by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Aug 15, 2024 | Menopause, Perimenopause
How can I feel better in perimenopause naturally? You can feel better in perimenopause by leaning on four simple, natural strategies: regular aerobic exercise, mind-body practices like yoga, meaningful social connection, and a healthy intimate life. Each of these...
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jul 20, 2024 | Thyroid Issues
What are the symptoms of central hypothyroidism? Central hypothyroidism can cause classic hypothyroid symptoms even when standard labs look normal. Common signs include constipation, feeling cold all the time, unexplained weight gain, fatigue, dry or brittle hair, and...
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jul 19, 2024 | Hypothalamus
How can I boost low cortisol levels naturally? If your cortisol is genuinely low, natural approaches focus on supporting your body’s stress-response system rather than forcing cortisol up. Key strategies include managing how you respond to stress, protecting...
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jul 18, 2024 | Hypothalamus, Women's Health
What causes low estrogen? Low estrogen has five common causes. Ovarian aging or failure means the ovaries no longer have enough egg-containing follicles to produce estrogen. Hypothalamic dysfunction disrupts the brain signals that tell the ovaries to make estrogen....
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jul 8, 2024 | Women's Health, Menopause
What are the uncommon symptoms of low estrogen? Beyond hot flashes and vaginal dryness, low estrogen can cause symptoms that often get missed: recurring urinary tract infections, anxiety and depression, brain fog and trouble focusing, very light or absent periods,...
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jul 7, 2024 | Hypothalamus, Menopause, Women's Health
How can you fix Anxiety and vaginal atrophy? Let’s talk about it. There is a relationship between anxiety and vaginal atrophy. Both are due to low hormone levels. Low estrogen can cause vaginal atrophy. Vaginal atrophy means the tissues become very thin and...
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jul 6, 2024 | Menopause
What are the most common side effects of HRT? The three most common side effects of hormone replacement therapy are breast tenderness, bloating with fluid retention, and headaches. These often relate to hormone levels being higher than your body needs, an imbalance...
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jul 5, 2024 | Menopause, Women's Health
Why do some women menstruate after menopause? Let’s talk about it. You would think once you reach menopause, you would stop having periods but not all women do. These aren’t traditional periods where you’re ovulating. They’re more breakthrough...
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jul 4, 2024 | Menopause, Women's Health
How can you manage your post-menopausal facial hair naturally? Let’s talk about it. The increase in testosterone in post-menopause causes stimulation of facial hair. Low post-menopausal estrogen levels lead to lower sex hormone binding globulin which frees...
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jul 3, 2024 | Hypothalamus
What’s the impact of prolactin on your health? Let’s talk about it. Prolactin is a really important hormone but usually not measured. Prolactin is produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary at night. High levels of prolactin during the day...
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jun 18, 2024 | Menopause, Hypothalamus
How does the hypothalamus cause menopause symptoms? Many menopause symptoms trace back to the hypothalamus, the brain’s master control center, rather than to the ovaries alone. As estrogen and progesterone decline, the hypothalamus receives weaker signals and...
by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Jun 17, 2024 | Hypothalamus
Can optimizing your hormones improve your nervous system health? Let’s talk about it. Your hormones affect your nervous system, particularly the Big Four – Estrogen Progesterone, Cortisol, and T3. Estrogen helps in neurogenesis, rejuvenating nerve cells,...