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Addressing Women's Health with The East Valley’s Top Hormone Specialists
Many women in Arizona are entering or experiencing menopause, suffering from oftentimes debilitating symptoms. Learn about what Menopause is, and what women do to alleviate symptoms.
What is Menopause?
The end of your menstrual cycles, usually 12 months after your last menstrual period, is defined as menopause. In the United States, the average age one experiences menopause is 51 but can happen around the age of 40–50. While menopause is a natural part of aging, menopausal stage symptoms may affect one’s quality of life. (source: Mayo Clinic).
Factors that may cause menopause:
Natural decline of reproductive hormones
Primary ovarian insufficiency
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy
Hysterectomy
Regardless of the severity of your symptoms, it’s important to address hormone imbalances with a specialist near you.
How to Address Low Calcium Levels Through Diet & Supplementation
Low calcium levels can lead to osteopenia (slight bone loss) and osteoporosis (severe bone loss).
How Much Calcium is Needed in Our Diet?
Only about 30% of women in the US get enough calcium from their diet alone. For women over 51 years of age and men aged 70+, the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) increases from 1000 mg per day to 1200 mg daily.
One must make a conscious effort to consume enough calcium-rich foods to meet the required amount. For example, an 8-ounce cup of low-fat plain yogurt contains 415 mg of calcium. Fortified orange juice, cheeses, sardines (with bones), kale, and chia seeds are among other dietary sources of calcium.
Addressing Deficiencies in Calcium Levels
It is a good idea to calculate how much calcium you get from your foods and make up the deficit by taking the right calcium supplement. The two most popular and widely available forms are calcium carbonate
The most abundant mineral in the body is calcium. Calcium is required for the building and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, plays important roles in blood clotting, muscle function, and blood pressure. It also supports proper nerve function and colon health. It is estimated that 42% of Americans aren’t getting the recommended amount of dietary calcium.
Looking through the drugstore shelves or an online search yields hundreds, if not thousands of calcium-containing OTC products.
Symptoms
Although low calcium doesn’t present with signs, it can lead to “silent” conditions such as osteoporosis or high blood pressure. In addition, an excessively low level of calcium can trigger a variety of symptoms such as:
About 12 million Americans have an underactive thyroid gland. The condition is called hypothyroidism. Conventional treatment with the synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine works very well for most of these patients.
However, for about one in seven of these individuals, levothyroxine (T4) just isn’t enough. In certain cases, the person may benefit from adding a second thyroid hormone called liothyronine (T3).
But before you assume that lack of T3 is the problem, it is a good idea to keep the following in mind:
Information on Taking Thyroid Medication
Once you start taking thyroid medication, wait at least a month or two before deciding if the pills are working or not. It is unreasonable to expect your symptoms to disappear instantly. Keep in mind that you may have to see your doctor several times to check your blood levels and based on the results adjust your levothyroxine dose to get it just
