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STRESS AND HORMONES; EVERYTHING TO FEAR FROM FEAR ITSELF

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Who on this planet doesn’t experience stress in their lives? You worry about losing your job. Missing deadlines. Caring for your family. Losing a relationship. Getting sick. In today’s 100-mile-an-hour world, the list is endless.  You suffer from anxiety. Panic attacks loom. Your hearts race, your palms sweat, you shake and even feel like you could pass out. Yikes. It’s scary. And not the kind of scary that makes movies like Us and It become mega box office hits. Well the real scare is how these feelings of terror can create hormone imbalances that can throw your whole life out of balance.

WHEN IT GOES BEYOND “FIGHT OR FLIGHT” YOU’RE IN FOR A REAL BATTLE

You’ve probably heard the expression “fight or flight”, but do you really know what it means? This is the stress response action that happens when you feel threatened or truly scared. When this happens, the body releases several stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream. These hormones increase your strength, concentration, and ability to react. Your heart rate and blood pressure increase, and your immune system and memory are sharper. After you have dealt with the short-term stress, your body returns to normal. Chronic or long-term stress, however, poses a problem. If you frequently face challenges, your body is constantly producing higher levels of stress hormones and does not have time to recover. These hormones over time can cause serious health problems.

CORTISOL; PUBLIC STRESS ENEMY NO. 1

Excess cortisol is often hard to diagnose as symptoms usually develop slowly and often overlap with many other conditions. Conditions your primary doctor could prescribe the wrong treatment for. These include:

  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Weight gain
  • Back pain
  • Thin skin
  • Decreased concentration
  • Swelling in the hands and feet
  • Low libido
  • Acne
  • Impaired memory (especially short-term memory)
  • Female facial hair or female balding
  • Insomnia
  • Poor skin healing
  • Irritability
  • Menstrual abnormalities
  • Increased blood sugar
  •  Decreased bone mineral density
  • High blood pressure
  • Easy bruising
  • Muscle wasting and weakness of arms and legs

Talk about high anxiety…

STRESS AND HORMONES; MEDITATE ON THIS:

Unless you’re the king or queen of Zen, stress is bound to take a serious stab at your health. Yes, following a diet higher in lean protein and fiber and lower in carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index (especially sugar) can partially lowering cortisol levels, as well as the regular practice of relaxation or mind-body techniques such as meditation or progressive muscle relaxation. All things considered, how realistic is that? You could try supplementing your diet with natural compounds such as phosphatidylserine, magnolia bark extract, and ashwagandha root. Oh yeah, you’re going to run out and try that. And do they really do the job? Simple answer? No way. So what can you do? Here’s where we can actually say, “relax”. The hormone professionals at Denver Hormone Health are uniquely expert in diagnosing hormone imbalances and getting them back to the levels they need to be for your body (and mind) to function at its optimal best. Simple tests will tell them if your cortisol has shot into hyperdrive, dragging your health and well-being behind. Then they are able to create a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs. In your whirlwind of a life, take just a few minutes to call and make an appointment at Denver Hormone Health now. They’re experienced, they care and they take you through the entire process nice and easy. How stress-free is that?

HO-HO, OH NO…ON THE THIRD WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS

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Holiday Stress

IT COULD REALLY SLEIGH YOU

It’s Black Friday, and visions of angst dance through your head. Because Christmas is right around the corner, just while you’re still trying to recoup after Thanksgiving. Not something to be so grateful about at this point. The headaches raise their ugly heads again. You want to curl up with a steamy cup of hot chocolate (a hit of rum in it wouldn’t be so bad) and wake up when it’s all over. Like in 2017, maybe. But you’re tough and resilient and ready to go.

HELPLESS AND ELFLESS

Whatever’s supposed to be frantically going on at the North Pole, doesn’t seem to have anything to do with you. Where are your merry band of elves working to make things easier? Didn’t they get your text…” HELP!”? Actually, where is anyone in your family stepping up to the wreath? Most of the time you’re pretty much on your own and what you have to do is daunting. A “Bah Humbug” would be acceptable here. Even before gifts and other plans, you need to think of Christmas Cards. Pictures of the family? Touching thoughts? Funny? And who is supposed to get them? You can count on forgetting someone. So you can count on a big hill of guilt. But grab your gift garb and get ready to shop.

SHOPPING THROUGH THE SNOW

There’s so much in store for you. Oh wait, that’s so many stores in store for you.

Door busters can cause you to bust a gut. The lines, the insanity…forget it.

And then there are the decisions. Like the card confusion, who gets what?  If anything. The mailman? Your manicurist? The babysitter? The paperboy? (Oh wait, that hasn’t been an issue for ages and ages thanks to digital news.) Who might give you a gift you aren’t expecting so you better have something on hand for them?  “Oh, you didn’t have to do that”, they gush.  Wish that were true. You do have choices, though. You could shop online. But you could blow hours and hours on that one. Oh, and no guarantee anything you buy will arrive in time for the big day. Actually, there’s another blustery thought: just how many gifts do each person get? If you celebrate Hanukkah, there’s 7 nights of gifts to get. Try and wrap your head around all that. You can’t, so, it’s off you go, ready for the battles at the counters with the only bells jingling are in your head are incessantly loud, annoying and endless. Ah, it’s like music.

Dashing through the snow

In your 6-seat Chevrolet

O’er the crowded freeways you go

Crying all the way

Jingle bells…jingle bells…

PUT THIS ON YOUR LIST:

Dr. Stephen a. Goldstein, MD, FACS. at Denver hormone health.

A lot of the health problems you’re feeling over the holidays, like stress or all other malaise toying around with your body, what you’re feeling might actually be the result of unbalanced hormones. Like so many other things you’re at the mercy of this season, you could be at the mercy of hormones. Hormones are the messengers telling your cells how to operate. There is no end to the damage and tricks they can play. And how miserable they can make you feel. But dr. Stephen a. Goldstein, MD, FACS. at Denver Hormone Health is at the head of the field of hormone replacement therapy. In one consultation, he listens to what is bothering you, then with simple tests, is able to determine exactly what’s going on in regard to your hormones. From there, he creates a uniquely tailored plan to get you back to Christmas joy.

So make an appointment today.

No thank-you card required.