How concussion and other acute stressors can disrupt hormone balance
THE MIND BODY WISE PODCAST
Season 2: Mini Series Episode 1
LISTEN AUDIO HERE:
So it’s a wrap for another ski season. Much of it was fabulous fun. However if you follow my instagram you’ll know it wasn’t all powder and sunshine. A slight misjudgment of speed resulted in a pretty frightening accident, resulting in a head injury and my memory disappearing in a second.
Thankfully it’s mostly restored which has left me feeling incredibly grateful to be active again, with a brain that can simply remember where I am. Listen in above to hear my learnings. As with any significant health incident it’s worth tuning into the learnings, or else I find the lessons have a sneaky way of repeating themselves!
5 minutes before the accident
Tune into the learnings
Here’s a few other lessons I learned:
ALWAYS wear a helmet to ski / cycle. I wouldn’t like to imagine the state I’d be in if I hadn’t.
Appreciate the brilliant people I’m surrounded by. On this occasion I particularly appreciated my fabulous husband and friends who handled the accident exactly how I’d want them to.
Allow your body and intuition to lead the tempo of healing, even if it’s inconvenient.
Slow down on the pistes but also in life. Much as I still have ambition, I’m beyond having to prove to anything to anyone.
Surrender > frustration, maybe there’s a higher plan? Still pondering this one - often it’s the hardest but deepest learning!
5 ways concussion and other unlikely stressors can disrupt hormone balance
Hormones and the nervous system can be significantly disrupted by concussion. After the accident my hormones went into complete havoc! Here are five main ways concussions (and likely many other stressors) can affect hormone balance, especially during perimenopause and early menopause:
Disruption of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis: concussions can impact the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which are crucial for regulating hormone production. This disruption can lead to imbalances in hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, affecting the overall hormonal equilibrium.
Increased Stress Hormone Levels: Concussions can trigger the release of stress hormones like cortisol, which can interfere with the normal production and function of other hormones. Elevated cortisol levels can exacerbate symptoms of perimenopause, such as hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances.
Altered Thyroid Function: Thyroid hormones play a vital role in metabolism, energy levels, and overall well-being. Concussions can disrupt thyroid function, leading to symptoms like fatigue, weight changes, and mood fluctuations, which can worsen the challenges of perimenopause.
Impact on Reproductive Hormones: Concussions can affect the production of reproductive hormones like follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, which are essential for menstrual cycle regulation. Imbalances in these hormones can contribute to irregular periods, fertility issues, and other perimenopausal symptoms.
Sleep Disturbances: Concussions can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle and affect the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep patterns. Poor sleep quality and insomnia resulting from concussions can further disrupt hormone balance during perimenopause, leading to increased fatigue, irritability, and cognitive difficulties.
These are just a few ways in which concussions can impact hormone balance during perimenopause. The point being that our bodies are such an interconnected web of systems, so when one system is traumatised or over loaded, it can impact other systems too. It’s also worth noting that the nervous system interconnects with all of the above, which we’ll keep as a story for another day!
Other stressful events on the body could have a similar cascade of effects on our hormones, particularly through perimenopause and early menopause when the systems are already unpredictable.
DISCLAIMER: do seek medical attention if you experience a concussion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sally Dibden is a Health, Life and Performance Coach to driven achievers around the globe. She is the founder of The Wellbeing Consultants™ and the Hormone and Energy Reset aka HER Space™, a community dedicated to women’s holistic health and performance. She also runs her Physiotherapy and Yoga and Pilates Clinic in France where she lives with her family near Geneva.
Sally specialises in the mind body connection, supporting and empowering dynamic women to optimise theirs so they can enjoy the energy and health to feel and perform their best. Her ethos being that sustainable success and happiness in whatever leadership role - whether that be as an entrepreneur, professional, teacher or parent, comes from optimising holistic health. Sally has worked with thousands of patients and clients over her 27 year career as a therapist and understands the tendency of high achievers to stretch themselves. She helps her clients reach their potential with mind body balance over burnout, enabling them to enjoy and sustain their energy for all their ambitious goals.