Thursday, May 30, 2013

Bleeding After Menopause is Actually Quite Common - But What Are the Causes?


Okay, you are having all of the symptoms, mood swings, hot flashes, night sweats, memory lapses, loss of libido, weight gain and more and you think 'wow, I'm definitely in menopause' and boom, you have another period after months of having no periods at all. Perhaps there is something wrong, or perhaps this is perfectly normal, but the bottom line is that no woman wants to see Bleeding After Menopause because it is typically proof positive that they are going to have to start counting the days again until they are officially post menopausal.

Bleeding After Menopause is actually quite common and there is usually no reason to get overly worried if this happens. In most cases bleeding will occur because of the hormonal imbalance that is going on in the body, even if you are taking HRTs or natural supplements to help you manage your hormone levels. The bottom line is that your body is changing and some spotting or even a full blown period is perfectly natural during this time. It can be frustrating, especially if you have gone several months without a period, but there is no reason, generally, to get too worked up over this common occurrence.

However, if you are experiencing Bleeding After Menopause and it has been more than four months since your last period, then you will want to visit your doctor as soon as possible (you should see your doctor regardless of the time between periods, but after four months it can be indicative of a more serious health problem). If you are taking HRTs and your body is also producing estrogen you could be endangering your future health because of the flood of estrogen in your body. Also, it could be an indicator of false menopause and your doctor will need to check you for other medical issues that could have caused your period to initially cease.

While there many reasons that you could experience Bleeding After Menopause, the most common reason is hormonal imbalance, which can typically be corrected with a change in your medication, whether it is an HRT or a natural remedy. A trip to your doctor is always a good idea in these cases to ensure that you are in your best possible health and that there are no underlying causes for this to happen.

Disadvantages of Human Growth Hormone


Human growth hormone (HGH) is secreted by the pituitary gland that is located in the brain. This hormone is extremely important as it regulates growth and development. In children, HGH facilitates normal growth, while in adults it plays an important role in metabolism.

Today, after a lot of studies and research, it has been found HGH can also reverse muscle wasting common in AIDS patients. In addition, doctors claim that it can slow down the aging process. However, this claim has not been proven scientifically.

Earlier, artificial HGH was made by removing the pituitary gland from cadavers. However, as science advanced, genetic engineering was used to produce artificial or synthetic HGH using live cell culture. This manufacturing process is extremely complex and expensive and that is why HGH injections available today are very costly.

Artificial HGH is given to children whose pituitary gland does not produce sufficient amounts of growth hormone. Even adults can have pituitary problems and the hormone is prescribed to them. Athletes take the hormone to facilitate muscle growth and build stamina.

The use of human growth hormone has increased dramatically because the manufacturers claim that it can cure just about every ailment. Many of these claims are false and misleading, and if HGH is taken without proper medical supervision, it can have harmful side effects.

Human Growth Hormone Side Effects:
Here are the side effects of HGH if not supervised by a qualified doctor:

o Acromegaly
o Permanent heart enlargement
o Low blood sugar and this can increase the chances of slipping into a diabetic coma
o Unusual and excessive hair growth on the body
o Liver damage
o Thyroid damage
o Water retention

Acromegaly is condition that is characterized by overgrown facial bone and connective tissue. A person with acromegaly has protruding jaw and eyebrow bones, suffers from abnormal growth of hands and feet, and has excessive hair growth all over the body. The condition can lead to premature death.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

How Do Hormones Affect Bone And Muscle Recovery?


When bones and muscles are damaged, your body usually has the ability to recover by itself. It does this through the help of certain hormones. Below is a list of some hormones that help in bone and muscle recovery and their effect on the muscles and bones.

Let us first discuss the hormones affecting muscle recovery.

The first one in the list is testosterone. This hormone aids in muscle recovery by improving the protein synthesis in the body. Your muscles need protein in order to function well therefore protein synthesis is very important. This is the reason why a lot of experts recommend taking supplements before and after doing exercise routines. Supplements that provide amino acids to the body will help a lot in improving the effects of testosterones on muscle recovery.

The second one in the lust is insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is very important for people who have diabetes. It regulates the sugar level in the body. However, insulin does not only help in regulating the blood sugar level but it also helps in muscle recovery. When you exercise, your body produces more insulin. This way, your muscles get enough glucose and energy when doing your workout routines. Insulin also helps the body in transporting and absorbing amino acids in order to improve the protein synthesis. This is also the reason why experts do not recommend exercising with an empty stomach. You need carbs for energy.

The third one in the list is the growth hormone. This hormone also helps protein synthesis in the body. It also helps in increasing the production of insulin-like hormones that help in feeding the muscles during workouts. Both of them are helpful in the development of muscle and muscle fibers. There are some supplements available in the market to increase the production of the growth hormones.

Now that you know the hormones that are mainly responsible for muscle recovery, let us now discuss the hormones that affect bone recovery.

The first one in the list is the parathyroid hormone. This hormone is produced by the thyroid glands and is helpful in increasing the amount of calcium in your bloodstream. It is also responsible in bone resorption in your body.

The second one is calcitonin. Calcitonin and parathyroid hormones have opposite effects. Calcitonin works by lowering the amount of calcium in your bloodstream. As a result, this hormone aids in the formation of the bone tissues in your body and helps in treating different degenerative bone disorders such as osteoporosis.

The last one in the list is Vitamin D3. This hormone is mainly responsible in the calcium absorption in the bloodstream. This hormone helps the body absorb calcium from food more effectively. The process mainly happens in the small intestines. It is very important to have sufficient amount of Vitamin D3 to prevent bone problems such as rickets.

These are just some of the hormones that affect the muscle and bone recovery in your body. They are important in ensuring that you have strong and healthy bones and muscles.

Should You Try Bioidentical Hormones?


Bioidentical hormones are extracted from animals or plants. The hormones are then changed to make them molecularly the same or identical to the hormones you find in the body. Bio hormones are sometimes used for hormone replacement therapy. Women who are experiencing premenopausal or menopausal symptoms are typically the candidates for bio hormone therapy. This occurs when they are no longer producing adequate amounts of estrogen and / or progesterone. Bioidentical hormone replacement is similar to conventional hormone replacement. Unfortunately bioidentical hormones are not widely studied in the United States. This is because pharmacy manufactures have little interest in bioidentical hormones because they cannot be patented. The reason for this is the FDA considers them natural and a natural substance cannot have a patent. The pharmacy companies instead turn to synthetic compounds to produce hormones that they can patent. Bio hormones have been studied in Europe and have been found to be safer then synthetic hormones.

There are risk and benefits associated with synthetic hormones and bio hormones. Unfortunately more long term studies need to be done on bioidentical hormones.

Some of the risk associated with synthetic hormones are increased risk of endometrial cancer and a slightly high risk of breast cancer. Some other side effects include increased breast density, slightly increased risk of ovarian cancer, blood clots, gallbladder disease and heart attacks.

With synthetic hormones women may also experience breast pain, nausea, bloating, water retention and negative mood swings. Most of these side effects, but not all are contributed to oral estrogen, not estrogen that is delivered transdermal.

Women who suffer from the following conditions are more likely to experience side effects from synthetic hormones.

Unknown cause of vaginal bleeding
Liver disease
Women who have had breast cancer
Women who have had uterus cancer
Women who have had blood clots

Some of the advantages of bioidentical hormones include all the same benefits as synthetic hormones. Often times bio hormones offer the benefits without some of the unwanted side effects. Bioidentical hormones are now being used by some doctors to eliminate problems that women have as they age and go through different periods of their life. These include the following.

PMS
Symptoms of post and premenopausal
Menstrual periods that are not regular
Osteoporosis
Hot flashes
To reduce the risk of heart disease
Insomnia and night sweats
Help with weight loss through burning of fat
Increase sex drive
Improves mental clarity
Reduces depression
Helps to increase physical energy
Helps maintain youthful skin
Helps with blood flow

If you decide that you are interested in bioidentical hormones, it is recommended that you find a doctor who is familiar with bioidentical hormones. Not all doctors are familiar with bioidentical hormones and some only use the synthetic form.

Human Growth Hormones: An Introduction


Human growth hormone is a naturally occurring complex peptide hormone produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. Human growth hormones are considered key hormones as they are responsible for many basic processes of the human body such as organ function, cell generation and many other vital functions.

In children, HGH are responsible for growth and development and in adults they are also critical for tissue repair and healing, cell regeneration, enzyme function, muscle growth, brain function, bone strength, energy and metabolism.

As we age the body produces less human growth hormones until we reach 30 when it starts to significantly drop off and so begins all of the symptoms that we associate with ageing such as, decreased muscle mass, slowing metabolism, decreased energy levels, loss of skin elasticity, decreased libido and more difficulty to lose weight.

Fortunately it's possible to slow down and even 'reverse' this ageing process by naturally stimulating the body's production and release of HGH. The best way to achieve this is through a healthy diet, exercise and nutritional supplements.

Benefits of Increased Growth Hormone

There haven't been many clinical studies that show the effects of increased HGH carried out on healthy adults but those people who have taken HGH supplements have suggested a general increase in well-being and a reverse of some of the side effects of ageing.

Here are some of the reported benefits that people have experienced:

- An increase in energy

- Increased muscle tone and development

- Stronger immune system

- More youthful looking skin

- Boosted metabolism

- Increased sex drive

- Increased ability to quickly lose weight

HGH Supplements

Hormone injections - These are synthetic laboratory produced hormones which are directly injected into the body to increase HGH levels. These have mostly been associated in the past with high performance athletes and people who wish to dramatically increase their muscle mass.

Human growth hormone releasers - Natural herbal supplements designed to stimulate the pituitary gland to release more naturally occurring HGH.

Side Effects of Synthetic HGH

According to the Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.com) synthetic Human growth hormones may cause a number of negative side effects in healthy adults including:

- Joint and muscle pain

- Male gynecomastia (enlargement of the breast tissue)

- Swelling in the arms and legs

And it has even been suggested that synthetic HGH injections may contribute to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

Hormones And Your Acne


Your hormones play a great role in the outbreak of acne, a skin disease that is characterized by zits, inflamed follicles, and oily skin. Any change in the levels of your hormones can easily lead to the production of excess oils, triggering the growth of pimples. Unfortunately, hormonal changes are unavoidable and some instances or stages in life can have a great impact on your hormones.

As you well know, these are the times when changes in your hormone levels usually happen, resulting in more breakouts:

  • Adolescence - As your body begins to grow and develop, your body releases certain kinds of hormones. One of these hormones is androgen, a substance that can make your oil glands overactive, leading to excess oil production. These changes help explain why many teens experience acne.

  • Monthly period - If you notice zits suddenly appearing days just before your menstruation, don't fret since this type of acne is very common among females. The monthly ovulation process triggers a woman's body to release certain hormones. And yes, this hormonal change can also lead to more acne breakouts.

  • Pregnancy - When you get pregnant, your body prepares itself for the growing fetus by releasing certain amounts of hormones. And of course, these hormones can also trigger your oil glands to become overactive, producing more oils and causing more zits.

  • Menopause - This is the time when women experience the effects of estrogen deficiency. The levels of male hormones in females also start to decline but since estrogen is completely lost, an imbalance between the female and male hormones may result into adult acne. The skin also loses its elasticity during this phase, making it more prone to acne scars and lesions.

  • Stress - When you're under stress, your body responds by producing hormones. This hormonal change can then lead to more breakouts. The specific hormone produced during stress is cortisol, an internal element that can make your oil glands create more oil.

    Aside from these factors, medications such as birth pills, some kinds of anti-depressants, and steroids can also alter your hormonal levels. If you wish to take these medicines, be sure to consult a doctor first since they could make you more vulnerable to acne breakouts.

    A sudden change in your hormone levels can never be prevented since this is part of your body's natural responses. What you and your dermatologist can do is to try to control it so as to avoid excess oil production and breakouts.

    There are plenty of treatments that can help prevent hormonal acne and some acne medications can help regulate your hormonal levels. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these hormone-regulating medicines such as birth pills is only temporary. Once you stop taking them, symptoms of acne such as zits and blackheads may reappear.

    Dealing with hormone-caused acne can require more than one kind of treatment. If you think your acne breakouts are due to changes in your hormone levels, talk to a dermatologist about the most appropriate treatment.

    Kat Daez is an in-house writer for an online media company, Intelligraph Corporation. She currently writes articles about acne and its various medications.

  • Natural Hormone Replacement With Bioidentical Hormones


    Most of us know that we are supposed to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and take supplements. However, most of us do not know that even a healthy lifestyle cannot prevent our body's deterioration from unhealthy levels of hormones.

    Few of us realize that our hormones decline with age - irrespective of our lifestyle -and that many of our diseases and daily aches and pains are in fact caused by hormonal deficiencies.

    Most of us do not realize that hormonal deficiencies are often the cause of many illnesses

    and misery that are either:

    (1) unrecognized and untreated by conventional (pharmacological) medicine;

    (2) treated incorrectly with dangerous drugs that address symptoms not causes; or

    (3) diagnosed as depression, bi-polar disorder, add.

    As we age, our hormones decline. This is a fact that can be shown with lab testing. With that decline comes reduced energy, increased body fat, lower sex drive, increased risk of heart disease, cancer, PMS for many ladies, disabilities, aches and pains, etc. Conventional medicine considers this progression a normal part of aging. Wellness medicine, sometimes referred to as Anti-aging medicine or preventive medicine, offers bioidentical hormones to prevent and treat these conditions.

    Current worldwide medical research has shown that bioidentical hormone replacement slows both the deterioration and symptoms associated with aging, and enhances the immune system. This field of medicine is becoming popular among individuals who seek answers not found in conventional medicine.

    Through research journals, scientific studies, clinical experience, conferences and personal experience, our professional staff stays current in biodentical hormone therapy and preventive medicine. Almost daily, researchers are making breakthroughs, which we evaluate and make available to our clients.