What are the Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance?

22 Nov What are the Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance?

Hormones are important chemical messengers which have an effect on many aspects of overall health. Any imbalance in hormone levels can easily cause major health issues.

While there are different hormonal imbalance tests available, their accuracy can vary widely. Instead, the common indicators of disturbances in hormonal equilibrium can give doctors a better idea of what to look for.

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance:

Among common symptoms of hormonal imbalance, the following are the most prominent:

• Irregular menstruation
• Weight fluctuations
• Depression and anxiety
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Appetite changes
• Digestive problems
• Hair loss and hair thinning

Symptoms can vary significantly based on the type of disorder causing hormonal imbalances. For instance, diabetes symptoms may bring about appetite changes or weight gain while fluctuations in estrogen levels may cause reproductive issues or endometriosis.

The following are the most specific types of problems associated with hormonal imbalances:

• Estrogen dominance can lead to weight and appetite changes, sleep disturbances, elevated stress and allowed metabolism
• Low estrogen causes reproductive issues, low libido, irregular periods and mood changes
• Hypothyroidism brings about weight gain, slowed metabolism, anxiety, fatigue, and irritability
• Hyperthyroidism can result in thinning hair, IBS, palpitations, and anxiety
• Low testosterone levels cause erectile dysfunction, weight gain, fatigue, and muscle loss
• Adrenal fatigue results in aches and pains in the muscles, fatigue, anxiety and depression, brain fog, sleeping trouble and reproductive problems

Hormonal imbalance treatment:

Trying to be your best with hormones out of whack can be hard work. One of the most recommended ways to restore some of this imbalance is through hormone replacement therapy. But first the same may be attempted by making some of the suggested lifestyle changes:

• Diet is a good place to start because the foods an individual eats have a big impact on their health. With a high sugar, carb and hydrogenated fat diet, the likelihood of hormonal imbalances increases. Maintaining a healthy weight is important for storing extra fat can ruin the hormone equilibrium by elevating stored environmental toxins.
• Exercise is also integral to maintaining hormonal balance in the body. Exercise also helps keep cortisol levels regulated along with insulin levels. Cortisol levels soar when the body experiences stress but exercise counters that effect.
• Bioidentical hormones are another option to consider. Whereas hormonal replacement therapy is well known, a specific type of hormone therapy known as biochemical hormone replacement therapy is also available. This type is derived from plant sources and structured similarly to hormones circulating the body.

What benefits does bioidentical hormone therapy offer?

The term “bioidentical” indicates that the hormones are chemically identical to those produced by the body. The term “natural”, on the other hand, denotes products that come from animal or plant sources.

Having said that, bioidentical hormones still need to be processed commercially to become bioidentical. Those who market these products offer the advantage of custom-made products that are engineered based on a saliva test to assess individual hormonal needs.

However, the verdict on these products still remains undecided as there is almost no scientific support for an advantage of these compounds over other commercially manufactured preparations.