What Is Estrogen Dominance?

Do you suffer from severe premenopausal or perimenopausal symptoms? Symptoms like: infertility, fibroids, ovarian cysts, brain fog, irritability, mood swings, PMS, fatigue or insomnia? If so, then you very likely are "estrogen dominant".
But what is estrogen dominance? And most importantly, is it reversible?
Fortunately, estrogen dominance is treatable. Even if you suffer from severe perimenopausal symptoms, with a little effort, you can find relief.
What is Estrogen Dominance?
Coined by the late Dr. John R. Lee, "estrogen dominance" refers to the condition when the body has high estrogen levels and low progesterone. If your hormones are influx due to perimenopause, then that imbalance will make your symptoms more severe.
So how does this happen? What causes the body to become estrogen dominant?
To explain how this condition comes about, you must first understand how hormones work in your body.
Hormones are little chemical messengers responsible for about 80% of your body's functions. They travel through your bloodstream, to and from organs and tissues, to carry out their tasks.
Various hormones in your body respond to one another. If one becomes elevated, another may react and increase as well. But the opposite also happens. If a certain hormone becomes high, another may decrease as a result.
How Estrogen Levels Become Elevated
So how do estrogen levels get inflated?
A number of reasons really.
Estrogen can increase if you are exposed to too much stress. Cortisol, the stress hormone, and estrogen work together. If cortisol rises then estrogen does the same.
But it doesn't stop there. This abundance of estrogen in the body pushes down progesterone levels. An imbalance is created. Your body now has overly high levels of estrogen and depleted progesterone.
If left untreated, that imbalance will make you feel very, very sick.
Other Contributors to Estrogen Dominance
But stress is just one factor contributing to this condition. Synthetic hormones in our environment also play a role.
Our environment is inundated with xenoestrogen toxins. These synthetic hormones enter our body and mimic our own naturally produced estrogen, causing levels to rise. You'll find some of the highest xenoestrogen levels in conventionally raised meat and dairy. They also are found in certain plastics, personal care products and even cookware.
Your diet plays a role as well. Foods like sugar and cheap carbohydrates also elevate estrogen levels in the body.
Even if you are close to menopause and your estrogen levels are waning, you can still be estrogen dominant. That's because the condition refers to the balance between estrogen and progesterone. In other words, you can be low in estrogen and even lower in progesterone.
Fortunately you can reverse estrogen dominance. Eating right, exercising, reducing exposure to toxins, and managing your stress go a long way in alleviating the condition.

In my eBook, "Feel Like YOU Again", I tell you how to reverse estrogen dominance and ease perimenopause symptoms. You'll learn which foods, herbs and supplements help treat the condition so you can start feeling better fast.
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Uterine Fibroids Symptoms and Finding Fibroids Treatment

Uterine fibroids affect many women and are considered to be the most common non cancerous or benign tumors found on a woman's uterus. Many of these fibroids do not cause any symptoms and may not require treatment and the women affected rarely know that they have fibroids. For some other women affected, fibroids can cause various problems. This article discusses fibroids symptoms and finding fibroids treatment.
Uterine fibroids affect many women who are mainly of childbearing age and almost never show any cancerous properties. Fibroid tumors are usually found in the smooth muscle found in the uterine wall and can form as a single fibroid tumor or as a cluster of fibroid tumors inside the uterine wall or attached to the uterine wall.
Causes
There are many causes of these tumors including never having given birth, being overweight or obese, if the menstrual cycle begins before the age of ten, etc. Fibroids are also known to affect more black women than women of other races. In addition, if a woman has a family history of these tumors, she may develop them at some point in life.
Fibroids Symptoms
As mentioned previously, some women with the tumors may not produce any fibroids symptoms at all. If fibroids symptoms are produced, the most common are;
a. having an irregular, prolonged or excessive menstrual cycle,
b. rectal pressure resulting from constipation,
c. pressure or pain in the pelvic area is another of the fibroids symptoms,
d. some women with fibroids can develop infertility, or if pregnant, be at risk of having a premature baby, separation of the placenta from the uterine wall and so forth,
e. increase in the size of the waist,
f. frequent urination due to the pressure on the bladder is another of the fibroids symptoms,
g. backache,
h. pain in the legs, etc.
Fibroids Treatment
The first step with fibroids treatment when using traditional medicine methods, is that the doctor will simply observe the fibroids over a period of time to ensure that they do not increase in size or develop cancerous properties.
Additional fibroids treatment options include being prescribed certain medications that may include birth control pills, anti-inflammatory medications, other pain medications, gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists and so forth, some of which may have side effects in addition to being expensive.
Another of the fibroids treatment options that may be recommended as a last resort include surgery. The most common one is a hysterectomy which represents the entire removal of a woman's reproductive organ, the uterus. Without a uterus, no uterine fibroids can develop. This surgery may lead to depression with many women who may ed up feeling less like women because they are without a uterus which will affect the ability to have children ever again or for the first time. This surgery can also lead to a woman becoming menopausal.
Other surgeries that form part of fibroids treatment include a myomectomy which is the surgical removal of the fibroids only. Only certain fibroids qualify for this surgery. Other medical procedures for fibroids treatment include uterine artery embolism which involves the clotting of the blood supply to the fibroid that may lead to the tumor shrinking if it is starved of blood.
These are only a few procedures for fibroids treatment. As mentioned, these medical procedures can lead to various side effects and can be very expensive options for fibroids treatment.
Natural Fibroids Treatment Options
The good news is that there are many alternative, natural approaches that are being used for fibroids treatment that have proven to be very successful and have none of the side effects associated with traditional medicine. Natural remedies for fibroids seek to treat the root cause of the fibroids and not merely treat the fibroids symptoms.
Holistic methods work with the body and not against it and are fairly inexpensive using methods and ingredients that are easily available at local health stores as well as available in your home.

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Finding Effective Natural or Holistic Cures for Fibroids

Many women are you tired of the discomfort or pain resulting from fibroids and the traditional treatment options which may or may not include a hysterectomy, that no longer offer the solutions that you seek? If so, discover information on fibroids causes and symptoms as well as finding effective natural or holistic cures for fibroids.
What are Uterine Fibroids?
Fibroids are identified as tumors that can develop on or in the wall of the uterus. They are the most common benign tumor found in the uterus. Benign means that the tumor(s) are not cancerous. Uterine fibroids can vary in size from very small to very larg

many womenAre you tired of the discomfort or pain resulting from fibroids and the traditional treatment options which may or may not include a hysterectomy, that no longer offer the solutions that you seek? If so, discover information on fibroids causes and symptoms as well as finding effective natural or holistic cures for fibroids.
What are Uterine Fibroids?
Fibroids are identified as tumors that can develop on or in the wall of the uterus. They are the most common benign tumor found in the uterus. Benign means that the tumor(s) are not cancerous. Uterine fibroids can vary in size from very small to very large. They can represent a single tumor or can be multiple tumors in the uterus. These tumors can also be hard to the touch or soft.
What Causes Uterine Fibroids
Although the exact cause is unknown, women with a family history of fibroids are usually at greater risk of developing fibroids themselves. The influence of hormones (especially estrogen) can lead to the development and growth of fibroids. During pregnancy, these tumors may increase in size significantly while a menopausal woman may experience a decrease in the size of fibroids.
Prevalence of Uterine Fibroids
Fibroids represent the most common tumor that is gynecological in nature. The amount of women of child bearing age that have fibroids is at a rate of 20 to 25%. Some studies show that the incidence of fibroids in all women can be as high as 75%.
The vast majority of these tumors are benign with only a few (less than 1%) leading to cancer. Although the exact cause as mentioned previously is unknown, besides women with a family history of fibroids being at greater risk, studies have also shown that black women develop fibroids at a rate of four to six times more that women of other races.
Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids
Some of the symptoms associated with fibroids include but are not limited to;
a. Discomfort or pain in the pelvic region
b. An increased menstrual cycle (soaking though two to three pads or tampons in an hour)
c. Blood clots
d. Having painful or irregular menstrual periods
e. An increased level of menstrual cramps
f. Increased need to urinate (the fibroids may press on the bladder)
g. Bloating and increased girth
h. Suffering from constipation (the fibroids may press on the rectum)
Fibroids may lead to infertility in a few cases as well as complications during pregnancy for a few pregnant women.
How are Uterine Fibroids Diagnosed?
Fibroids are more frequently than not, identified during a normal pelvic exam. An ultrasound may also be used to identify the fibroids as well as to confirm that they are indeed fibroids and not ovarian cysts which are fluid filled sacs found on or in the ovaries. A CT scan may also be used to identify fibroids to a lesser extent.
Treatment of Uterine Fibroids
1. Traditional Medicine
After identifying fibroids, your personal physician usually will decide to simply monitor the fibroids to see whether there is any change by performing an annual ultrasound. For the larger or worrisome fibroids, surgery is the next option that your doctor will suggest. A myomectomy is performed to remove superficial tumors leaving the uterus intact.
More serious tumors are surgically removed by performing a hysterectomy which also removes the uterus in addition to the fibroids - no uterus, no fibroids. A hysterectomy should always be the last resort after trying other treatments for fibroids. Other surgical methods including clotting which starves the fibroids of blood which the tumors need to grow. This starvation of the blood supply leads to the shrinkage of the fibroids.
With a myomectomy or other surgical procedures (besides a hysterectomy), recurrence of the fibroids is at a rate of 12 to 64% since they do not treat the root cause of the fibroids.
2. Natural or Holistic Treatments
Unlike traditional treatments for fibroids, natural treatments for these tumors seek to treat the root cause of fibroids to prevent recurrence and provide a holistic approach which is always the best option for the treatment and cure of uterine fibroids.
Natural remedies for the treatment of fibroids do not come with the side effects associated with traditional medicine. Surgery is always risky even when your uterus is left intact and comes with side effects in addition to being expensive. Holistic remedies are inexpensive while still being effective at treating fibroids and have been shown to provide excellent results for many women suffering from fibroids.

Discover the various natural or holistic treatment options to cure your fibroids by visiting my website at http://fibroidsandovariancysts.webs.com/ for tips and resources to treat and cure your fibroids.

Natural Cure For Fibroids in the Uterus - The 5 Steps to Success

The main purpose of a natural cure for fibroids in the uterus is to eliminate the root causes, so that the body effectively becomes a neutralized environment where fibroids simply cannot grow or survive. This is very different to conventional treatments such as surgery and hormone treatment which aim to relieve the symptoms of fibroids, but do not address the root causes, meaning that in time, the fibroids are likely to grow back.
Fibroids grow as a result of dietary and lifestyle factors, often over a number of years. Undoing bad practices takes time and a natural cure for fibroids in the uterus will not work overnight. However, what it can do is give fast symptomatic relief. By healing, cleansing, rebuilding and rebalancing the body, fibroids can be naturally eliminated for good.
In brief, there are 5 main steps to be followed if you are hoping to use a natural cure for fibroids. Within the 5 steps are a number of protocols which must be carried out and to be successful, you must be prepared to make significant changes to your diet and lifestyle.
1. Altering your diet and enhancing digestion- Within this there are 6 dietary principles to be followed
2. Enhancing the immune system and using supplements for fibroids- There are a number of supplements to be taken each day when following the program
3. Detoxing, liver cleansing and parasite elimination- A 2 day detox, 5 day parasite cleanse and liver detox program should be used
4. Anti-Candida protocols- After cleansing and detoxing, there are certain supplements to be taken, including probiotics
5. Stress control, optimizing your sleep and exercising- Follow the stress control and sleep optimization tips and take regular exercise
These 5 steps are the basis of a good natural cure for fibroids in the uterus and by implementing these steps together with a number of other protocols, your fibroids will shrink.

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Why Egg Freezing Can Be Critical in Getting Pregnant

If you ask married couples what is the most cherished gift of their relationship, then there answer will be their children. No matter which country you are from, welcoming a child comes with a common feeling of joy. This feeling can take a back seat when you are not able to get pregnant even after repeated tries. When you are trying for more than a year but not able to conceive, then the medical term infertility is used. It can cause a lot of mental stress. However, with the advancement of modern techniques, there are many treatment options for this condition. In many infertility cases, there is problem of eggs. There is an option of freezing of eggs in early years when eggs are produced in good quantity. To do this, you need to consult an egg freezing center.
Why eggs are frozen
Fertilization of egg is a step that is taken way before pregnancy. It is considered as a first step in getting pregnant at a later stage. Many women go ahead with this procedure as they don't have an active male partner. This is the main reason why they haven't started their family yet. In some cases, they put their career ahead and want to wait while having a child as it can be a hindrance. As they age, the likelihood of the egg getting developed decreases which leads to pregnancy issues. Eggs that are frozen don't age or get old. The biological clock is stopped for them. Medical reasons also play a part in this. Cancer treatment directly affects the ovaries and can damage the eggs by causing premature menopause.
What is egg freezing?
Egg freezing is a procedure involving preservation of the woman's eggs. These are harvested from the ovaries and stored for use in later stages of life. They are frozen in an unfertilized condition which is then thawed and combined with a sperm and implanted in the uterus of the woman during IVF to facilitate pregnancy. Eggs freezing is basically done as complication of infertility mostly occur due to germ cell deterioration. The uterus remains completely functional.
What are the risks associated?
Before going ahead with this procedure, your oocyte freezing center will tell you about all the risk that is accompanied with this procedure. Some of the common risks include -
• You should be emotionally ready because it is not 100 percent successful. There should not be any false hopes. The process in itself is a positive and empowering step but not completely risk free.
• You are given fertility drugs which can cause some medical conditions. Use of injectable fertility drugs causes ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome leading to mild abdominal pain, bloating and nausea. Rarely, fluids get build up and there is shortness of breath too.
• There can also be egg retrieval procedure complications. Needle used in retrieving the egg causes bleeding and infection to the bowel, bladder or a blood vessel.
How do you prepare for the procedure?
Before the process begins, egg freezing centers will have some screening methods. Ovarian reserve testing is done to determine the quantity as well as quality of your eggs. The results which will come out will help in determining how the ovaries will respond to fertility medications. You will also be screened for certain diseases such as HIV. After all the tests are done, you can ask the doctor all the doubts that you have.
How is the procedure performed?
There are two methods to freeze the eggs -
• Slow freeze method - in this procedure, low concentrations of cryoprotectants are used. As soon as the metabolic rate of the eggs is reduced, concentration is increased.
• Vitrification - In this procedure, high initial concentrations of cryoprotectants are combined with cooling at a fast rate. This is done so that intracellular ice crystals are not formed.

BLK Hospital is amongst the top hospitals when it comes to egg freezing. In future, if complications arise due to eggs, then these eggs will be of vital importance. Doctors present in our hospital are highly competent in making sure that no complications arise in this procedure.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9941386

Fibroids: What Every Woman Should Know

Around 75 percent of women experience fibroids at some point in their life, which leaves many asking 'are there natural treatments for fibroids?' Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that are found within the uterine walls ranging in size from about the size of a pea, to as large as a grapefruit. Fibroids often result in a change in the shape or size of the uterus and cause several unpleasant symptoms, including painful and/or very heavy periods, and every year more than 200,000 hysterectomies are performed due to severe cases... but they can also be completely symptomless. For this reason it may not always be obvious that you have fibroids, so it's a great best practice for all women to take steps to naturally prevent these common uterine growths.
While many of the risk factors for fibroids are beyond your control, there are some that you can manage. These include things such as preventing or treating high blood pressure to help reduce the risk of developing fibroids, drinking less alcohol, eating more detoxifying foods such as leafy green vegetables, and selecting higher-quality meats. There are also steps you can take to help naturally balance your hormones, which is a key part of natural fibroid treatment and prevention.
Fibroids: Natural Treatment
First up is one we all dread: dietary changes. Processed meats with high-fat content can increase inflammation levels and are some of the worst food choices when it comes to fibroids. Non-organic dairy can have high amounts of hormones, steroids, and other chemicals that can alter your hormones levels, which encourages the growth and development of fibroids. Refined sugar can promote inflammation which may increase pain and reduce your body's immune functions. Refined carbohydrates, such as white flour and breads, can result in insulin levels spiking and hormones to become unbalanced. Alcohol can contribute to increased inflammation as well as promote hormonal imbalances and over-consumption of caffeine can also have a nasty hand in keeping your hormones off-balance. Supplementing your diet with organic foods, more vegetables (especially green-leafy, beta carotene-rich, & cruciferous vegetables), flaxseeds, foods with high iron content, and whole grains can result in positive results in the natural treatment of fibroids.
There are also several supplements that can aid in this quest but you should always check with your physician before starting any regimen. B-complex can help the liver's metabolic processes and regulation of estrogen levels. Flaxseed oil and fish oil can help reduce inflammation, which may play a part in the growth of fibroids. You can also use vitex or chasteberry to promote the production of progesterone and reduce estrogen levels. Herbal teas may help decrease inflammation and rebalance certain hormones. Teas made with milk thistle, chasteberry, red raspberry, yellow dock, nettle, and dandelion root all have systemic benefits for the reproductive system and uterus.
Besides the Diet: 4 Natural Treatments For Fibroids
Let's get the ugly one out of the way first: exercise. Exercise has many anti-inflammatory effects and is not only helpful with weight management, regular exercise can help control blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, contribute to hormonal balance, and regular exercise can help prevent fibroids before they actually even start.
Improving your hormonal health, as well as your general health, is another key in the fight against fibroids. You should do your best to avoid contact with pesticides, herbicides, bleach, synthetic fertilizers, food preservatives and food dyes. You should also select natural, unbleached feminine care products and organic makeup and body care products.
Essential oils are another natural fibroid treatment that you can take advantage of. Clary sage, thyme, and frankincense can help balance hormones naturally. Just combine 2 drops of each oil with some coconut oil and rub into your lower abdomen twice daily.
And lastly, applying a castor oil pack to your lower abdomen can increase circulation in the circulatory and lymphatic systems. A castor oil pack can also increase white blood cells that eliminate disease-causing toxins from your body.
Risk factors such as heredity, age, race and hypothyroidism may be beyond your control, but you can still help your body to naturally battle, and sometimes even prevent, fibroids. Speak with your doctor before making any drastic change to your diet or exercise routine but the natural tips above can assist you with this, unfortunately, common ailment.

Get a possible cure and treatment to prevent new development of fibroids. Reduce fibroids to have a normal pregnancy. Surgery helps with heavy menstrual bleed. If you suffer from fibroid pregnancy, undertake the uterine embolisation procedure and have a normal painless childbirth.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9946939

Common Causes of Ovary Pain

The ovaries are two small organs located one on either side of the uterus, which is in the lower abdomen and part of the female reproductive system. They play vital roles in the reproductive system because they release an egg for possible fertilization every menstrual cycle and they also produce estrogen, the hormone that triggers menstruation.
Due to the location of the ovaries, when you have ovary pain the pain will normally be below the belly button. The cause or causes can vary from endometriosis to cysts or other disease. Since the cause varies, it's important that a woman that suffers ovary pain seeks medical attention as soon the pain is experienced.
Common Causes of Ovary Pain
Various conditions that could cause ovary pain include: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), ovarian cysts, endometriosis and ovarian tumor.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) - PID is one of the most common causes of ovary pain. It is an infection of the fallopian tubes, uterus or ovaries, caused by sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia. Some other symptoms of PID are difficulty urinating, pain during intercourse (Dyspareunia) and fatigue.
Endometriosis - The lining of the uterus thickens every month in preparation for pregnancy. At times, this lining is transferred to other organs in the pelvis and because it responds to hormonal signals, it also thickens as if it were in the uterus. When pregnancy does not take place, the uterine lining is shed and discharged out of the body as menstrual blood through the vagina. However, when the lining is transferred elsewhere outside the uterus and sheds, there is no outlet for it so it bleeds into the abdominal cavity, and at times onto organs like the womb and the fallopian tubes causing these organs to adhere together resulting in pain. This condition is called endometriosis. Other symptoms of endometriosis are painful intercourse and painful periods.
Ovarian Tumors - Ovarian tumors are growths in the ovaries. They may be benign (harmless) or malignant (cancerous) and could cause ovary pain. Other symptoms of ovarian tumors are abdominal bloating, constipation and difficulty in urinating.
Ovarian Cysts - These cysts are fluid filled sacs that develop in the ovaries. They are more common in women in their reproductive years but could also be found in post-menopausal women. They mostly form in the course of ovulation. Ovarian cysts are usually painless but could cause pain when they grow large and rupture, or when they twist and cut off blood supply to the cyst. They rarely produce symptoms but when they do pain is the most prominent. Other symptoms include abdominal fullness, irregular menstrual periods, pain during intercourse and difficulty or pain during bowel movement.
The cause of the ovary pain determines the treatment plan that will be prescribed, so the first step would be to make an appointment with your gynecologist at the first presentation of ovary pain.

If you discover you are experiencing ovary pain, by all means make an appointment with your gynecologist to determine the cause of the pain. He will likely recommend, depending on the cause, one of the following: wait and watch, hormone therapy or surgery. What he probably will not tell you is that there are natural, less invasive methods of treating ovary pain and steps you can take to prevent future problems from occurring. You deserve to know all the facts. Find those facts at http://dermoidovariancyst.org