A healthy reproductive system not only enables you to be fertile and bear children, but it also affects your day-to-day health. An optimally functioning reproductive system includes the proper amounts of sex hormones (e.g., estrogen and testosterone) which can affect how you look (e.g., facial hair growth, body shape) and how you feel (e.g., depression, hot flashes, moodiness, insomnia). For women, menstrual symptoms such as heavy or painful periods that are often overlooked or ignored, can be a sign of a hormonal imbalance which can lead to other more serious symptoms or disorders, but is also a frequently occurring unnecessary discomfort that you don’t just “have to live with”.
Some of the symptoms of reproductive system disorders include:
- Heavy or painful menstrual periods
- Irregular or missed menstrual periods
- Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Infertility/Difficulty conceiving
- Acne
- Excess facial hair
- Problems losing weight
- Menopausal/Peri-menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, etc)
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Breast conditions (pain, cysts, etc.)
Naturopathic Treatment
There are many options available to treat the variety of reproductive conditions that can occur in women and men. These conditions can have a number of causes including: hormonal (e.g., menstrual irregularities, menopause, fibroids, low testosterone leading to erectile dysfunction), physical (e.g., prostatitis), and infectious (e.g., yeast infections, sexually transmitted diseases). Your Naturopathic Doctor will investigate your specific set of symptoms, perform a physical exam if needed, review lab results showing hormone levels and associated substances, and review diagnostic reports such as ultrasound, to determine the best individualized treatment for your reproductive condition.
Examples of Naturopathic Treatments:
- Herbs or bio-identical hormones to normalize hormone levels
- Herbs to treat menstrual cramps
- Acupuncture or liver detoxification to shrink the size of fibroids
- Acupuncture to treat infertility and assist with IVF
- Lifestyle counselling to deal with the impact of stress on a low libido
- Gynecological exams and PAP tests can also be performed by your Naturopathic Doctor
