The Hormonal Journey | The Hormonal Hīkoi

I have started to refer to hormonal health as a journey because of the parallels that I see at different life stages.

Firstly, what are hormones?

Hormones are chemical messengers produced in different places in the body. They tell other parts of the body what to do. During perimenopause, which typically occurs in a woman's 40s or 50s (but can start in the 30s), there is a change in hormone levels - an (overall) natural decline in reproductive hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone. These hormonal changes can have significant impacts on a woman's overall well-being.

Clues from our Journeys

When considering perimenopause there are clues that we can get from our pubertal years, looking at the menstrual cycle, tolerance of contraceptives, our experiences as well as those of our whānau. What we experience changes based on not only our physical and medical conditions, but how we feel in ourselves, and what our family members and friends have gone through.

Did you know that?

• those who experience childhood trauma are more likely to experience premenstrual symptoms (PMS)* and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)*
• if you are unable to tolerate the combined contraceptive pill you are more likely to experience postnatal depression
• if you have postnatal depression you are more likely to experience perimenopausal depression
  
  

These are key points I like to find out during my consultations. We don't need to have been given formal diagnoses, or sought help, for this information to be helpful. I hope by highlighting these stages of your life experience to you, that it helps validate your current experience, and lead to the most effective management plan.

Definitions:

*premenstrual syndrome (PMS) - is a group of changes which can happen to you leading up to your period. PMS includes a wide variety of signs and symptoms which may be physical, emotional, or behavioral, including mood swings, tender breasts, food cravings, bloating, fatigue, irritability and depression.

*premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) - is a much more severe form of PMS