Hormones play an important role in our bodies – for both men and women. They play an integral role in our general health and contribute to some of the most important bodily functions that keep us happy and healthy throughout our lives.
Most people will have the ‘right’ amount of hormones in their body but, for some people, they may start to have too much or too little of a particular hormone, which can cause a range of issues.
In this article, we’ll be looking into the causes of hormonal imbalances and what you can do about them.
What are hormones?
If you’re not sure what hormones are, think of them as your body’s chemical messengers. They are important chemicals that are sent around your body to tell your tissues and organs what they need to do.
Although your levels of hormones can fluctuate throughout your lifetime, when certain hormones do become imbalanced it can cause issues for your body and stops it from getting the instructions it needs to perform major processes – like metabolism and reproduction.
What causes hormonal imbalances?
There is a range of reasons why your hormones may become imbalanced at different points of your life, due to things like:
- Hormone therapy
- Medications
- Cancer treatments
- Eating disorders or stress
- Injury or trauma
- Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
- Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
Also, if you’re female you may also experience hormonal imbalances during menopause or pregnancy.
What are the signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalance?
Hormonal imbalances are something that can affect people of any gender, but can sometimes present themselves in different ways.
Some people may experience any of the following signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalance:
- Weight gain
- Sweating and increased sensitivity to cold and heat
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness and aches
- Increased or decreased heart rate
- Depression, anxiety, or irritability
- Infertility
- Puffy face
What you can do about hormonal imbalances?
If you have noticed any of the common symptoms, the best thing to do is make an appointment with your doctor for a physical exam.
Once you explain your symptoms, they should be able to help you with a diagnosis and get to the bottom of what’s causing your symptoms.
If the issue is a hormonal imbalance, sometimes it can be sorted out by making a few small lifestyle changes. In other cases, you may want to consider hormonal treatments, like testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), which you can find out more about at Project Alpha.