Coz Being Ageless Is Priceless

Posts tagged ‘testosterone’

Bad Hair Day Because of Hormones?

Alopecia

Image via Wikipedia

Yes, it’s possible. Hair loss could be due to hormonal imbalance. The sooner this imbalance is corrected, the better. Hair loss could cease or better yet, hair could grow back. One of the most common hormonal causes of hair loss is a poor thyroid condition. Of course, a lot of thyroid issues unfortunately, still goes undiagnosed. It’s not enough to do a blood test alone. Sometimes, clinical signs and symptoms such as low basal body temperature, slow reflexes, or loss of outer third of a person’s eyebrows, have to be taken into consideration. When a person has blood work for thyroid, it’s important to check for free T3, the metabolically active form of thyroid hormone. In some cases, tests such as reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies could yield very helpful information. The pattern of hair loss is also important by the way. A more diffuse type of hair loss points to a thyroid condition while “male-pattern” hair loss is due to testosterone decline in men (or elevated DHT in both men and women). Ever wonder why younger men have full heads of hair and once they get older, they lose their scalp hair? This is not generally true any more. Unfortunately, we’re seeing young men in their teens and 20’s starting to lose hair. This is due to poor nutrition as well as environmental influences. We’re getting more chemicals from our environment that mimic estrogen in our bodies (xenoestrogens) which are causing a hormonal imbalance. One of the consequences of hormonal imbalance is hair loss. Fortunately, this and other health challenges can be addressed through the use of bioidentical hormones. Addressing the problems associated with aging using a holistic approach always yields better results.

Category:

Opinions, Tips

Tagged with:

Male Menopause: It’s Real And You Can Do Something About It….

As men age, hormones get out of balance just like in women. Testosterone levels (and growth hormone) tend to decline while hormones such as estrogen and DHT tend to increase. When testosterone declines, signs and symptoms such as the following could occur namely; loss of muscle mass, wrinkling of the skin, osteoporosis, mood changes (depression), hair loss, increase in body fat and cardiovascular disease, among others. With an increase in estrogen (due to increased body fat in some men as well as exposure to xenoestrogens in general), men could experience gynecomastia, emotional lability (mood swings) and prostate issues. With an increase in DHT, hair loss, acne and prostate problems could occur. We normally see this decline in men in their 50’s or older but we’re seeing this decline earlier in life now. Possible reasons for this include nutritional deficiencies, pharmaceuticals such as statins (which lower cholesterol, a precursor to testosterone), and environmental toxicity (organophosphates used in the agricultural industry for instance, mimic estrogen in our bodies). Among the people you know, how many of them actually manifest signs and symptoms of andropause? Unfortunately, most men who fall within the “normal” range may not be treated even if they’re symptomatic. The range of “normal” is so wide that those who are in the low normal range (and symptomatic as well) are not being treated properly. Fortunately, a doctor from Harvard named Abraham Morgentaler wrote a book called “Testosterone For Life” which seeks to educate more people about this issue. Anyway, the recommended treatment for low testosterone is testosterone itself. It comes in different forms such as sublingual tablets, transdermals gels or creams, injectables and pellets. Since everybody is different, the dose and route of administration is individualized to each person. It’s always good to do a baseline PSA (prostate specific antigen) and DRE (digital rectal exam) before starting anyone on testosterone. Since testosterone could metabolize into estrogen (esp. in men with excess body fat) or DHT, it’ll be wise to block those pathways with aromatase inhibitors and 5-alpha reductase (or DHT blockers) inhibitors, respectively. This could be done through natural supplements or prescription medications. Frequent testing is key to make sure people don’t get side-effects whatsoever. For men who are hesitant on using any type of hormone for improving their testosterone levels, options could include the use of amino acids (such as L-carnitine, which increases cell receptor sensitivity to endogenous tesotosterone) or herbal supplements (such as tribulus). While on a hormone replacement program, it’s important to include dietary and lifestyle changes as well to get optimal results. I highly recommend the Paleolithic diet and the PACE program by Dr. Al Sears for my clients.

If the picture above belongs to someone, let me know so I can give credit.

Related Articles

Category:

Environment, Opinions, Tips, Trends

Tagged with:

Bad Make-Up

Assorted cosmetics and tools

Image via Wikipedia

What I mean by bad make-up is not how bad the way a person is made up (although, that gives me an idea on something to write about in the future). I’m actually referring to how harmful some of the make-up/cosmetics/personal care products are for our health. The cosmetic and even the perfume industry are industries that are not regulated. As such, some unscrupulous companies could use whatever they hell they want in their products. Some of these products are known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) and hormone disruptors. Some companies (even those that claim to be natural) state that the amounts of chemicals (used as preservative agents, among other things) found in their products are so minute to make a dent in someone’s health. Not if you’re getting a little bit of everything here and there. Who decides on what is too much or too little? An article on Time.com called “Toxic Cosmetics” is quite enlightening. Some examples of toxic chemicals include formaldehyde in hair-straightening agents, toluene in nail polish, mercury in skin whitening agents, parabens in shampoos and skin creams/lotions, coal tar in mascara and lead in lipstick. Men are not safe from these chemicals either. Some agents found in men’s personal care products are hormone disruptors, causing an imbalance in testosterone and estrogen. My advise is to use natural, organic products as much as possible. And don’t take a company’s word for it, do your research. Dr. Haushka’s form Germany, Jurlique from Australia and of course, Young Living Essential Oils are among the purest skin care companies on earth.

Related Articles

Category:

News, Tips

Tagged with:

For Men Only (and for those who love them)

There are a lot of symptoms of male menopause that’s commonly attributed to the normal aging process. Symptoms are usually subtle unless there’s an abrupt decline in hormones. These symptoms include the following: abdominal obesity, decreased muscle mass and strength, loss of self-confidence, depression, fatigue, hot flushes, decreased sex drive, decreased ejaculation volume, decreased strength of erections, anxiety and loss of interest in life. Among the signs of testosterone deficiency include: loss of muscle tone, wrinkles at corner of eyes or above the lips, flabby belly or increased abdominal fat, prostate hypertrophy or atrophy, small/atrophied/flaccid penis and male pattern baldness. Anyway, a lot of men usually suffer in silence because complaining is not a sign of being macho. Oftentimes, men just deal with these nagging symptoms until things get worse. For instance, erectile dysfunction could be due to low normal testosterone levels. Treatment is usually not given until a person’s level is really deficient or below normal. So, instead of getting testosterone treatment, men are given “rocket boosters” like Viagra, Cialis or Levitra or supplement-wise, tribulus, maca, or L-arginine. This is all fine and dandy. However, it’s better to address the root of the problem rather than just treating symptoms, just like anything else. Sometimes, the first symptom of low testosterone is a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack. Scary, right? Anyway, it’s also important to check estrogen levels in men. High levels could lead to gynecomastia, prostate issues and emotional imbalance while very low levels could lead to osteoporosis. So again, it’s all about balance in everything (yin yang in Chinese medicine).

Category:

Tips

Tagged with: