Introduction:
The hormones in our bodies are responsible for almost every function. Hormones are chemicals produced by our glands and used to transfer “messages” throughout our bloodstream. We receive messages from our organs that tell them what to do to maintain our health and wellbeing.
In your body, more than 50 different hormones are circulating. The term “hormone” often brings to mind testosterone or estrogen, which are sex hormones.
Thyroid hormones, for example, are essential in maintaining your metabolism, energy levels, and body temperature, while the stress hormone cortisol is involved in your child’s development and your response to physical and psychological stress. Hormones play an important role in the well-being of humans.
You won’t notice them when your hormones are in balance and working together, of course. It’s only when they’re out of balance that cascading health problems can arise.
An imbalance in hormones occurs when your body makes too little or too much of certain hormones. All men and women share the hormones insulin and adrenaline, but certain hormones can have different effects on men and women. A woman’s estrogen and progesterone levels may be out of balance, while a man’s testosterone levels may be unbalanced.
In the body, hormones are powerful signals. When you have too much or too little of some hormones, your body can experience significant changes, and you may need treatment for some conditions.
It is possible to have either a temporary or chronic hormonal imbalance. Furthermore, some hormonal imbalances must be treated in order to maintain your health, while others may not affect your health but have a negative impact on your quality of life.
Causes Of Hormonal Imbalances:
You naturally experience hormone fluctuations throughout your life – even throughout your day.
There are certain periods in life when hormones fluctuate more dramatically, including:
● Puberty
● Pregnancy
● Menopause
The levels of your hormones may be irregular for other reasons as well. Fluctuating hormone levels can be caused by a number of factors, including:
● Anxiety
● Some medications
● Use of steroids
Stress management or a change in medication are more likely to resolve hormonal imbalances.
A chronic hormone-related condition can have numerous causes. Hormone imbalances associated with medical significance are generally caused by the following conditions:
● Cancer, adenomas, and other growths.
● An endocrine gland is damaged or injured.
● Autoimmune diseases.
Signs Or Symptoms Of A Hormonal Imbalance:
Hormones play a crucial role in regulating your health. A hormonal imbalance can manifest in a wide range of ways. If you have an imbalance of hormones or glands, you will experience different signs or symptoms.
Male and female hormonal conditions can cause the following symptoms or signs:
● Gaining weight
● You’ve got a hump between your shoulders
● Weight loss that is sudden and unexplained
● fatigue
● Weakness of the muscles
● Aches, stiffness, and tenderness in the muscles
● Your joints hurt, are stiff or swollen
● Heart rate increases or decreases
● sweating
● Heat or cold sensitivity increased
● A change in bowel habits or constipation
● Urination frequently
● Thirst increased
● Hunger increased
● Reduced sex drive
● depression
● Irritability, nervousness, or anxiety
● Vision that is blurred
● infertility
● Hair thinning or brittle, fine hair
● dry skin
● The face is puffy
● The face is rounded
● Stretch marks in purple or pink
The symptoms you’re experiencing are nonspecific, and you might not necessarily have a hormonal imbalance if you experience them.
Signs Or Symptoms In Females:
Females of reproductive age are most likely to suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome.
During these stages, your natural hormonal cycle will also change:
● Baby-feeding
● Puberty
● Menopause
● You’re pregnant
Symptoms Of A Hormonal Imbalance Specific To Females Include:
● Missed periods, stopped periods, or frequent periods are all signs of heavy or irregular menstruation
● Having an excessive amount of facial, chin, or other body hair
● Your face, chest, and upper back are affected by acne
● Hair loss
● Darkening of the skin, particularly in the groin and beneath the breasts
● skin tags
● Dry vaginal skin
● Atrophic vaginal tissue
● Sexual pain
● Sweats at night
● headaches
Signs Or Symptoms In Males:
Testosterone plays a crucial role in male development. It can cause a wide variety of symptoms when it is lacking.
The following symptoms characterize male hormone imbalances:
● Breast development, or gynecomastia
● Tenderness of the breast
● A problem with erectile function (ED)
● An increase in body hair and beard growth
● Muscle mass loss
● Osteoporosis occurs when bones lose mass
● Concentration problems
● hot flashes
Tests And Diagnosis:
A single test can’t diagnose a hormonal imbalance. Consult your doctor and get a physical exam.
Blood Test:
Your blood sample will be tested in a laboratory. The majority of hormones are detectable in the blood.
You can have your thyroid and hormonal levels checked by your doctor with a blood test.
Pelvic Exam:
If you are a female, your doctor will likely do a Pap smear to check for cysts, lumps, or tumors. It might be good to have your scrotum checked by a physician if you’re male.
Ultrasound:
The inside of your body can be viewed using ultrasound machines. During an ultrasound, doctors can obtain images of a patient’s ovaries,
uterus, testicles, and pituitary gland or thyroid.
Additional Tests:
It is sometimes necessary to conduct more advanced tests. These may include:
● X-ray
● biopsy
● thyroid scan
● MRI
● sperm count test
Treatment Of Hormonal Imbalance:
Hormonal imbalances are treated differently depending on what’s causing them.
In cases of low hormone levels, hormone replacement therapy is the main treatment. Your oral medication (pills) or injection medication will depend on the deficient hormone.
If your thyroid hormone levels are low (hypothyroidism), your healthcare provider may recommend synthetic thyroid hormone supplements. A deficiency in growth hormones may result in you taking injections (shots) of synthetic growth hormones in order to compensate.
Depending on the cause of your hormone levels being higher than normal, there are a variety of treatments available. Treatment options may include medication, radiation therapy and
surgery.
The provider may prescribe you medication to shrink the tumor or you may have surgery to remove the tumor if you have a prolactinoma, a benign (noncancerous) tumor causing excess prolactin.
How Can I Prevent AHormonal Imbalance?
Hormonal imbalance isn’t always preventable, but following certain steps can improve your health and balance your hormones, such as:
● Weight maintenance
● Healthy eating
● Exercise regularly
● Stress management
● Sleeping enough
● Maintaining good health (if applicable)
● If you smoke, you should quit
References:
https://www.endocrineweb.com/hormone-imbalance
https://www.medicinenet.com/can_hormonal_imbalance_cause_weight_gain/article.htm
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology/chapter/types-of-hormones
