153. Hormones, Histamine, and Your Vestibular Disorder w/ Dr. Saru Bala

“Progesterone will hold up the mirror for you and show you about your habits. Estrogen is forgiving—progesterone is not.”

For so many women with vestibular disorders, symptoms get dramatically worse right before their period or around ovulation, and the answer they’re usually given is “take birth control” or “drink more water.”

That, of course, is not enough. I brought in Dr. Saru Bala, Naturopathic Doctor and Women’s Hormonal Health Specialist, to break it all down. Get ready to nerd out on all things hormones!

In this episode, we’re talking about what hormones actually are, how your cycle phases impact your vestibular symptom, why your liver is way more important than you think, the estrogen-histamine-MCAS loop, and what bloodwork you should be asking for.

In this episode, we’ll dig into:

What are hormones

What to pay attention to with women’s hormones

The phases of your cycle

What progesterone is reflecting back about your habits

The basics that impact your hormones the most

Bloodwork Dr. Saru recommends for her clients

Why you want to get a full thyroid panel

The liver’s role in hormone metabolism

How to support your liver

The estrogen-histamine loop

How MCAS plays a role here

Why gut & liver support are essential for histamine, MCAS, and hormone issues

Why women are taking much longer to feel better than even 5 years ago

If you take nothing else away from this, remember your hormones, liver, gut, and nervous system are all talking to each other. When you start supporting them, things are able to start changing.

Meet: Dr. Saru Bala

Dr. Saru Bala is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor with a degree from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. Prior to attending medical school, she graduated from University of Texas at Austin where she received her bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology. She’s done extra training in women’s health and naturopathic endocrinology and wants to talk to you about all things women’s health.

Connect w/ Dr Saru Bala

Website: https://www.drsarubala.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarubala

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/periodpractice

Period Solutions Academy: https://www.drsarubala.com/periodsolutionsacademy

Links Mentioned:

Vestibular Group Fit (code GROUNDED at checkout for 15% off!): https://thevertigodoctor.com/vestibular-group-fit

Rise Centered Alarm Clock: https://risecentered.com?sca_ref=7113075.4mnDvPsCZ8H

Free Resources:

⁠The 4 Steps to Managing Vestibular Migraine: https://thevertigodoctor.myflodesk.com/cb5js0y78n

⁠The PPPD Management Masterclass⁠: https://thevertigodoctor.myflodesk.com/new-pppd

⁠What your Partner Should Know About Living with Dizziness⁠: https://thevertigodoctor.myflodesk.com/partnership

⁠The FREE Mini VGFit Workout⁠: https://thevertigodoctor.myflodesk.com/minifit

⁠The FREE POTS – safe Workouts⁠: https://thevertigodoctor.myflodesk.com/pots

Connect with Dr. Madison (@TheVertigoDoctor): https://instagram.com/thevertigodoctor

Work with Dr. Madison:

For 1:1 Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy, email [email protected]

Otherwise, I’ll see ya in Vestibular Group Fit!

Connect with Dr. Jenna (@dizzy.rehab.therapist): https://www.instagram.com/dizzy.rehab.therapist/

Learn about the Oak Method: http://thevertigodoctor.com/why-vestibular-group-fit

Love what you heard? Consider leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform to help us reach more vestibular warriors like you!

This podcast is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.

hormonal health, women’s health, naturopathic doctor, vestibular migraine, chronic dizziness, birth control, vestibular disorders, PMD