Why do doctors recommend birth control pills for hormonal imbalance in women? This is one of the many questions I hear from my female patients over and over again. To answer this question, it helps to understand why women bleed monthly. The answer comes down to estrogen and progesterone.

Estrogen promotes growth of the uterine lining. Then, around day 14, you ovulate, and progesterone fortifies this lining. Without estrogen, your period would be light. With a little bit of estrogen, you may have light but more frequent cycles. If you have erratic periods, it's a sign your hormones are not functioning properly.

Your cycle should be reliable and predictable. When it's not, many physicians will recommend birth control. Why? Because they believe the birth control pill is designed to help you regulate your period. But in reality, this can often act as nothing more than a band-aid. Using birth control to regulate your period masks your underlying issues without addressing them.

Birth control is not the answer for managing perimenopause symptoms, and it can actually worsen your mood, mental clarity, and metabolism. If you're looking for support during perimenopause, you should seek testing first with your physician. At that time, you could explore taking progesterone.

Balanced hormones are crucial for a normal period, and our bodies need to be healthy for this harmony to exist. Doctors tend to get fixated on the function of your organs, like the uterus and ovaries. Focusing on balancing hormones, even adrenal and thyroid hormones, may reveal the root of the problem.

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Our current healthcare system in America is leading to serious burnout among physicians. Why? Because demand is high and the pay is very little. Respect and satisfaction among doctors is low—even for those who perform crucial surgeries. As a patient, you will pay more to replace your car transmission than what your doctor gets paid for a bypass surgery.

This is an indicator of where the values in our society lie. Doctors spend years on their education and work grueling hours, racking up debt, but they are no longer compensated accordingly. Considering the sacrifice they have gone through, they are greatly underpaid.

For these reasons and many more, doctors are deciding to go with a concierge service, including charging membership and other associated fees. Before you pass judgement about doctors for going this route, you have to understand the reasons why so many physicians would choose to.

We need our doctors, and we need to start acting like it. The way the healthcare system is designed doesn't protect doctors and their businesses. They support the insurance companies who fleece you, the patient, and your medical professionals.

Doctors want to help and heal people. Ideally not only those who can afford them. But at the same time, physicians have to put a value on the time they spend serving your needs outside of a face-to-face visit. Spending the minimum amount on your healthcare costs will get you the minimum amount of care. The business of medicine is the same as any other: You get what you pay for.

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We're continuing our conversation about the American healthcare system in this week's episode. It's important to recognize that the Affordable Healthcare Act advertised simplicity in our system, but in reality, the changes made fueled a huge rise in premium costs.

This act was intended to lower the number of uninsured Americans. Yet 10 years later, affordability has tanked for most people. So, what is the answer, and how do we address this? We have to trim the fat: Get rid of the bureaucracy that doesn't enhance the system in any way, shape, or form.

Private doctors are a dying breed, leaving room for only those associated with groups and corporations. This has made healthcare much less accessible overall. When you do seek care, you may also find yourself confronted with long wait times to see the doctor in person, but also with customer service over the phone.

If you find a skilled doctor who takes your insurance, hold on to them. It isn't likely that we'll see a change in this system anytime soon. We are facing a physician shortage. The Great Resignation is still impacting medical support personnel in clinics and hospitals, making it hard to find good candidates to fill these roles.

At the same time, the cost of overhead and labor has been weighing heavily on doctors, influencing many to decide to close their practice or retire from their practice early. Experienced, well-trained doctors want to be paid fairly–and rightly so. As a result, the people who need it the most are missing out on quality care.

The Congressional Joint Economic Committee created this flowchart to map Obamacare

Physician Suicide: A Call to Action

Will the doctor see you now? Maybe not amid the changing health care landscape in the US.

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Have you ever thought about how the healthcare system in the USA operates? The American healthcare system isn't designed to cover you or support you. At the end of the day, these healthcare entities are a business, and therefore they exist to be profitable, not to put your best interests first.

When you buy insurance, you're signing a contract that will only cover certain aspects of your care. Insurance plans can vary greatly, so don't be surprised when your doctors and other health professionals don't know what your plan covers. Being savvy and in-the-know about your insurance plan is really important and will pay off for you.

Your deductible is the amount you have to pay out of pocket before your plan will cover medical services. Some services are subject to deductibles while others are not. Deductible costs vary and could be as high as $10,000. If this is the case for you, you're more than likely paying for your care out of pocket.

Once you agree to a plan, you are also limited to medical services from the doctors you have access to and the services they provide. Waiting in line for an opening can delay your services, which is something you need to know upfront. A PPO plan is always preferable over an HMO or EPO plan.

When you sign up for a plan, the number one thing you need to know is your maximum out-of-pocket costs. When you have a serious medical condition that requires hospitalization, you may end up spending an astronomical amount in bills without being aware of or even prepared for it. If you don't know the details of your plan yet, be sure to check them out sooner rather than later.

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Having a great wellness provider matters, and that includes the medical team that works at the practice you choose. Recently on the podcast we've covered what to look for in a doctor, which includes a willingness to give you, the patient, a lot of time and patience while actively listening to your concerns. They should also have a great depth of knowledge that they also know how to apply.

Your doctor and their medical team should never see you or treat you like just another number. Access to prompt, quality medical care is important for patients to have—however, it is increasingly difficult to find. Doctors are overwhelmed, and the consequences fall on the patients.

Members of the medical team are usually the first point of contact with patients and will support quite a significant degree of your care. While their job is to support the doctor, each team member plays an important role in the outcome of your care.

Yet, the way most medical teams are set up is flawed. Doctors aren't necessarily trained on how to be effective leaders, but this is crucial if you want to create a strong team. The medical team is truly an extension of the physician, so they need to be exceptional in their interactions and their knowledge to provide the best quality care.

Doctors cannot run their office alone. A great physician will need a great team to work alongside them. In fact, they are the most valuable asset a doctor can have. Working well as a unit with minimal supervision and being able to handle difficult situations on their own allows the doctor to focus on what they do best.

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How important is it to have wellness doctors, and what does that even really mean? One way to think of this is a doctor who focuses on being well as opposed to combating symptoms and illness. This is really the art of keeping someone healthy versus the art of fighting disease, which are actually quite distinct.

A wealth of knowledge is required to help one maintain harmony in a patient's health. That's why it would be difficult to be both a doctor who treats illnesses as well as an expert in wellness. There are also certain characteristics it can be helpful to have depending on your focus with patients. For example, surgeons need to have mental stamina and great attention to detail.

There are many different specialties within medicine today. Does this make every type of doctor an expert in their own way? Not necessarily. Narrowing a field of knowledge doesn't necessarily make you an expert in the medical world. With all of the advances in medicine today, combined with the information available, no medical professional can know it all.

That considered, wellness experts would need to be able to take in the big picture. They have to be able to look at multiple body systems and make informed decisions based on this overarching view. This professional would also need to take into account lifestyle factors like stress, diet, and exercise to help their patients avoid disease before it even begins.

Going to the doctor once a year for a routine checkup isn't enough to prevent disease. It won't keep you away from serious illness because it doesn't focus on wellness. Wellness medicine should be a specialty in and of itself—and it already exists under another name: hormone optimization.

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The time your medical provider is willing to spend with you is one of the most valuable things to look for when searching for wellness support. It's also important that your provider has a strong knowledge base and versatile treatment options. But what about when you have an issue you can't identify the cause of? How can you choose the best wellness doctor for you?

With various different types of providers to choose from, it's not always clear where to start. That said, in many cases, investigating hormone imbalances as the underlying cause can be helpful. Yet, when the option of hormone replacement therapy comes up, many patients shy away due to beliefs based on outdated information.

Hormone replacement therapy is safe and effective, but keep in mind that there are effects and consequences you should be aware of. Therefore, your doctor will need to be specifically trained in this area in order to offer it to you.

Some physicians are resistant and close-minded when it comes to expanding their knowledge. The truth is that many women consider going to a nurse practitioner or a naturopathic doctor rather than an OBGYN for this reason. An OBGYN may be in the best position to help guide you through hormone replacement (and potential consequences), especially those intimately related to hormone issues.

Your wellness doctor should be equipped to not only see the big picture, but also understand the importance of looking into all hormones and how they may be impacting you. Search for a wellness doctor who can look ahead, support your optimal wellness, and keep your best interests at heart.

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What's the secret to choosing the right doctor or medical practice? If you're not sure what to look for, you're not alone. The answers can be nebulous, and it's not always clear what's valuable and what's not when seeking the right fit. There is no shortage of options, but a great place to start is considering the reason you are looking for a health provider.

Having a full understanding of your problem can enable you to align with the right person to help you find a solution. If you need support getting there, your family doctor may be able to point you in the right direction. If you don't have a specific problem and you want a comprehensive wellness check, they can help with that too.

As a patient, it's important you look for a provider that can give you the amount of time you need to resolve your problem effectively. You also want to look for a provider who listens and allows you to explain your needs patiently. This includes being able to ask the right probing questions so they can gather all the information they need.

The last thing you want as a patient is to feel rushed. Understanding and empathy are really important characteristics to have as a medical professional, especially when it comes to discussing sensitive issues.

Our medical system is designed to be efficient, but the more people doctors see, the less time they are able to spend with them. But as a patient, you need time to tell your story. Versatility is another quality you want to look for. Providers who have an abundance of knowledge and seek additional training and certifications have more to offer you as a patient.

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Let's talk about personalized thyroid dysfunction treatment. We're going to explore the various medication options available for those with hypothyroidism, and how customization of treatment can lead to significantly better health outcomes. Whether you have no functioning thyroid tissue or some residual function, we're here to discuss the importance of vigilant medication management tailored to your unique needs.

The default treatment that doctors provide is T4-only therapy, but that might not be sufficient for everyone. Understanding the need for T3 inclusion in your treatment can be a game changer for many. It's essential to have open conversations with your healthcare providers about the best personalized treatment options for you. Don't settle for anything less than feeling your absolute best.

There are plenty of potential benefits of adding T3 to improve patient well-being. It's crucial to recognize the role of compounded medications in providing tailored dosages, and why some patients may fare better with a combination of T4 and T3. Be sure to find a physician who is willing to adjust your treatment plan to achieve optimal wellness.

A single type of therapy is not optimal for everyone. There's a minority of patients that are treated only with T3 therapy. Those people are rare cases, as they are only able to tolerate T3 therapy. T4 does not work for them at all, and it can make them feel terrible, despite being fine on T3.

Coming back to the question of which therapy for thyroid is the best, you'll hear in the episode that the answer is very simple. Of course, figuring it out might take a little trial and error at the beginning. If you have been taking medication that you feel is not useful, and your doctor is not willing to change it, then it's time to change physicians.

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This week we're diving deep into the intricacies of thyroid health. As we navigate the complexities of thyroid function, we'll uncover the thyroid tests that actually matter and give you a clear picture of your thyroid health. Throughout our conversation today, you'll see why testing both T3 and T4 hormones is necessary.

Understanding the balance between bound and free thyroid hormones is key to decoding our body's hormonal harmony. It's a common issue that patients will suffer symptoms due to low free hormone levels, despite normal bound hormone levels. This explains why you might feel dismissed by healthcare professionals when their lab results come back "normal," yet you continue to experience symptoms like chronic fatigue and digestive issues.

Furthermore, thyroid antibodies are often overlooked regarding their role in autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto's. Genetic factors, environmental triggers, and gut health contribute to these conditions. An imbalance in the immune system can turn into a relentless assault on thyroid tissue.

Remember that knowledge is power, especially when it comes to personal health. Adopt a proactive stance in managing your thyroid health, with a focus on whole-body treatment strategies that go beyond dietary changes. It's a holistic approach that not only treats the symptoms, but also targets the underlying causes, paving the way for lasting wellness.

It's not just about understanding our bodies, but also about advocating for ourselves in a healthcare system that can sometimes overlook the nuances of conditions like thyroid dysfunction.

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