By the time you have reached your mid thirties, your hormones have peaked. It tends to be a slow (sometimes not so slow) downhill slide from there.

In many women, by the age of 35, the function of the ovaries is on the wane, and especially by the mid-40s, changes are occurring in many women's bodies that are severe enough to make them see a doctor. There are numerous other women, just putting up with symptoms, which they perceive as just being part of normal life. Indeed, it could be said, that some women have lost their womb, (hysterectomy), just because of the imbalance of hormones.

It has been noted in studies, that even by the age of 35, the ovary does not release the egg - as it should do - and hence there is a lack of production of Progesterone - making these ladies 'oestrogen dominant'. Signs and symptoms of oestrogen dominance are -

• swollen or fibrocystic breasts, heavy or irregular periods
• water retention, bladder problems, weight gain (especially at the hips and thighs)
• hot flushes, not being able to sleep, a craving for foods (especially sweets)
• tiredness, irritability, a feeling of depression, loss of libido
• a feeling of not being loved so much, mood swings, etc.

Generally, most women think of this as part of getting older - and in the past have looked to treatment with HRT, which comes in a neat packet from the chemist, once you have the prescription filled.

Nowadays, we can look at treating hormonal imbalances in women, not through a prescription tablet, but through advice on eating well, exercise, and using natural (bio identical) HRT, where necessary.

After a study was released in 2002 - indicating there may be a higher risk of breast cancer, and heart disease in women taking synthetic HRT - many women went off HRT, or refused to to start HRT in the first place. At this time of writing, there have been no long-term studies done using natural or now, more commonly called bio identical HRT. Therefore, any information that we give you on natural HRT must include the warnings of the risks related to the unnatural or synthetic HRT - although a bio-identical hormone is exactly the same hormone as you would produce in your own body (hence a certain logic says that this should be less hazardous than taking a synthetic product).

Read more about Bio-identical Hormones -

• Hormone Imbalances
• Oestrogen Dominance in Pre and Postmenopausal Women
• Postmenopausal Women
• Measuring Hormone Levels
• Types of Oestrogen
• Comparison of Progesterone and Progestogens (Progestins in the USA)
• Men's Health - Andropause