Category Archives: Hormone Replacement

5 Surprising Menopause Symptoms — According To Dr. Felice Gersh

August 19, 2022

While menopause is predominately considered to impact the reproductive system with hormonal fluctuations causing hot flashes, night sweats, and other undesirable symptoms, it is a whole-body transition that involves many different systems. As a result, many women may not be aware that their symptoms are tied to endocrine imbalances, leaving them overlooked and untreated.

“This link of the so-called sex hormones to all body systems is what is behind the surprising menopause symptoms in organs and structures that are not recognized as being highly regulated by the ovarian hormones,” A4M faculty member Felice Gersh, MD, told Well+Good in a recent interview.

A frequent and popular A4M speaker, Dr. Gersh is a board-certified OB/GYN, founder of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, and the author of Menopause: 50 Things You Need to Know. During her interview with Well+Good contributor Isadora Baum, Dr. Gersh outlined five surprising symptoms of menopause that are not commonly associated with the condition yet are essential to recognize and take into clinical consideration.

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Men’s Health Month: What You Need To Know About Low Testosterone

June 16, 2022

June celebrates National Men’s Health Month, an annual observance that aims to bring awareness to health issues specific to men, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health stigma, and hormone imbalances specific to men. One such condition – which can affect both men and women – is low testosterone, also known as hypogonadism.

Testosterone is responsible for many biologic functions, including the development of bones and muscles, energy metabolism, and sex drive. In males specifically, the hormone regulates hair growth, deepening of the voice, and sperm production.

Low testosterone is a hormonal disorder in which the testes do not produce enough testosterone. It is estimated that between 4 and 5 million men in the United States, or approximately 2 in 100 men, have testosterone deficiency, and its prevalence is substantially higher in older males, with nearly 40% of men aged 45 and older presenting with low levels of the hormone.

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How Do Hormone Imbalances Affect Physical and Mental Health?

February 18, 2022

There are many factors to consider when optimizing health and wellbeing, yet one of the most important ones often goes unaddressed in conventional medical practice. As functional and integrative specialists know, hormone levels are a crucial parameter to assess as even the slightest shifts within the endocrine system can have significant effects on the entire body.

Although hormone levels fluctuate throughout the lifetime and many changes are a natural result of aging, specific symptoms and imbalances may indicate endocrine dysfunction. Hormonal imbalances caused by the over or under-production of a hormone can present an array of unwanted symptoms and lead to the development of long-term health repercussions if not managed appropriately.

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