Limerick endocrinologist highlights the importance of hormones in new book

WITH her new book, a Limerick endocrinologist hopes to encourage people to balance their hormones and unlock better health.

In ‘It’s Probably Your Hormones: From Appetite to Sleep, Periods to Sex Drive, Balance Your Hormones to Unlock Better Health’, Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist at Bon Secours Hospital, Dr Mary Ryan, explains the importance of a good hormone health, and how we can take control of our well-being by tackling problems when they arise.

According to the specialist, a lot of patients don’t seem to understand what hormones are. “People don’t realise that we can’t do without chemical messengers. They basically control your muscles, organs, and there’s a master control land called the pituitary gland, which basically regulates the whole lot of the hormones,” she explains.

Chemicals that coordinate different functions in the body, hormones carry messages through blood to organs, skin, muscles and other tissues. These signals tell the body what to do, and when.

On a daily basis, Dr Ryan sees women dealing with a “constant flux of hormones”.

She points out: “I deal with this all the time with women, because we have a cycle from puberty right up to the menopause, that affects the sort of constant hormone flux from the time of puberty right up to the menopause”.

With her new book, she hopes to highlight hormonal health, and how it has an impact on our feelings.

Speaking of why it’s important to understand our bodies, she explains: “For years, I've listened to women who have been saying they feel very emotional, that they’re not listened to, that they feel depressed or very tired. And in fact, they might just have a heavy period, or might be suffering from PMS, which is when they get very emotional around the time of ovulation, and it all is down to hormone imbalance”.

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Dr Ryan believes we need to understand what is triggering it all. As she points out hormones control our muscles, immune system, organs, she adds: “People would understand better why they need to pace, why they need to rest, and why they need to listen to their bodies”.

Comparing bodies to phones that need to be charged, she says: “That hormone control centre is controlling everything and, like the phones, they need to be plugged in. And women in particular, they work a lot, but don't really listen to their bodies”.

Published by Gill Books, Dr Ryan’s new book will be available on March 30.