The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Georgetown Hearing Clinic is committed to your individual hearing needs. Find out how we can help. Serving the community of Halton Hills and surrounding areas for over 18 years Cory Soal © 2011 Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc. All rights reserved. 09/11 It Hides. You Shine. Serving the community of Halton Hills and surrounding areas since 1992 The IFP * H alton H ills * H EA LTH C A R E - Tuesday, January 15, 2013 3 Marie was 47 had been happily mar- ried, enjoyed life and then peri-meno- pause hit hard. Her mood swings were unbearable, her weight gain unaccept- able and her libido hit rock bottom. Peri-menopause is a normal, natu- ral process that all women will experi- ence. Our hormone balance begins to shift between our mid-30s to late 40s. This balance is directly infl uenced by stress levels, poor nutrition, environ- mental toxins and general well-being. Some women will go through peri- menopause for a number of years. It is important to understand that no two women's experience will be the same. While some women will have little or no symptoms, others will expe- rience severe warnings that will mark- edly disrupt their ability to carry out day to day living. For many women, peri-menopause brings both a physical and emotional upheaval linked to the transitional changes in our body. During this phase the ovaries be- come very unstable characterized by fl uctuations in hormone levels. Most women will begin to experience Ano- vulatory Cycles, meaning no ovulation. This is a cycle absent of progesterone and dominated by estrogen. Symp- toms experienced are actually compa- rable to menopause: • Erratic bleeding • Mood swings • Weight gain • Decreased sex drive • Foggy thinking • Headaches • Infertility • Irritability • Memory loss • Osteoporosis • PMS • Thyroid dysfunc- tion • Uterine fi broids • Sleep disturbances • Water retention • Sleep disturbances Of course dietary issues need to be ad- dressed. Our diets di- rectly affect our hor- mone production. Not only is it the excess of calories (fat stores estrogen) but also the nutrition- al quality of our food. Each women's experience of peri- menopause will be unique depending on a variety of factors. The beginning of this phase is directly linked to our ovarian age and our history of PMS. Women begin to have new body sen- sations and increased severity of PMS. The following is a list of common changes indicating peri-menopause. It is important to understand that not every women will experience every symptom and will vary in degree and intensity. • Change in menstrual fl ow • Shorter or longer periods • Menstrual fl ow between cycles • Periodic hot fl ash- es • Decrease in vaginal lubrication • Increase in vaginal infections • Increase in urinary tract infections • Change in sexual desire and responsive- ness • Increased anxiety, depression, and irrita- bility • Decreased energy • Sleep disturbances • Lessened ability to concentrate • Change in bone-mineral content and strength • Change in skin texture and tone • Increased sensitivity to criticism • Increased negative emotional re- sponse to others Peri-menopause is simply a symp- tom of a body out of balance, a transi- tion in every women's life. In educating ourselves women will be armed with the tools to make in- formed choices. Detoxifi cation provides one of the tools to improving our symptoms of hormone imbalance. Detoxifi cation will enhance our body's ability to ef- fectively manage and resolve symp- toms of peri-menopause. Programs need to be customized and targeted at a number of areas of our hormone system. For other women their best choice of treatment is a customized treatment using bio-identical hormones.Bio- identical hormones are prescriptions creams using natural powders iden- tical in structure to our own endoge- nous hormones. Our bodies will easily metabolize bio-identicals, minimizing side effects and improving outcome. Dosages are customized per client depending on the results of a saliva hormone test (testing for estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEa & morning Cortisol) & matched individ- ually to each women's needs. Bio-iden- tical creams are created by the on-site compounding pharmacy. For other women, their best treat- ment choice may be a combination of both-- bio-identicals and detoxifi ca- tion-- depending on individual saliva hormone test results. As women we need to learn to take a more proactive approach to our health and understand the different stages in our lives. Our focus should then be on sustaining and reinforcing our body in its regeneration of good hormonal health. --Article provided by Kelly Nolan BSc.Pharm/Clinic Director Avita Inte- grative Health & Restoration Clinic 5A Conestoga Drive, Brampton, T: 905- 455-0488 | Toll Free: 855-455-0488 Peri-menopause can cause physical and emotional upheaval