What Your Physical Exam Can Tell Us About Cortisol, Stress, and Hormone Health

Lab testing can tell us a lot about your health, but before I ever order a specialty test, there are clues sitting right in front of us.

Your body composition. Your skin. Your hair and nails. Your blood pressure. Where you tend to gain or lose weight. Signs of muscle loss. Changes in pigmentation. Even how you feel when you stand up quickly.

None of these findings can diagnose a cortisol or hormone disorder by them...

Ovarian cysts can sound pretty sinister, but they’re actually much more common than you might think. While they’re most commonly seen during the reproductive years, ovarian cysts can develop at virtually any age, even during fetal development in utero.

One Saudi Arabian study examining 244 cases of ovarian cysts really puts that into perspective: in the study the youngest patient was just 3 months old, while the oldest was 77 years old.

It’s important to note, that though they are observed thr...

You’ve seen the doctors, the specialists.
You’ve done the labs.
They told you everything looks “normal.” And yet… you feel anything but what normal should feel like.

The fatigue won’t lift.
The brain fog makes you feel disconnected from yourself.
Your body aches for no obvious reason.
Your mood is unpredictable. Your sleep is off. Your weight is changing. Your skin is flaring.

Something feels wrong, but no one can seem to tell you why. Maybe you’ve been told it’s “just stress” or “just a normal pa...

Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), previously known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), is a common endocrine disorder affecting millions of women in the United States. Yet, for how common it is, PMOS remains largely under-researched, frequently misunderstood, and often underdiagnosed.

Even its former name, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, created confusion. The name suggests that in order to have PCOS, a woman must have multiple cysts on her ovaries. That simply isn’t true. Not ever...

Ever feel completely exhausted, crawl into bed, close your eyes…and suddenly your brain decides now is the perfect time to think about everything?

The conversation you had three days ago. Tomorrow’s to-do list. The email you forgot to send. Something embarrassing you said in 2014. All the things you need to do, fix, remember, or figure out.

You’re tired, but your brain is wide awake.

Or maybe falling asleep isn’t the problem. You’re able to drift off just fine, but like clockwork, you wake up...