How Changes in Your Hormones Affect Your Sexual Health

Your hormone levels naturally change as you get older. Men may experience declining testosterone levels and women have lower estrogen and progesterone levels, especially as they approach menopause.

These hormones can dramatically affect your sex drive and sexual health. But the good news is you don’t have to live with the negative effects of your changing hormones. Our naturopathic specialists at Nutura Clinic in Portland, Oregon, offer this helpful guide about how to navigate these changes.

Why your hormone levels change

If you’re a woman approaching the age of menopause, a decline in your libido is often common. Your levels of the key sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all naturally decrease in the years leading up to menopause.

Your hormone levels often change as a result of getting older. However, there are other factors that influence your hormone levels as well. Other factors that can cause changes in your hormone levels include:

Pregnancy
Breastfeeding
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
Medications
Stress
Chemotherapy
Eating disorders
Injury or trauma

It’s also important to know that this is not strictly a woman’s issue. Many of these factors can affect both men and women.

The symptoms of hormone changes

If your hormones are out of balance, you will probably know it. In addition to having an effect on your sexual health, you may experience symptoms that directly impact your overall well-being.

Women

Your hormones are your body’s messengers and tend to send signals when things are out of balance. For adult women, that may include:

Vaginal dryness
Acne
Weight gain
Excess hair on your face or body
Headaches
Night sweats

Men

Symptoms of hormone changes in adult men include:

Gynecomastia (enlarged breasts)
Difficulty in growing a beard
Erectile dysfunction
Loss of muscle mass
Loss of bone mass (osteoporosis)
Difficulty concentrating
Hot flashes

How treatment can help

The providers at Nutura Clinic take a holistic approach to your health. Instead of treating you like you only have one problem, they address all aspects of your health.

The first part of naturopathic medicine is a comprehensive diagnostic exam. This will likely be much longer and more in-depth than most other exams you may have had.

The Nutura team wants to identify the root cause of your hormone imbalance. They may include blood tests to determine if any of your hormone levels are low and if so, which ones.

Naturopathic treatment is also about seeing your whole body as a system. Often, the best thing to do is to remove obstacles to your healing so your body can heal itself. Our goal is to work with you to restore your hormone levels to a healthy balance, revitalizing your sexual health as well as improving your overall health.

If you think that you might be suffering from a hormone imbalance that’s affecting your sex life or other aspects of your health, call the providers at Nutura Clinic today. Contact us by calling our office or requesting an appointment online.