Blog

The Opioid Crisis: Conquering Pain & Addiction in the U.S.

The current opioid epidemic dominates the discussion among national health leaders, recovery advocates and families nationwide. Opioids include heroin as well as prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, and others. Opioids interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. While generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, opioids can produce euphoria in addition to pain relief. Misuse is a serious problem, which can be taking an opioid without a prescription, or in more significant quantities than are safe. Dependence, addiction, overdose (leading to death) are genuine concerns with regular opioid use.¹

Take Control of Your Hormones With Dr. Melnyk's New Book

The long-anticipated book by Dr. Nadiya Melnyk is almost here! Don’t miss your chance to learn about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the many benefits it offers for women of all ages.

The Yang of Stress and Fat

There are many risks associated with obesity, some even severe enough to lead to death, such as a heart attack or stroke. As a practitioner with clinical expertise you may feel inclined to impart some wisdom, however, this can be an uncomfortable subject to broach – Dr. Melnyk’s discussion on stress and fat may be the starting point you need.

Sex and Estrogen

At the end of the last month’s article, I discussed the interaction between opposites: male and female, light and dark, etc. Here, I will continue down that road by observing how hormonal balance affects the reproductive system in women – specifically sex hormones.

Every day, more than 200 hormones are produced in a woman’s body. Just as diet affects our mental and physical health, each of these hormones influences specific functions in our bodies. Hormone levels also fluctuate throughout the day. The most commonly known hormones are sex hormones: testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.

Women’s Hormones: A Western & Eastern Perspective

Sometimes it may seem that you require a degree in medicine to understand hormones and how they function. Although there is plenty of information regarding the science of hormones, most of this information, as well as conclusions from various studies, can be confusing and conflicting – even to experienced physicians. To help you better understand women’s hormones, here are some fundamental details drawn from the outlook of Western and Eastern medicine.

Women's Hormones: A Guide to the Cycle & Infertility ( 1 )

A widespread problem in women caused by hormonal imbalance is infertility; with nearly six million couples in America alone being afflicted by it. In approximately 60 percent of the cases, the infertility can be attributed to the female partner, whereas the rest (40 percent) are because of unhealthy male partners.

Phases of the Menstrual Cycle

There are a number of factors in women that might influence their ability to become pregnant such as ovulatory dysfunction, endometriosis, blockage in fallopian tubes, Chlamydia, uterine fibroids, hormonal imbalance, pelvic diseases, psychological stress and age.

Traditional Chinese medicine states that by regulating the menstrual cycle infertility in women can be treated successfully. The healthy menstrual cycle of a woman can be divided into five different phases.

Women's Hormones: A Guide to the Cycle and Infertility( 2 )

Phase Three

The third phase is referred to as the luteal phase, and is regulated by the Spleen Qi and Kidney Yang. The hyper thermal phase is marked by high body temperatures and lasts for about 14 days. After the rupture and release of the egg into the uterus, the follicle turns into corpus luteum and is now associated with the secretion of progesterone, that is known to regulated the processes in this phase. The progesterone has a heating effect on the body and can be rightly touted as Yang owing to its properties.

The basic functions of the progesterone are to ready the endometrium inside the uterus, facilitate a firm implantation of the egg that has been fertilized by the sperm, and also stimulate the blood capillaries present in the uterus to produce more blood for the uterine lining.