Dr. Nadini Verma is a board certified OB/GYN who serves residents in the greater Santa Monica area of Los Angeles, California. She specializes in all aspects of female reproductive care, including hormone balancing therapy.
Hormone Balancing Therapy Q & A
What are hormones?
Hormones are natural chemical substances produced by the body that are essential for all life processes, they act like messengers in the body. Hormones are made in highly specialized tissues called endocrine glands, and are then released in tiny quantities into the bloodstream. Each gland produces specific hormones to carry out certain functions in the body such as ovaries for reproduction. These hormones are stored in the glands until they receive a message from the pituitary gland (the master gland) in the brain to say how much of each hormone is needed at various times of the day at each location in the body. This message triggers the release of hormones into the bloodstream and they are transported to a specific organ or tissue to perform a specific function. Once they reach their destination, hormones pass through the walls of blood vessels and go on the surface of target cells to bind themselves to hormone receptors. As they complete the binding, hormones trigger a chain of reactions that result in beneficial “hormone” effects such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, mood balance, stress resistance, digestion, inflammation reduction, and more. Estrogen, cortisol, insulin, oxytocin, progesterone, and testosterone are all examples of hormones.
What happens when hormones are out of balance?
Most commonly, women experience hormonal fluctuations every month during the menstrual cycle on a regular and predictable manner. However, when hormones are out of balance, several functions in the body can suffer. It is a wide belief that women’s hormonal imbalance takes place before or during menopause, but women can actually experience symptoms much earlier in life. Women as young as their late 30’s can suffer from hormone imbalances as can the women in their 40’s. Fatigue, lack of concentration, unexplained sudden weight gain, and disrupted sleeping patterns are just a few signs that hormones are not optimally balanced. Many women also report suffering from significant fluctuations in mood such as depression, a sense of being overwhelmed, and anxiety. Hormones trigger chemical reactions throughout the body. They also control the amount of glucose in the bloodstream, the stress-induced adrenaline release that impacts energy levels, and weight fluctuations. Hormonal balance within the body is extremely delicate and needs to be monitored closely – it can be the key to improving physical and mental well-being. Dr. Verma believes hormone balance is the key to health and vitality, and she works with her patients to optimize it.
Is hormone replacement therapy the only answer to imbalance issues?
Lifestyle modifications such as exercise, diet, meditation, yoga, and nutritional supplements can all have a positive impact on hormone imbalance. Hormone replacement therapy may be used with (or without) some of these lifestyle modifications. Dr. Verma works closely with each patient to design a treatment plan that is tailored to each patient’s individual needs.