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Hormones and equilibrium
Our hormones, transmitters of
basic information of our organism, are very sensitive to stress, eating
habits and other problems derived from our life style and the environment.
The attempt to equilibrate the lack or excesses suffered by our endocrine
system will help us be physically and emotionally healthy.
Hormones are “chemical carriers” formed in the glands and certain corporal
tissues. Transported by blood, (that’s why their levels can be checked
through an analysis) they reach different parts of the body generating
changes.
Together with the Nervous System, the Glandular one is the main means of
control of corporal functions. While the first one acts on reactions,
the Endocrine regulates those activities which require more time such as the
growing process, the response to stress, sexual maturation, reproductive
capacity and the aging process.
Essentially, hormones are meant to maintain our equilibrium along the
different stages of our life.
The Hypothalamus, which belongs to the brain, links the Nervous system with
the Endocrine one by joining the Hypophysis gland, which regulates all the
glands of the body, Thyroid, Parathyroid, Suprarenal, Ovaries, and Testicles.
For this reason, our emotions and our capacity to “feel” can determine or
influence the corporal responses associated to hormonal effects, as in the
case of stress.
One of the most frequent reasons of hormonal disequilibrium is stress.
The way the body responds to stress is governed by the suprarenal glands
which segregate Adrenaline and Cortisol generating a reaction of “fight” or
“flee”, most of the times excessive for our current life style.
At the same time, the energy is derived from other systems such as the
digestive or the reproductive one to reinforce this response.
The Adrenaline and Cortisol generate an increase of sugar in blood to
activate the muscles when fleeing. This mechanism has been designed as a
response to something which sets our life in danger, but no to face the
continuous and permanent stress of every day life which is usually less
intense.
Unfortunately, once Adrenaline has been secreted it carries out its function
and cannot be neutralized. If its production is not stopped it can lead to a
suprarenal exhaustion. In this situation, something as natural as doing
physical exercise helps the body relax and improve blood irrigation,
opposite to sedentarism. The idea is to take up the kind of exercise that
best fits in our daily life instead of setting unachievable goals which are
meant to fail.
At the end of the day it would be better to avoid stressing activities such
as certain readings or TV, since emotion keeps the suprarenal glands active
secreting hormones of stress which may keep us awake.
If chronic stress is prolonged, suprarenal glands work beyond their
possibilities, sugar in blood increases, the Pancreas increases the
secretion of Insulin to equilibrate the levels…and this can derive in
Diabetes.
The constant pressure on the Endocrine system has different consequences
according to each person. At the beginning the symptoms are subtle, but as
the body starts to debilitate, the symptoms increase and the general
condition worsens appearing many times fatigue, anxiety, or irritability
first and then corporal weight alterations, liquid retention or
immunological weakness which increases infectious pathologies such as the
flu.
Apart from affecting the Pancreas, the Suprarenal exhaustion can affect the
Thyroid. The increase of Cortisol blocks the efficient use cells make of
Thyroid hormones, generating hypothyroidism.
The characteristic symptom of
Hypothyroidism is an abnormal tiredness which
is not eased by sleeping. It also generates fatigue, apathy, memory problems
in the short term, and lack of attention, which consequently provoke anxiety,
stress and even depression.
If not treated, hypothyroidism has harmful effects on the hepatic function,
which can lead to an increase of cholesterol, fatty acids and triglycerides
therefore increasing the risk of suffering from cardiopathies.
Regarding tobacco, it reduces the levels of adrenal and thyroid hormones and
it favors a chronic hypothyroidism.
Feminine health
There are many factors which affect in particular the equilibrium of
estrogens and progesterone, such as artificial hormones (the contraceptive
pill, the substitutive hormonal therapy of menopause…) and the Xenoestrogens
(in pesticides, plastics and other chemical substances).
In stressful periods, Progesterone can be transformed into Cortisol (hormone
of stress) with the subsequent increase of anxiety, mood changes, headaches,
liquid retention, pain in the breasts, and alterations of the menstrual
cycle and fertility. This disequilibrium of Progesterone is responsible for
what we commonly know as the Premenstrual Tension Syndrome.
In consultations about fertility, it is very common to find patients under
stress in their daily lives, being little aware of the influence it can have
on their difficulty to get pregnant.
The parathyroids are four tiny glands placed in the posterior face of the
Thyroid without being related to it. They regulate the amount of calcium
absorbed from food, the one recuperated from the kidneys and also the
calcium held in the bones. Its disequilibrium causes depression and anxiety
as well as problems with the deposits of calcium in the organism such as
Osteoporosis and stones in the kidney.
The Hypothalamus which acts as I mentioned before together with the
Hypophysis gland (link between the Nervous and Endocrine System) can control
all the endocrine glands of the body and can also modify the blood pressure,
body temperature and metabolism. It governs all the processes related to the
reaction of “fight” or “flee”, reproduction and eating habits, together with
the expression of emotions such as anger, fear, pleasure and sexual desire.
The Hypothalamus also controls the body weight, the appetite, the thirst and
the hydration. The sensorial stimuli inform the Hypothalamus if we are
hungry or satiated. When the Endocrine system is not in equilibrium, the
Hypothalamus doesn’t respond to these signals as it should, which can have
consequences such as eating excessively.
The homeopathic treatment will always try, through medication, to stimulate
the elements which reestablish the equilibrium.
As it is an energetic medicine, it acts stimulating the Vital Energy, the
natural force of every living person, which tends to wake up, if needed,
mechanisms of self regulation of the body.
The continuous use of any hormonal medicine (creams, pills, substitute
hormonal therapy) should not be taken easy since the repercussions in the
natural hormonal equilibrium can be very important if not serious. For
example: the lack of ovulation after years of taking oral contraceptive
pills or breast cancer after the substitute hormonal therapy in menopause.
That’s why the consultation with the homeopathic doctor about the existence
of alternative methods is very important so as to be able to control the
illness and reduce the dependency on any hormonal medication.
I also consider that hormonal disequilibrium varies from person to person.
Therefore, homeopathic medicine is the most appropriate one since it focuses
on the individuality during the treatment.
Naturist Medicine provides, apart from hygienic-light measures, the resource
of Phytotherapy.
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Valerian, Evening primrose oil or the Wild Yam are useful to level off
progesterone.
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Bugbane (currently under revision…), Red Salvia and fermented Soya to
increase the secretion of estrogens.
Chronic stress with fatigue, mental confusion and weight loss can be
relieved with supplements of:
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Liquorice
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Astragalus
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Fatty Acids Omega 3
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Cinnamon
Although phytotherapy is generally of great help, it is worth considering
that the reaction to certain plants varies according to the person, that’s
why it is always important and necessary to talk to a specialist able to
measure the scope of the disequilibrium and to decide the best tailor made
treatment for each person in particular.
Bibliography
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