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Endocrine disorders, causing physical and mental imbalanceImpact 1: Irregular menstruation
Women's menstrual flow is usually consistent each month. If there is a significant variation in volume, it is likely due to endocrine disorders, leading to excessively high or low estrogen secretion by the ovaries, resulting in irregular menstruation. Dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea are often also related to endocrine disorders.
Impact 2: Infertility
Some women, despite having normal sexual activity for years after marriage, remain unable to conceive. When they visit a doctor, they are told to first regulate their endocrine system. The underlying cause may be that endocrine disorders disrupt the brain's ability to regulate hormones, or that endometrial damage makes it unresponsive to female hormones, thereby affecting endocrine regulation and reducing the chances of successful conception.
Impact 3: Breast issues
Breast tenderness and hyperplasia are primarily caused by endocrine disorders. The main role of the breast is to promote growth and development through estrogen secretion. When endocrine balance is disrupted, it can easily lead to hyperplasia and breast cancer.
Impact 4: Skin problems
The most common skin issue caused by endocrine disorders is acne. Women with menstrual irregularities are more prone to breakouts. This is because during their period, male hormone levels increase or their effects become stronger, leading to excessive sebum production, blocked facial pores, and persistent acne.
Impact 5: Body hair
Regardless of gender, the endocrine system produces and releases both male and female hormones. Men have higher levels of male hormones, while women have lower levels, which results in their respective characteristics. However, when endocrine disorders occur, excessive male hormone secretion in women may lead to hirsutism.
Endocrine disorders and obesity:
Endocrine disorders affect fat metabolism, which is why some people gain weight even with minimal food intake. Individuals with balanced endocrine systems are less likely to become obese.
Early graying:
Premature graying may also be linked to endocrine issues.
Premature aging:
Endocrine disorders, especially a decrease in sex hormone secretion, are significant factors in human aging.
Cancer:
Endocrine hormones regulate the metabolism and function of body organs and tissues, and this process is directly related to the pathological development of cancer. Many cancers in women stem from endocrine disorders.
Why do endocrine disorders affect you?
Physiological factors:
The hormones of the body's endocrine glands help maintain physiological balance. However, these growth regulators tend to become imbalanced with age, which is why endocrine issues are less common in younger individuals. As people age, more attention should be paid to maintaining endocrine health. Some people inherit endocrine disorders.
Nutritional factors:
The body requires sufficient and appropriate nutrition to maintain normal physiological functions. Otherwise, endocrine problems may arise.
Emotional factors:
Mental health is also a significant factor. We face stress from various aspects of life, and any pressure requires full mental effort, making it difficult to fully relax. This stress and emotional changes reflect on the nervous system, disrupting hormone secretion and causing endocrine disorders.
Environmental factors:
Severe environmental pollution is a major contributor to endocrine disorders in women. Chemical substances in the air, after entering the body through various channels, undergo chemical reactions that lead to endocrine disorders, resulting in menstrual irregularities, endometrial hyperplasia, and other issues.
Regulating endocrine health:
Adopt a healthy lifestyle, establish regular living habits, ensure adequate nutrition and sleep, and consume more high-protein and vitamin-rich foods such as grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Avoid overexertion and excessive excitement, maintain a positive mood, and prevent negative emotions from affecting the endocrine system.
Prevent infections:
Avoid purchasing plastic household items and minimize exposure to environmental hormones. Seek medical attention promptly and use both Western and Chinese medicine for regulation.
Western medicine guidance:
For endocrine disorders, the guiding principle of Western medicine is to regulate the endocrine system to restore balance. Depending on the underlying cause, symptoms, constitution, and severity, different approaches may be used. For hyperfunction caused by excessive hormone secretion, the principle is to suppress or reduce it, which may involve surgical removal of endocrine tumors or medication to inhibit hormone secretion and synthesis. For disorders caused by insufficient hormone secretion, the principle is to supplement the deficiency, including physiological doses of hormones or organ transplantation.
Traditional Chinese medicine advice:
From a TCM perspective, endocrine disorders are a manifestation of yin deficiency, caused by blood stagnation. Stagnant blood retention in the body, blocked meridians, external toxins invading the body, or postpartum discharge not expelling properly may all lead to blood stagnation. Many common female health issues are actually caused by endocrine disorders. Therefore, treating these conditions requires regulating the endocrine system to ensure smooth blood flow, nourish the body with essence and blood, promote blood circulation, and achieve comprehensive regulation from the inside out.
According to the principle of TCM syndrome differentiation, for hyperfunction, more attention should be paid to nourishing yin. For hypofunction, symptoms often include blood deficiency and kidney deficiency, which are usually treated with blood-boosting, qi-tonifying, and kidney-tonifying therapies to improve the condition.