What is hormone decline?
As we age, our hormone levels naturally start to decline. This is known as hormone decline or hormone deficiency. Some key facts:
- It usually starts around age 30 and continues gradually over decades. Women see the biggest shifts during perimenopause and menopause when estrogen and progesterone plummet.
- In both men and women, testosterone, DHEA, melatonin, and growth hormone also decline with age. Thyroid hormones may drop too.
- Symptoms depend on which hormones fade, but may include low libido, weight gain, fatigue, poor sleep, hot flashes, mood changes, loss of strength, and reduced mental sharpness.
Why does it happen?
Hormone decline is partly due to natural aging processes in the body's glands and tissues:
- In women, the ovaries eventually reduce estrogen and progesterone output
- The adrenal glands and testes make less DHEA, testosterone and other hormones
- The pituitary gland slows growth hormone production
- The thyroid may produce fewer thyroid hormones
Lifestyle factors also contribute by disrupting our delicate hormonal balance. Stress, poor diet, inactivity, toxins, chronic inflammation, and lack of sleep can all negatively impact hormone levels over decades.
What can you do about it?
If declining hormones are interfering with your health and quality of life, see a specialist for customized hormone therapy:
- Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can restore optimal levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid hormone, DHEA, melatonin and growth hormone using plant-based hormones identical to our own.
- The experts at Renew Hormone Center offer integrated therapies personalized to your unique needs and genetics. I highly recommend their clinic for hormone testing, counseling and treatments.
In summary, hormone decline is a natural process as we leave our reproductive prime, but today we have many options to slow or reverse declining levels. Don't write off symptoms as just part of aging - seek professional help and explore whether hormone therapy could help you feel your best!
Let me know if you have any other questions on this topic. I'm happy to discuss more about hormones and potential treatments.