Hormones are our bodies chemical messengers. They travel, through our blood, to the tissues and organs in our body. Hormonal imbalance can lead to serious health issues. It is so important to talk with your doctor and have hormone testing done before any decisions are made. When I was first diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, my blood work indicated I was deficient in vitamin D and vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is very important in the production of white blood cells. A low white blood cell count increases your risk of infections and diseases. Many disorders associated with hormonal imbalance are linked with a vitamin B12 deficiency. Having blood work done is definitely a necessity.
How can we get our hormonal levels under control naturally? One of the best ways to balance out your hormones is through your diet! Bottom line, eating foods that do not supply us with the nutrients we need will cause our hormones to be out of "whack". Our bodies need certain nutrients to maintain proper hormone function such as "good" fats and cholesterol.
So, let's simplify this. What should you eat and what should you avoid?
Avoid refined carbohydrates, the "white" foods. These refined carbohydrates include white sugar, white rice, white bread, white tortillas, white flour. Look at the ingredient labels, you will find white flour in muffins, pastas, snacky foods, etc. I have found that I can eat 100% whole wheat, but it is recommended that you avoid wheat for 30 days and slowly re-introducing it back into your diet. Keep a journal and record how you feel to see if wheat is right for you. Opt for sprouted bread, brown rice, honey, quinoa flour, brown rice flour or garbanzo bean flour as alternatives to the "whites".
Avoid the "bad" fats and eat more of the "good" fats. Fats are extremely important for hormonal balance. However, certain fats can cause havoc on our hormonal levels. Try to avoid vegetable oils, canola oil and margarine. Omega 3 fatty acids are very beneficial, not to mention they contain eicosanoids which decrease inflammation or prevent it altogether. Opt for olive oils, walnuts, and salmon.
Eat your vegetables. Phytonutrients help the body break down the hormones the body doesn't need. Opt for broccoli, spinach, kale, asparagus, and cauliflower. The best vegetables for hormonal balance is cruciferous vegetables.
Get your sleep. Healthy sleep balances hormones. We should get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Take an Epsom salt bath before bed to help you sleep through the night.
Ultimately, changing your diet may do wonders on your hormone levels and quite possibly Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Try to eat "clean", eat whole foods such as fresh fruit. Avoid large amounts of caffeine. Get your blood work done to find out if you have any deficiencies or other issues going on in your body. Get to know your body inside and out.
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Hi Amy. Interesting article, I thought I would share my wife's experience with HS and the issue of whether it is hormone related. My wife has suffered from HS since her teens, however the severity of the condition increased dramatically a few years back after she had a Mirena coil fitted. Having tried all available mixtures of antibiotics and other meds we eventually sought the advice of the dermatologist Professor Mortimer. Having gone through her history with the condition Prof. M explained that the fitting of the coil would have triggered a surge in hormones and this is what caused her HS to become more severe. His advice was that the only way to get her hormones back to equilibrium would be to either get pregnant or have the menopause.
ReplyDeleteShe has also assisted research in finding the HS gene that was undertaken by Dr Pink from Kings College (https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/andrew.pink.html). The feedback we have had from this is that although there is, as you suggest, a link with hormones HS pinpointing the reasons why are more difficult. Lets hope more money is available to research this horrible disease.
Nick
Hi Nick. Thank you for the journal article, very interesting. You had mentioned that your wife started noticing her conditions worsen when she started the Mirena. Was she ever on an oral birth control pill? If so, did her HS get worse when she stopped? I ask because I am thinking about stopping my oral birth control and would like to hear how it has affected HS sufferers.
DeleteI thought Nicks post was interesting. I found this because I was looking to see if there was a link between mirena and HS flares. My HS has been mostly stage 1 with a couple stage 2 areas since I was 15, but about 2 months after getting mirena in, it's been one nonstop flare. It never subsides. More and more tunneled sites show up. I still get random severe cramps and I'm spot bleeding constantly, but also having a metabolism issue causing low D, low iron, low B12, low hemoglobin, the dysmennorhea not controlled by traditional birth control may have been worse. I was constantly feeling like I was going to die. But now I'm miserable for another reason. I wish there was just one Dr I could go to in order to figure it out. All these specialists, it's maddening. My migraines have actually greatly reduced on mirena which I find a plus as well. I don't even see the derm for the HS. All they ever want to do is shove antibiotics. I've always managed it at home and go to the urgent care if it's severe. I'm glad you both shared about the deficiencies and the mirena. I have a lot of considering to do and talking to...some doctors.
DeleteSufferer myself (M). Just to clarify, nightshade vegetables have been known to be a trigger for a lot of people with HS. Some of the most common include potatoes, tomatoes, and paprika. A fair amount of people have also developed a sensitivity to gluten and don't realize it which can make HS infinitely worse. I could write for days with personal reflections but as most who have HS know, a trigger for one person may not be the same for another. It is heavily based on your diet. Thank you Amy for putting this out there and trying to help this uphill battle.
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