Hormones play a central role in the management of your bodily processes. So it’s natural for people to wonder what causes hormonal imbalance.
Produced by the endocrine system, hormones traverse the bloodstream delivering orders to various tissues and organs, telling them what to do.
Hormonal imbalances happen when there is either too much or not enough of a certain hormone in your bloodstream.
Even the smallest hormonal imbalance can affect several bodily functions including:
● Heart Rate
● Metabolism and Appetite
● The Sleep Cycle
● Reproductive System - Sexual Function
● Body Temperature
● Mood and Stress Levels
● Body Development
Both men and women can experience imbalances in growth hormones, insulin, steroids, and adrenaline. While women might show hormone imbalance symptoms related to estrogen and progesterone levels, men will more likely have imbalances in testosterone levels.
Throughout an individual’s life, hormone levels naturally fluctuate, but there are times when the cause is a malfunction within the endocrine system.
Hormone Imbalance Symptoms
Hormone imbalance symptoms can vary widely depending on which hormones and glands are affected. Some of the more common symptoms of hormone imbalance include:
● Excessive Sweating
● Unexpected Weight Gain or Loss
● Difficulty Sleeping
● Muscle Weakness
● Skin Rashes - Dry Skin
● Increased Sensitivity to Cold and Heat
● Changes In Heart rate
● Changes in Blood Sugar Levels
● Fatigue
● Depression
● Headaches
● Reduced Sex Drive
● Bloating
● Blurred Vision
● Unexplained Bulge in Your Neck
● Anxiety
● Puffy Face
● Changes in Appetite
● Thinning Hair - Damaged Hair
● Infertility
● Having to Use the Bathroom Less or More Often
Of course, having some or even many of these symptoms doesn’t automatically mean you have a hormonal imbalance.
What Causes Hormone Imbalance in Men & Women?
There are several points in a woman’s life where she will experience a hormonal imbalance. Most notably during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause.
But there are also times in a woman’s life in which a hormonal imbalance could be caused by a medical condition like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), ovarian cancer, early menopause, or by using birth control medications.
Natural stages of hormonal imbalance in men are primarily due to puberty and aging. Other times when hormonal imbalances in men might arise are generally caused by prostate cancer and low testosterone.
However, everyone is different. If you want to know more about what causes hormone imbalance or are suffering from symptoms you believe are different from life’s natural course, then let’s talk.