Weight Gain
   Fuzzy Thinking
Night Sweats
   Poor Concentration
Forgetfulness
   Facial Hair
Insomnia
   Mood Swings
Headaches
   Hot flashes
PMS
   Cravings
Fatigue
   Low Energy
Feeling Sad
   Irritability
Depression
   Loss of Zest
Body Pain
   Low Sex Drive
Breast Tenderness
   Insomnia
Loss of Breast Size
   Stiffness or Joint Pain
Wakefulness or Restless Sleep
   Digestive Problems
Sagging Skin
   Heart Palpitations
Excessively Dry Skin
   Racing Heart
Cold Hands & Feet
   Loss of Muscle Tone
Oily Skin
   Urinary Incontinence
Vaginal Dryness
   Low Sexual Function
Fibroids
   Sore Feet
Skin Crawling
   Accelerated Aging, Wrinkling
Itchy Skin
   Lumpy Breasts

Adolescents and Teens

Puberty brings a flurry of hormone activity, which, in the course of a few short years, transforms a girl into a woman. Along the way, however, teens may experience a wide range of hormonally induced problems, which may include anemia, irregular and/or painful periods, sore breasts, weight gain, acne, facial hair, mood disturbances, PMS, depression, fatigue, headaches, seizures, insomnia, food cravings, addictions and more.

With most teens, our initial approach to treating hormone imbalances is through diet, supplements, and exercise. However, some cases require prescription bioidentical natural hormone therapy along with lifestyle modifications.

Excerpts from Teen Book:
From Chapter 1
Teens Today — Why they struggle

Teen. . . Being a teen girl today is not like it was two or three decades ago. True, some things remain the same. Sweet little girls have always disappeared into sometimes-prickly young women. Teen hormones have always bubbled and stewed, creating a paradox of sweet and sour, push and pull, hold on and let go. Teens today are as apt to run into the same predictable emotional and physical challenges of growing up as their mothers did. But there are more complicating factors now. To name a few:

* A pervasive fast-food and convenience culture that promotes overeating and unhealthful foods. The obesity epidemic is well documented, and teens and youngsters are a big part of the sorry statistics.
* A shallow and exploitive pop culture that over-sexualizes just about everything, especially teen girls.
* A fast-forward society steeped in stress.
* A disintegrating family structure in which the kids often get lost in the shuffle.

Did you know?

* The age of puberty is declining, so it is not unusual for six- and seven-year-old girls to begin developing breasts and sprouting pubic hair.
* The use of antidepressant prescriptions for children increased by 50 percent between 1998 and 2002, and the use of such drugs among children grew three- to tenfold between 1987 and 1996. And although FDA warnings in 2004 that antidepressants increase suicidal behavior in some children resulted in a 20 percent drop in U.S. pediatric prescriptions, many doctors continue to prescribe them.
* One out of four teens is overweight, and one out of eight is obese.
* Approximately 25 percent of U.S. children live in single-parent homes. These children are 4.6 times more likely to commit suicide, 6.6 times more likely to become teen moms, and 24.3 times more likely to run away than those from two-parent homes.

Excerpts from Teen Book:
From Chapter 2
The Hormone Takeover

Teen. . . You can do your daughter a tremendous favor by communicating to her that her body is a remarkable creation and performs incredible feats every month, all on automatic pilot. It is uplifting to be in awe of one’s own body and to be tuned in as the reproductive hormones awaken and begin calling out to one another. Rather than regarding menstruation as “the curse” or “being on the rag” or some other such off-putting term, girls could begin to view the presence of their monthly flow as proof that they are part of the river of life and possess great feminine power and mystery, which, of course, they do. This is not to suggest that the arrival of one’s period each month should be greeted with shouts of joy, but that appreciating it as a natural part of the ebb and flow of life, and proof of biological soundness, is a healthier approach than dreading the monthly visitation with whining or complaints, or, worst of all, shame.

The first period, called menarche, is actually the last hurrah of puberty, which begins two or three years earlier with the first hints of breast development. Once the periods begin, adolescence, the process of maturing after the first period, is officially underway and stretches into adulthood. From day one of the first period, a female’s life is governed by the ebb and flow of hormones until she reaches menopause. (It doesn’t really stop there, but that’s another subject!)

Menstruation is but one aspect of the maturation process, but it is an important indicator that the sex hormones have kicked in and the roller coaster is leaving the station. Hang on!

See Nisha Jackson’s latest book, Surviving the Teenage Hormone Takeover: A Guide for Moms.