Hormones are like the messengers of the human body. They are produced in the Endocrine glands & travel to the different tissues/organs in our body, helping them to function properly.
Hormone imbalance occurs when there’s too little or too much of a particular hormone in the body.
While it is normal for hormone levels to shift throughout your lifetime, sometimes the Endocrine glands get things wrong & produce levels of hormones that can cause problems.
What this means is that, when these hormones are present in abnormal levels, they make our tissues & organs to function either below normal capacity or above normal capacity.
Here are some of the common symptoms that hormone imbalance can cause :
(1) Irregular periods :
If your period doesn’t show up at about the same time each month, this might be as a result of an imbalance in your levels of Oestrogen & Progesterone (two important hormones).
The most common hormone imbalance in women of reproductive age is PCOS (i wrote about this separately in another article on my IG page).
For some women who are close to Menopause, it is also normal for them to have changes in their hormone balance.
(2) Weight changes
Oestrogen, an important hormone in women, reduces during menopause & this can lead to weight gain around the abdomen & hips.
Apart from Menopause & PCOS, an under-active thyroid gland (which produces less thyroid hormones than normal) can also cause weight gain.
As for weight-loss, an over-active thyroid gland could be responsible. This is because if is producing more thyroid hormones which leads to your body burning more calories than normal.
(3) Sexual Problems
Hormonal imbalance can lead to reduced sexual drive in both Men & Women. This occurs as a result of reduction in testosterone levels.
For men who have problems like Erectile dysfunction, Low libido & low sexual performance, it is important to check their levels of Testosterone & Oestrogen. This also applies to women.
Low Oestrogen levels can also cause Vaginal dryness & tightness in women.
(4) Breast & Skin changes
An increase in Oestrogen levels can cause breast tissue to become thick, which could lead to the formation of breast lumps & cysts.
Prolactin, a hormone produced in the brain, also leads to breastmilk production (which would be regarded as normal in pregnant/breastfeeding women but abnormal in Men & women who haven’t been pregnant before)
A shift in hormones (eg During Menopause or due to a thyroid problem) could also be responsible for dry skin.
(5) Mood changes
Hormonal changes have been linked to conditions like Stress, Mood swings & Depression.
Many women experience irritability, mood swings, anxiety & depression before & during their periods. This is linked to Pre-menstrual Syndrome.
Also, if you either feel tired or hyperactive all the time, you might want to have your hormones checked, especially your thyroid hormones, as they have been linked with these symptoms.
There are more than 50 different hormones in your body right now & each of them is delivering a message to a particular part of your body right now.
There are many other symptoms that hormone imbalance could present with (Thinning of hair, Sweating, Increased hunger, Blurred vision etc) so see your Doctor if you suspect that you might be having hormone imbalance.
Regardless of the hormonal changes you might be experiencing, there’s usually a form of treatment available!