Insulin resistance — also called syndrome X or metabolic syndrome— is so pervasive today that we evaluate nearly every woman who visits our clinic to determine her level of risk. Most are taken aback when they learn they either already have insulin resistance syndrome (or as I call it pre-pre diabetic) or are well on their way to developing it. Experts estimate that 25% of all Americans suffer from insulin resistance. We believe the percentage is much higher among perimenopausal women. Because insulin is one of the “major” hormones, it’s also impossible for your body to balance its “minor” hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone among them) until your insulin metabolism is balanced first. To put it simply, if you have hot flashes and you are insulin resistant, it’s going to be nearly impossible to cure the hot flashes without first healing the insulin resistance. Cortisol is also a “major” hormone – to understand it’s role in hormonal balance, read our related articles on adrenal fatigue. The good news is that you can heal insulin resistance. This has been a primary focus of our practice at Women to Women for over a decade, and our approach has been quite successful. Throughout the website you will find simple solutions on how to begin to heal this problematic syndrome.

Assuming you haven't been diagnosed with Cushing's disease by your doctor, here are steps you can take to help lower high cortisol levels naturally: Switch to a Whole Foods, Anti-inflammatory Diet. Reduce and Manage Stress. Exercise Regularly. Use Adaptogen Herbs and Superfoods. Try Essential Oils to Promote Relaxation.

To treat your tinnitus, your doctor will first try to identify any underlying, treatable condition that may be associated with your symptoms. If tinnitus is due to a health condition, your doctor may be able to take steps that could reduce the noise. Examples include: Earwax removal.

A hemolytic transfusion reaction is a serious complication that can occur after a transfusion of blood. The red blood cells that were given in the transfusion are destroyed by the patient's immune system. There are other types of allergic transfusion reactions that do not cause hemolysis.

Cataplexy is a sudden, temporary loss of muscle tone that can result in collapse. It is often caused by intense emotions, including laughter

Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue that results in breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness. You also might have fever and chills. Mastitis most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding (lactation mastitis), although sometimes this condition can occur in women who aren't breast-feeding. In most cases, lactation mastitis occurs within the first six to 12 weeks after giving birth (postpartum), but it can happen later during breast-feeding. The condition can cause you to feel run down, making it difficult to care for your baby. Sometimes mastitis leads a mother to wean her baby before she intends to, but continuing to breast-feed, even while taking an antibiotic for the mastitis, is better for you and your baby.

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Problems that affect ovulation, and the hormones involved with ovulation, are the most common cause of female infertility. They include: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Women with PCOS do not ovulate regularly and they experience infrequent or absent menstrual cycles.

During in vitro fertilization (IVF), eggs and sperm are brought together in a laboratory glass dish to allow the sperm to fertilize an egg. With IVF, you can use any combination of your own eggs and sperm and donor eggs and sperm. After IVF, one or more fertilized eggs are placed in the uterus .

Panic attacks are discrete periods of intense fear or discomfort. Symptoms may include palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, a choking sensation, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, paresthesias, and a fear of dying or losing control

Chronic angina is a prevalent manifestation of cardiovascular disease and is most commonly due to insufficient oxygen supply from fixed epicardial lesions in the coronary arteries.

Tendons are thick cords that join your muscles to your bones. When these tendons become irritated or inflamed, it is called tendinitis. This condition causes acute pain and tenderness, making it difficult to move the affected joint. Read more

Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a condition in which the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender. The forearm muscles and tendons become damaged from overuse — repeating the same strenuous motions again and again.

extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy is used to treat kidney stones

Goiter treatment depends on the size of the goiter, your signs and symptoms, and the underlying cause. Your doctor may recommend: Observation. If your goiter is small and doesn't cause problems, and your thyroid is functioning normally, your doctor may suggest a wait-and-see approach. Medications. If you have hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone replacement with levothyroxine (Levoxyl, Synthroid, Tirosint) will resolve the symptoms of hypothyroidism as well as slow the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone from your pituitary gland, often decreasing the size of the goiter. For inflammation of your thyroid gland, your doctor may suggest aspirin or a corticosteroid medication to treat the inflammation. For goiters associated with hyperthyroidism, you may need medications to normalize hormone levels. Surgery. Removing all or part of your thyroid gland (total or partial thyroidectomy) is an option if you have a large goiter that is uncomfortable or causes difficulty breathing or swallowing, or in some cases, if you have a nodular goiter causing hyperthyroidism.

The veins around your anus tend to stretch under pressure and may bulge or swell. Swollen veins (hemorrhoids) can develop from an increase in pressure in the lower rectum. Factors that might cause increased pressure include: Straining during bowel movements.

In developing countries, domestic animals (eg, dogs) are common sources of infection. In the United States, bats and wild animals (eg, raccoons) are the most common reservoirs of infection. The acquisition of rabies from bats can occur from an unrecognized bite or a scratch, and possibly by inhalation of aerosolized viral particles. Bats are found in all states except Hawaii, and spelunking (cave exploration) is a risk factor for rabies acquisition from bats.

Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues. There are many types of anemia. Pernicious anemia is a decrease in red blood cells that occurs when the intestines cannot properly absorb vitamin B12.