5 Signs Your Hormones Are Out of Whack
5 Signs Your Hormones Are Out Of Whack
When we hear the word "hormones,"
we often think of a woman’s estrogen and progesterone levels, and
occasionally a man’s testosterone level. But there's so much more to
these naturally occurring chemicals than you may realize.
We
have many different hormones that determine a state of balance or
imbalance, from thyroid-stimulating hormone, which regulates the thyroid
gland, to follicle-stimulating hormone, which directs ovulation in
women. To achieve optimal, sustainable health and wellbeing, we need to
strive for hormone health that includes the proper balance of all bodily
chemicals. Below are five symptoms that indicate your hormones may be
imbalanced.
1. Fatigue
Sometimes
the symptoms of hormonal imbalance can be nonspecific. In these cases,
it’s important to consider hormonal imbalance as a possible cause of the
symptoms. For example, someone who suffers from fatigue could have an
imbalance in her thyroid hormones, causing hypothyroidism; in her
adrenal hormone levels, resulting in adrenal fatigue; or in her
melatonin levels, causing poor sleep. Any of these imbalances can be the
cause of fatigue.
Fatigue in this sense
may feel like illness-related fatigue, leaving you tired when you wake
up and without energy during the day. Sufferers often describe this as
if they're “running on fumes.”
2. Poor sleep
You either have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep,
which contributes to not feeling refreshed in the morning. This can
result from a variety of hormonal issues, including melatonin, cortisol
or even the brain neutrotransmitters.
3. Mood swings and irritability
These can become anxiety
and even depression. People who have an imbalance in cortisol,
testosterone, or estrogen can all have mood swings and irritability.
Neurotransmitters that are out of balance can also cause this symptom.
4. Skin changes
Many
people notice changes in their skin and hair and wonder if it’s normal
aging or just “bad luck,” but the problem may be a hormonal
imbalance. Low thyroid levels can cause dry skin and hair, hair loss,
and brittle nails.
5. Hot flashes and night sweats
Perhaps
the best known symptoms of hormonal imbalances, these are typical of
menopause and result from changing levels of estrogen and progesterone.
However, other hormonal imbalances can exacerbate these symptoms,
especially cortisol imbalances.
The obvious question, then, is how to address these issues and how to return to a state of improved hormonal balance?
First,
test your hormone levels. There are a number of hormone tests that look
at hormones; blood tests are conventionally used, but salivary tests
offer a more functional view of levels available for use in the body.
Once you've tested your levels, you can begin to address the underlying causes of the imbalances by:
- Cleaning up your diet
- Reducing your stress
- Minimizing toxins in your food and environment
- Addressing your digestive function and microbial balance
- Getting more exercise
You
may also want to consider appropriate hormone replacement options with
your physician. There are many solutions available, giving you many
options from which to choose, including:
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Bioidentical hormones
- Herbal remedies, especially adaptogens
- Functional nutritional approaches
Having
a state of hormonal balance is a critical component to health and
wellbeing. Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalance
are very common, which can make detecting and remedying problems
difficult. While we can all take steps at home to create a healthy
lifestyle and reduce the potential causes, we're all unique, which means
it's crucial to go through this process with a practitioner competent
in individualized medicine.
Comments
Post a Comment