- I feel exhausted and tired daily in the morning though I took regular 8 hours of sleep. Puffy face at morning time, bloating, lack of energy and disturbances in menstrual period are hampering my daily routine and disturbing my family also. A 48-year lady having history of hypothyroidism visited the clinic for all above said complaints accompanied by frustration.
- Married couple with the age around 36 years came to the clinic. They took treatment for infertility from various places in the past 8 years. The lady, now struggling with physical and major psychological health issues came for consultation. The lady is going thought emotional breakdowns, anxiety, tremendous stress, social pressure and she is in early stage of depression along with many physical health issues. These health conditions are affecting their marital life badly.
Hormonal disturbances in female body always have very tricky, complicated impact on various domains of health. Hormonal imbalances not only affect physical health but also affects psychological and social health also.
This complicated health status due to hormonal imbalances amongst the female always need specialized focus which includes not only medicines but also insights about causes and lifestyle modifications
Women health and complexities of hormones:
Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate various functions in the body, including growth and development, metabolism, and reproduction. Hormonal imbalances occur when there is too much or too little of hormones in the body.
A woman’s health and well-being depend a lot on the hormonal balance in her body. Most women go through some dramatic phases in their lifetime. There are constant physiological changes in hormonal cycles in women body starting from menarche up to menopause.
Phases like puberty, pregnancy, post partum period and menopause are some highly crucial phases where hormones play a pivotal role. When the hormones are balanced, a woman feels her very best. A hormonal imbalance can disrupt many vital body functions, disturb the mood, and drastically drop energy levels, thereby impacting a woman’s well-being.
Ayurvedic perspective on hormonal imbalances:
According to Ayurveda, everything in the universe is composed of five elements i.e. ether, air, fire, water and earth. There are three primary life forces derived from the five elements that are responsible for all physical and psychological functions in the body and mind. These are known as the three doshas, vata, pitta and kapha.
Everyone is born with their unique mix of doshas called prakriti which needs to be kept in balance to remain well and healthy.
According to Ayurveda, Vata dosha is responsible for all the micro movements within body. Physiological functions of hormones are very similar to the functions of vata dosha described by Ayurveda. Pitta is responsible for metabolism and transformation within the body, so Pitta dosha is functionally similar with hormones responsible for metabolism. So, vata and pitta dosha predominantly executes all the hormonal functions within body.
From a modern science perceptive, the endocrine system deals with chemical communication within the body by way of hormones. It works closely with the nervous system. Vata and pitta Dosha always have close association with nervous system.
The Inter-relatedness between the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands is referred to as the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis or HPA axis. The HPA axis plays an important role in how the body reacts to chronic stress. We can see predominance of vata – pitta dosha physiologically for proper functioning of HPA axis.
Complexities of hormones within women according to Ayurveda:
Women life is constantly facing changes related to hormonal cycle from monthly menstrual cycle to age wise physiological changes. Ayurveda mentioned proper lifestyle for maintaining hormonal harmony. These lifestyle related rules differ according to age, hormonal stage and physiological conditions of women.
Inappropriate and differed lifestyle mostly seen to be associated with aggravated vata and pitta dosha which governs the endocrine and nervous system. Vitiated vata and pitta can cause problems to arise such as anxiety, foggy mind, irregular sleep, digestive issues and menstrual disturbances. Although vata-pitta doshas are involved in the functioning of the HPA axis and the rest of the endocrine system, pitta and kapha are unable to move without vata. When vata is vitiated, it can then cause pitta and kapha to also become imbalanced. Imbalances in any of the doshas can cause hormonal disorders.
Alarming symptoms related to hormonal imbalances:
Symptoms of hormonal imbalances can vary widely depending on the hormone involved but can include:
- Wake up tired, or feel fatigued throughout the day
- Mood swing
- Irregular periods or fertility issues
- Acne or other skin issues
- Hair loss or growth
- Digestive issues
- Cognitive issues such as “brain fog”
- Trouble falling asleep
- Lower tolerance to stress, irritability, short temper
- Weight gain, especially in the midsection
- A weak immune system, getting sick more often
- Low libido
Key solutions for maintaining hormonal harmony:
Modern life is very fast. People are constantly in a state of stress from rushing around, trying to meet tight work deadlines, juggling childcare, social lives and trying to do as much as possible often because of fear of missing out. Sleep quality also suffers from staying up late or indulging in distractions (social media, films, TV, alcohol) rather than relaxation.
Ayurveda mentioned proper Charya (regime) for different phases of women like Sutika paricharya, Rajaswala paricharya etc. Women from this generation are not following all these rules related to diet and exercise due to lack of time, knowledge and experiences. All these kind of inappropriate lifestyle within different phases of women are responsible for hormonal imbalances.
Following Ayurvedic principles for maintaining hormonal balances are very important.
Phase wise care mentioned by Ayurveda:
Ayurveda caters to a woman’s specific vulnerabilities and struggles from the very beginning of her life. Tailored treatments are essential for irregular menstrual cycles, hormone imbalances, fertility issues, and the transformative phases of pregnancy and menopause. This ancient system offers a wealth of information. It combines food advice, herbal cures, lifestyle suggestions, and therapeutic approaches designed specifically for female patients.
Ayurveda had divided women life in different phases including pre menarche age, reproductive age, pregnancy period, post-partum period and peri menopausal age. Predominant doshas are different in every phase of women and Ayurveda mentioned proper guideline including daily routine, diet exercise for maintaining health harmony for that particular phase.
- Fertility and Reproductive Health: Ayurveda provides comprehensive advice on boosting fertility and promoting reproductive health. This is done through dietary suggestions, herbal preparations, and lifestyle practices.
- Menstrual Health: Ayurvedic remedies ease menstrual discomfort, using specific herbs, warm oil massages, and heat therapies to alleviate menstrual cramps, bloating, and mood swings.
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Pregnancy and Postpartum Care: Ayurveda promotes a healthy pregnancy and speedy postpartum recovery. It offers advice on a balanced diet, prenatal yoga, herbal remedies, and supporting therapies for both mother and child’s well-being.
- Menopausal Support: Ayurveda helps manage menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, nocturnal sweats, mood swings, and insomnia through herbal supplements, dietary changes, and relaxation techniques.
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Be mindful: Mindful eating, regular sleeping habits and exercise is the key for balancing all the elements within body. Understanding and adopting such a lifestyle is very important.
Remove any known stressors that you can. For stressors that cannot be removed, see if it is possible to change the way you react to them with mindful practices.
Reduce packaged foods, ready-made foods and foods high in white sugar. Reduce caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Eat slowly and stop when 75% full to leave space for digestion. Don’t eat until the previous meal has been digested. Include good fats such as ghee, coconut oil, sesame seed oil and olive oil. Include digestive spices to support agni such as ginger, cumin, fennel, coriander etc.
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Pranayama and meditation:
Pranayama is one of the most powerful and direct practices that calms the mind. Meditation helps to balance the mind and emotions. Research on meditation shows that it can increase ojas, enhance our resilience to stress, reduce cortisol levels, lower blood pressure and negative emotions.
- Ayurvedic daily practices:
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- Abhyanga – The regular practice of abhyanga calms the nervous system, balances vata, lubricates and rejuvenates the tissues, and promotes healthy circulation throughout the body.
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Nasya– Nasya is the application of herbal oils to the nasal passage. This is the best way to deliver the balancing properties of the herbs and oil to the cerebral cortex. This practice calms the mind and soothes the nasal passage, it relieves accumulated stress and supports mental clarity.
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Panchakarma: It is very effective at relieving deep seated diseases, hormonal imbalances and for improving physical and mental health
Nadi Tarangini – Modern day tool for maintaining women health:
Recognizing the nuanced symptoms of hormonal imbalances is crucial for proactive well-being. Nadi Tarangini can take care of women health in preventive way at very early stage.
Nadi Tarangini can analyse predominant dosha, metabolic health quotient and emotional wellbeing. Based on above parameters, Nadi Tarangini can give more insights related lifestyle modification for balancing doshas and maintaining health harmony.
The sooner you understand these cues and imbalances within body, the more effectively you can navigate toward hormonal harmony with the help of Nadi Tarangini.
