Women's Health

Women go through many changes in their lifetimes, from puberty, into pregnancy and motherhood, and then on to menopause. While some women sail through it, at some point most will experience varying degrees of hormonal challenges that do not necessarily have to impact their lives negatively.

During puberty, as hormones first change and rush into the body – hormone activity can be too much or too little. Period pain, clotting, being easily irritated, having sugar cravings, or experiencing swollen and tender breasts can often become the new normal, and unnecessarily so.

Then there is hormonal acne. At this exciting phase of life, where everything is about appearance, show me a teenager who is not driven mad trying to keep this hidden from the world. It can be soul-destroying at a young age, causing complexes and, if treated incorrectly or left unmanaged, scar someone for life both physically and emotionally.

During pregnancy, different hormones present new challenges – where a placenta has to be built. Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are passed from mother to baby, mums can be depleted of nutrients themselves, becoming tired and lethargic.

Then after childbirth, often without an opportunity to recover from the birthing process itself, come the sleepless nights that relentlessly pursue without a hint of relief on the horizon. When women go on to have more than one child, it is no surprise they can run short of many nutrients.

Once the teens move on to lives of their own, there is another phase as menopause is reached. Most problems occurring around this time are as a result of an imbalanced female system, and can lead to thin skin, early wrinkles, weak bones, and muscle loss, giving rise to an aged appearance.

- Dr Glen Curd