How To Spot Hormone Imbalance Symptoms
So what are hormones? They are chemical messengers which are produced in your endocrine glands and travel around your blood, telling tissues and organs what to do. They control a variety of essential processes such as reproduction and metabolism.
A simple way to think of your hormones is like baking a cake. If there is to much or to little of one ingredient it will affect the final product. Much like your hormones, if there is any imbalance it can seriously effect your whole body. Of course during our lifetime it is normal for some hormones to fluctuate, such as during the ageing process, but sometimes your endocrine glands can get it all wrong and change the recipe.
Common hormonal conditions affecting both men and women could cause any of the following symptoms:
Weight gain
Fatigue
Increased sensitivity to cold or heat
Constipation or more frequent bowel movements
Dry skin
Puffy face
Unexplained weight loss (sometimes sudden)
Increased or decreased heart rate
Muscle weakness
Frequent urination
Increased thirst
Muscle aches, tenderness, and stiffness
Thinning hair or fine, brittle hair
Increased hunger
Depression
Decreased sex drive
Nervousness, anxiety, or irritability
Blurred vision
Sweating
Infertility
A fatty hump between the shoulders
Rounded face
Purple or pink stretch marks
Pain, stiffness, or swelling in your joints
In women, the most common hormonal imbalance is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Your normal hormonal cycle also changes naturally during:
Puberty
Pregnancy
Breastfeeding
Menopause
Sex hormones are produced during puberty. Many children with delayed puberty will go on to experience normal puberty, but some have a condition called hypogonadism.
Causes of a hormonal imbalance
There are many possible causes for a hormonal imbalance. Common causes of hormonal imbalance include:
Diabetes
Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid
Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid
Hypogonadism
Cushing syndrome
Thyroiditis
Hyper-functioning thyroid nodules
Hormone therapy
Tumours (benign or cancerous)
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Eating disorders
Medications
Adrenal insufficiency
Pituitary tumor
Injury or trauma
Cancer treatments
Adrenal insufficiency
Pituitary tumor
Injury or trauma
Cancer treatments
Stress
Causes unique to women
Many causes of hormonal imbalance in women are related to reproductive hormones.
Common causes include:
Premature menopause
Hormone drugs like birth control pills
Primary ovarian insufficiency
Hormone drugs like birth control pills
Primary ovarian insufficiency
Menopause
Pregnancy
Breastfeeding
PCOS
Premature menopause
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