Updated: June 16, 2022
Hormones are chemical messengers of your body that are produced in the endocrine glands and travel around your bloodstream to control the function of tissues and organs.
They help control many major processes of your body, including metabolism and appetite, heart rate, sleep cycles, general growth and development, mood and stress levels, sexual function and reproduction, and body temperature.
When you have a hormonal imbalance, you have too much or too little of a certain hormone. Even a small change in any of the hormone can have serious effects throughout your whole body. Hormonal balance is vital to a healthy, cancer-free mind and body. But it can be disrupted in many ways. Some hormone levels fluctuate throughout your lifetime and may just be the result of natural aging, other changes occur when your endocrine glands does not function properly.
Hormone fluctuations occur naturally during puberty, menopause and perimenopause. Hormone imbalance may also be caused by toxins or an unbalanced lifestyle. Understanding the causes of hormone imbalance can help us to find ways to prevent them, and at the same time, feel better, think better.
Both men and women can be affected by imbalances in insulin, steroids, growth hormones, and adrenaline. Women may also experience imbalances in estrogen and progesterone levels, while men are more likely to experience imbalances in testosterone levels.
There are several symptoms that could signal a hormonal imbalance as each and every hormone in your body plays an integral role in your overall health. Your symptoms will depend on which hormones or glands aren't functioning properly.
Symptoms in both men and women who are affected by common hormonal conditions include:
The most common hormonal imbalance is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women. Your normal hormonal cycle also changes naturally during:
Symptoms of a hormonal imbalance specific to women include:
The hormone testosterone plays an important role in male. It can cause a variety of symptoms if you aren't producing enough testosterone. These include:
The time period when boys and girls start producing sex hormones is called as puberty. Many children with delayed puberty will go on to experience normal puberty, but some have a condition called hypogonadism. Symptoms of hypogonadism include:
In boys the symptoms include:
In girls the symptoms include:
There are many possible causes for a hormonal imbalance. Causes vary depending on which hormones or glands are affected. Common causes of hormonal imbalance include:
There is no single test available to diagnose a hormonal imbalance. Yo may need to under go multiple test starting with a physical examination.
Inform your doctor about all medications, vitamins, and supplements you are currently taking. During the physical examination you will be asked numerous questions related to hormonal imbalance by your doctor. These include:
Your doctor may suggest one or more diagnostic tests depending on your symptoms.
Most hormones can be detected in the blood. A blood test can be done to check your thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol levels.
Some of the hormones abnormalities can be detected by a urine test which include cortisol. You will be asked to collect your urine over a 24 hour period for the urine test to detect excessive production of cortisol.
You may try a home testing kit when you start experiencing symptoms of menopause. Home testing kits measure follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in your urine. FSH levels increase when you enter menopause, but levels also rise and fall during a normal menstrual cycle. This test can give you an indication of whether menopause has started.
Home testing kits are also available to check if you become pregnant and experiencing the symptoms.
Your doctor may perform a pap smear to feel for any unusual lumps, cysts, or tumors if you are female and your scrotum for any lumps or abnormalities will be checked if you are male.
An ultrasound machine uses sound waves to look inside your body. Doctors may use an ultrasound to get images of the uterus, ovaries, testicles and thyroid gland.
Computerized tomography scans (CT scan)or magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRI)can provide images of your pituitary and adrenal glands to detect abnormalities, such as tumors.
Sometimes additional tests are required which include biopsy, sperm count and thyroid scan.
Treatment for a hormonal imbalance will depend on its cause. Common treatment options include:
A low dose of estrogen is recommended if you are experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of menopause like hot flashes. This is because the estrogen levels will be low during menopause. So to balance the hormone you will be given estrogen as a replacement. However, make sure to discuss the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy with your doctor before starting it.
Try applying an estrogen cream, tablet, or ring if you are experiencing vaginal dryness or pain during sex. This local therapy treatment avoids many risks associated with systemic estrogen, or estrogen that travels throughout the bloodstream to the appropriate organ.
Hormonal birth control can help regulate menstrual cycles if you are trying to get pregnant. Birth control pill, birth control patch, birth control shot, vaginal ring and intrauterine device (IUD) are some of the kind of hormonal birth control.
It may also help improve acne and reduce extra hair on the face and body.
Androgens are male sex hormones that are present in both women and men. High androgen levels in women will have hair loss, facial hair growth and acne. To prevent this you may choose to take anti-androgen medication that blocks the effect of androgens.
Metformin is a type 2 diabetes medication that is used to help manage or lower blood sugar levels. This may help some women with PCOS symptoms by lowering androgen levels and encouraging ovulation.
Testosterone supplements can reduce the symptoms of low testosterone in men. In adolescents with delayed puberty, it stimulates the start of puberty. It comes as an injectable, patch, and gel.
The synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine can bring hormone levels back into balance in people with hypothyroidism.
This is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of low sexual desire in premenopausal women which has some serious side effects. Talk to your doctor to see if this medication could be right for you before starting it.
This is a prescription cream recommended specifically for excessive facial hair in women. Applied topically to the skin, it helps slow down growth of new hair, but doesn't get rid of existing hair.
These medications help stimulate ovulation in people with PCOS who are trying to become pregnant. Women with PCOS and infertility may also be given injections of gonadotropins to help increase the chances of pregnancy.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) may be used to help those with PCOS complications get pregnant.
Left untreated hormonal imbalance can lead to many serious health complications. These include:
Acne is often associated with pubescent hormonal changes, but there is actually a lifelong relationship between acne and hormones. The menstrual cycle is one of the most common triggers for acne to develop. Acne develops the week before you get your period and then clears up in many cases.
A hormonal test is advised for women who have acne in combination with other symptoms, such as irregular periods and excess facial or body hair. Both girls and boys have high levels of androgens during puberty, which overstimulate the oil glands resulting in acne. This is why acne is so common at that time. However, androgen levels typically settle down in the early 20s.
Hormones play an integral role in metabolism and your body's ability to use energy. Hormone disorders like hypothyroidism and Cushing syndrome can cause you to become overweight or obese. People with hypothyroidism have low levels of thyroid hormones and their metabolism doesn't work as well as it should leading to weight gain. People with hypothyroidism can still gain weight even with diet.
People with Cushing syndrome have high levels of cortisol in their blood leading to an increase in appetite and an increased fat storage. As the metabolism slows down during menopause, many women gain weight in this condition. The only way to treat weight gain from a hormone disorder is to treat the underlying condition.
One of the leading causes of infertility in women is PCOS. The hormonal imbalance caused by PCOS interferes with ovulation. You can't get pregnant if you are not ovulating. PCOS can cause problems during pregnancy, for both you and your baby. The risk of miscarriage, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, cesarean section, high birth weight and admission to and time spent in the ICU are much more higher .
Babies born to women with untreated hypothyroidism have a higher risk of birth defects. This includes serious intellectual and developmental problems.
Hormonal changes and imbalances can sometimes cause temporary hair loss. This is often related to pregnancy, childbirth, or the onset of menopause in women. An over or underproduction of thyroid hormones can also cause hair loss.
However, hair loss in men especially, male pattern baldness, is hereditary and unrelated to hormonal changes.
Hormone imbalances are associated with many chronic, or long-term, health conditions. Without proper treatment, you could be at risk of several serious medical conditions, including:
These complications can be fatal at time if left untreated. So it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. Caring for your health will make your diabetes easier to treat and minimise your risk of developing complications of diabetes.
Meningococcal disease is a serious illness caused by a bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. It can lead to infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord called meningitis and infections of the blood.
Diabetic nephropathy is damage to your kidneys caused by diabetes. In severe cases it can lead to kidney failure. People with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic can be affected by this disease.
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes extreme mood swings including emotional highs called mania or hypomania) and lows called depression.
Its difficult to digest food at this stage due to increase in weight gain. That's the reason you must follow a diet which is beneficial for you and baby.
Every women put on some extra weight during pregnancy. Shedding those extra weight become a big task for most of the women after delivering the baby.
Different causes of a stiff neck incorporate stress that make pressure in the neck muscles, injury or damage that influences the neck, a few infections like rheumatoid joint inflammation and cancer.
Pulmonary disorders is the abnormal conditions of the respiratory system. Pulmonary Disorders is often caused by the decrease or compression of air flow paths that prevent air flows in lungs or respiratory system pathways. People with Pulm
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