Rheumatoid Arthritis And Hormone Balance

>Menopause brings many challenges, but aside from the usual issues around hot flushes, weight gain and brain fog you may not have considered that if you have arthritis then that is also impacted by your hormones.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful condition, and NHS data shows that about 450,000 people in the UK have it, with around three times more women affected than men.

As someone who suffers from it, I can say that it is a painful condition because the immune system attacks its own cells.

If you think you have rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor can do a blood test to find out.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

It is an autoimmune disease that causes swelling in your joints. The main symptoms are pain and swelling, and it is the second most common type of arthritis in the UK.

The ends of your bones are covered with cartilage, which is smooth and allows the bones to move easily against each other.

The joint is surrounded by the synovium, which makes a small amount of synovial fluid that nourishes the cartilage and lubricates the joint.

The synovium has a tough outer layer called the capsule that, along with ligaments, keeps your joint stable and prevents the bones from moving too much. Strong bands called tendons connect the muscles to the bones.

Rheumatoid arthritis causes swelling in the synovium, similar to what happens when you have an infected cut or wound – it turns red, swells up, produces extra fluid, and hurts.

The redness happens because more blood flows to the area. As a result, the swollen joint may feel warmer, and inflammation results in a build-up of fluid and cells in the synovium.

Inflamed joints can be painful because the chemicals from inflammation irritate your nerve endings, and the outer layer of the synovium, called the capsule, is stretched due to swelling.

When the inflammation decreases, the capsule stays stretched and cannot keep the joint in the right position, which can lead to instability and unusual joint movements.

Each time a joint becomes inflamed, it suffers some damage, and repeated flare-ups can cause the joint to wear down.

How is this connected to hormone balance?

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease so having good hormone balance is essential. Progesterone helps reduce inflammation, while oestrogen can increase it.

Higher levels of oestrogen may worsen symptoms if you have too much of it compared to progesterone – known as oestrogen dominance.

Research shows that women with autoimmune diseases often have low progesterone levels and higher oestrogen levels, which may cause more immune reactions.

A recent study found that women who go through menopause before age 45 have a 46 percent higher risk compared to those who reach menopause at ages 50-51.

Studies by Karlson and Cutolo in 2009 suggested that having enough progesterone to balance high oestrogen in women may help with some key aspects of the disease.

What can help

Having good levels of progesterone can help balance out high oestrogen levels, making it a great starting point for self-help strategies.

Reducing stress is also key as the greater your anxiety and stress levels the more they impact on your hormonal symptoms and make them worse.

Some scientific studies suggest that certain diets may relieve symptoms for some people, but finding the right one may take some trial and error.

You should look for an anti-inflammatory diet first and Dr. Andrew Weil’s website offers a specific diet, and nutritionist Patrick Holford has excellent books on the subject.

Diets that are likely to help include:

– Low saturated fats
– High unsaturated fats
– Plenty of vitamin C
– Omega-3 from supplements or oily fish

There is some evidence that a very strict vegetarian diet may help, while people who eat a lot of red meat might have a slightly higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

Helpful information

Unfortunately many women gain weight around their middle during menopause, often due to excess oestrogen. This is because once the ovaries have ceased to produce oestrogen, then the body switches production into the fat cells of the belly, abdomen, and thighs.

To help balance this, it will help to use bioidentical progesterone and follow a supportive diet like those mentioned above and the Mediterranean diet is also widely recommended for various health issues, especially inflammation.

If you would like more information then this article explains why this diet could be beneficial.

https://blog.wellsprings-health.com/12-reasons-to-love-the-mediterranean-diet/