often leads to painful sex.
  • Hot flashes: Hot flashes often happen during menopause due to low estrogen levels.
  • Depression: Estrogen is thought to increase serotonin, which is a chemical in the brain that boosts mood. Estrogen deficiency may cause a decline in serotonin that contributes to mood swings or depression.
  • Increase in urinary tract infections: Increased urinary tract infections may occur due to the thinning of the tissue in the urethra, which can develop with decreased estrogen.

See What Our Patients’ Are Saying About Their Experience With Our Comprehensive Natural Hormone Therapy Program >>

Effect on Weight

Hormones including estrogen can play a role in weight management and how much fat the body stores. Low estrogen levels, such as during perimenopause and menopause, may contribute to weight gain.

The areas where women store fat may also change during menopause. Typically, women store fat in their hips and thighs. But that changes as estrogen levels drop. According to the Journal of Climacteric, the decrease in estrogen at midlife is associated with an increase in abdominal fat.

Although weight gain due to low estrogen levels is typical, it does not have to be inevitable. Eating a healthful diet and getting regular exercise can help women reduce their chances of weight gain.

“I always wondered why at such a young age my energy, concentration, and libido were so low. How could a 25 year old not have any desire?! Natural Hormone Therapy saved my sanity. I no longer wondered why I was different. Knowing that other women and men struggled with the same issues was comforting. I have never doubted the effectiveness of NHT. This is one aspect of my life I will never give up. I hope other men and women can find what I was looking for at New Leaf.”

– Amanda L., New Leaf Wellness Patient

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of low estrogen often starts with a physical exam, medical history, and a review of symptoms. Telltale indicators of low estrogen include hot flashes and missed periods. But some of these symptoms can also occur as a result of other conditions, including thyroid problems.

To determine the cause of low estrogen, New Leaf Wellness does a blood test to check hormone levels. The Provider may also recommend additional tests to rule out other conditions that might be causing symptoms similar to low estrogen.

What Should You Do Now?

Don’t wait. Contact us today and start living your best life. Fill out the form below to schedule an appointment with us.

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NLW Patient Testimonial: Meet J.M.

Meet J.M.

New Leaf Wellness is proud of our patient’s success, and it makes it why we’re so passionate about educating and learning to live your life better. J.M. came into our office with a very common issue, and so we are proud to share his patient testimonial so that it may help others.

J.M. is a 55 year old fireman and over the past few years he had noticed that he could not run in and out of buildings like he used to. He found himself getting irritated more easily and felt like he had passed his peak. Even though he was working out, he had a difficult time building muscle. He even noticed a little muscle loss and a hard time losing fat.

We see a lot of patients initially accepting the feeling of ‘degenerating’ is just a part of aging….. this is why we’re so thankful for J.M. sharing his patient testimonial.

J.M. was examined by his primary doctor and was told that his lab work was normal and that he was just getting older. Luckily, he did not accept that as fact and sought out help. His hormone lab work was definitely not optimal.

Did you know that in a typical routine blood exam, hormone counts are not even reviewed? Do you know where your hormone levels? And if they are optimal?

What You Need To Know

Normal ranges at the labs are determined by testing a part of the population and then coming up with the average numbers. But what happens when the people they are testing are out of balance hormonally? In modern society, the average person does have a hormonal imbalance and this results in the “normal” lab values being incorrect.

Your hormone lab values may be interpreted as “normal” when in actuality they are low–the imbalance is missed simply because the “normal” lab values are incorrect. The medical profession gets pressured from many angles and most doctors are hesitant to look outside the “normal” values. They tend to accept the “normal” lab values without question. They forget to really look at the person and see that there is a hormonal imbalance. They are simply not questioning the validity of the “normal” values. This is not their fault–due to the nature of insurances, they do not have the luxury of time to treat “outside the box”.

Hormonal imbalances exhibit specific symptoms and it takes time to get to know the patient and determine what he/she requires to achieve and maintain proper balance.

Lab work is just a piece of information, and it needs to be interpreted looking at optimal values, not the “normal” values.

Optimal lab values are the values we see in people who are functioning at a high level and feel great. Unfortunately, these values can be flagged as “abnormal” on lab results. This can scare the uninformed. “Abnormal” is often optimal. Look around you at the general population’s health. This is a sad truth.

The goal of proper hormone balancing is to get rid of your symptoms and prevent future medical issues like dementia, heart disease, certain cancers, osteoporosis, etc. This is only possible by taking the time and investing in yourself by seeking the help of a specially trained hormone specialist.

The truth is we can share about our services and show proven methods, but it is a patient testimonial like J.M. that really inspire us all to understand just how life changing hormone balancing can be.

How NLW Helped J.M.

When J.M. came across New Leaf Wellness, he got the lab results he needed to see. He was found to have a significant Testosterone deficiency. We also found a B-12 deficiency and slight thyroid imbalance. Once these deficiencies were corrected, he regained his vitality. His workouts are creating a muscle gain and fat loss. J.M has the energy to enjoy his free time and is now really living his life thanks to his treatment at New Leaf Wellness. And we’re so thankful we were able to aid in J.M. living life better!

For more patient testimonials, visit our pages by clicking the links below.

Testimonials from MEN

Testimonials from WOMEN

To learn more about how to get the RIGHT lab results, give us a call or contact us TODAY!