Everything You Should Know About Hormonal Imbalance

 Understanding hormonal imbalance

Hormones are your body's chemical messengers.
These powerful chemicals in the endocrine glands circulate around your bloodstream, telling tissues and organs what to do. They help control many of your body's major processes, including metabolism and reproduction.
When you have a hormonal imbalance, you have too much or too little of a particular hormone. Even small changes can have serious effects on your whole body.
Think of hormones like a cake recipe. Too much or too little of a single ingredient affects the final product.
Although some hormone levels fluctuate throughout your life and may only be the result of natural aging, other changes occur when your endocrine glands misinterpret the prescription.
Read on to learn more about hormonal imbalances.

Signs or symptoms of a hormonal imbalance

Your hormones play an important role in your overall health. As a result, there is a wide range of signs or symptoms that can indicate a hormonal imbalance. Your signs or symptoms will depend on which hormones or glands are not working properly.

Common hormonal conditions that affect both men and women can cause the following signs or symptoms.

• weight gain

• a hump of fat between the shoulders

• unexplained, and sometimes sudden, weight loss

• fatigue

• muscle weakness

• muscle aches, tenderness, and stiffness

• pain, stiffness, or swelling in your joints

• increased or decreased heart rate

• sweating

• increased sensitivity to cold or heat

• constipation or more frequent bowel movements

• frequent urination

• increased thirst

• increased hunger

• decreased sex drive

• depression

• nervousness, anxiety, or irritability

• blurred vision

• infertility

• thinning hair or fine, brittle hair

• dry skin

• puffy face

• rounded face

• purple or pink stretch marks

• Keep in mind that these symptoms are non-specific, and do not necessarily mean that you have a hormonal imbalance.

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Signs or symptoms in females

In women of childbearing age, the most common hormonal imbalance is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Your normal hormonal cycles also change naturally during these stages.

• puberty

• pregnancy

• breastfeeding

• menopause

Symptoms of a hormonal imbalance specific to females include:

• heavy or irregular periods, including missed periods, a stopped period, or a frequent period

• hirsutism, or excessive hair on the face, chin, or other parts of the body

• acne on the face, chest, or upper back

• hair loss

• darkening of the skin, especially along neck creases, in the groin, and underneath the breasts

• skin tags

• vaginal dryness

• vaginal atrophy

• pain during sex

• night sweats

• headaches

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Signs or symptoms in males

Testosterone plays an important role in male development. If you are not producing enough testosterone, it can cause various symptoms.

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance in adult males include:

• gynecomastia, or the development of breast tissue

• breast tenderness

• erectile dysfunction (ED)

• decrease in beard growth and body hair growth

• loss of muscle mass

• loss of bone mass, otherwise known as osteoporosis

• difficulty concentrating

• hot flashes

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Signs or symptoms in children

Boys and girls start making sex hormones during puberty. Many children with delayed puberty will experience normal puberty, but some have hypogonadism.

Boys with hypogonadism may experience:

• lack of development of muscle mass
• a voice that doesn’t deepen
• body hair that grows sparsely
• impaired penis and testicular growth
• excessive growth of the arms and legs in relation to the trunk of the body
• gynecomastia

For girls with hypogonadism:

• menstruation doesn’t begin
• breast tissue doesn’t develop
• the growth rate doesn’t increase

Causes of a hormonal imbalance

There are many possible causes of hormonal imbalances. The causes vary depending on which hormones or glands are affected. Common causes of hormonal imbalances include:

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• hormone therapy

• medications

• cancer treatments such as chemotherapy

• tumors, whether cancerous or benign

• pituitary tumors

• eating disorders

• stress

• injury or trauma 

•  Although the following conditions may initially be due to hormonal imbalances, the presence of the condition can also lead to further hormonal imbalances.

diabetes (type 1 and type 2)

diabetes insipidus

• hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid
• hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid
• hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules
• thyroiditis
• hypogonadism
• Cushing syndrome, or high levels of cortisol
• congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which causes low levels of cortisol and aldosterone
• Addison’s disease

Causes unique to women

Many causes of hormonal imbalance in women are related to reproductive hormones. Common causes include:

• menopause
• primary ovarian insufficiency, which is also known as premature menopause
• pregnancy
• breastfeeding
• PCOS
• hormone drugs such as birth control pills

Tests and diagnosis

There is no single test available for doctors to diagnose hormonal imbalances. Start seeing your doctor for a physical examination.
Be prepared to describe your symptoms and the timeline with which they occurred. List all the medications, vitamins, and supplements you are currently taking.
Your doctor may ask you questions such as:

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• How often are you experiencing symptoms?
• Does anything help relieve your symptoms?
• Have you lost or gained weight recently?
• Are you more stressed than usual?
• When was your last period?
• Are you planning to get pregnant?
• Do you have trouble getting or maintaining an erection?
• Do you have vaginal dryness or pain during sex?

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