What is Hormones?

Hormones are chemicals that produced in endocrine system. They works as “chemical messenger” that travel through your bloodstream and tells the organs and tissues what to do and when to do.

Hormones controls many of body processes such as metabolism, hunger, reproduction, emotions and mood.

Hormones regulates major body functions:

• Body temperature
• Sleeping cycle
• Body growth
• Heart rate
• Reproduction
• Metabolism functions
• Emotions and mood

Here I am talking about hormonal imbalance that means specific hormone is having too much or too little of it. As too much or too little of hormone is definitely brings certain changes to your body.

Men and women both can have hormonal imbalance due to imbalance level of testosterone and estrogen, progesterone respectively. Other factors are also there like climate change, growth of hormones, insulin or steroids.

Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance:

As hormones play major role in your body, their little disturbance in level signal wide range of symptoms. These symptoms are totally depends on which hormone or gland is affected in your body.

Some common symptoms includes:

• Indefinable weight loss or weight gain
• Depression, anxiety and fatigue
• Increasing sensitivity to cold or heat
• Joint pains, swelling or stiffness
• More sweating
• Feel thirstier
• Weak muscles
• Sleeping trouble
• Fluctuating heart rate
• Dry skin with rashes
• Thinning or brittle hair
• Blurred vision
• Puffy face
• Changes in blood pressure
• Lessen sex drive
• Hump between shoulders
• Fluctuating blood sugar level
• Infertility
• headaches

In women, this symptoms differ during puberty, menopause, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Symptoms specific to women in such cases includes:

• Missed or irregular or painful periods. Sometimes heavy flow in periods
• Acne, during puberty on face, upper chest part and back. Check my acne causes and symptoms.
• Hair fall
• Too much hair growth on face and other parts of body
• Skin darkening around neck creases, below breasts and in groin
• Increased body weight or trouble in losing weight
• Vaginal dryness
• Breast tenderness
• Night sweats
• Hot flashes

In men, testosterone plays key role in development. Not enough of it can cause following symptoms:

• Infertility
• Growth of body hair decrease
• Difficulty in concentration
• Loss of muscle and bone mass (Osteoporosis)
• Hot  flashes

Causes of Hormonal Imbalance

Hormonal imbalance can be a result of many factors such as lifestyle changes or puberty or menopause. Everyone suffers from hormonal imbalance at some point. Our body is having endocrine glands everywhere to control different organs. Improper functioning of these glands results in hormonal imbalance.

Causes of hormonal imbalance are:

• Improper diet and nutrition
• Diabetes
• Medications results in hormonal imbalance like – birth control, steroid, hormonal replacement, cancer treatments
• Benign or cancerous tumours
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)  or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
• Long-term Stress
• Hypogonadism
• Endocrine gland injury
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Trauma

Women’s organs are different than men. Different factors for women prompt hormonal imbalance in women. Hormonal imbalance in women causes due to:

• Menopause
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Adolescence or puberty
• Menstruation
• Birth control medications
• Indigestion and constipation
• PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)
• Early menopause
• Primary ovarian insufficiency

Men also have different organs and cycles. As a result they suffer from hormonal imbalance due to different factors. Hormonal imbalance in men causes due to:

• Aging
• Adolescence
• Some medications for – low testosterone, prostate cancer

Hormonal Imbalance Treatment

Treatment for hormonal imbalance depends on symptoms you have. So hormonal imbalance treatment is totally depends on causes of it. Some common treatments includes:

Hormone or birth control

Many women use birth control pills or other medications to prevent pregnancy. Birth control medications with estrogen and progesterone helps to regulate menstrual cycles. Hormonal birth control medications includes birth control pills, shot or patch, vaginal ring, and IUD (intrauterine device).

Anti-androgen medications

Medications to block the effect of male sex hormones present in both men and women that helps to limit acne and excessive hair growth or hair fall.

Vaginal estrogen

As a result of changes in levels of estrogen, many suffers from hormonal imbalance symptom like vaginal dryness. Apply creams that contains estrogen to vaginal tissues or you can use vaginal tablets or rings.

Hormone replacement medications

There are medications available to reduce symptoms of hormonal imbalance in case of menopause like hot flashes or night sweats. However, consult a doctor and understand risks of hormone replacement medications.

Metformin

Metformin is a medication for type 2 diabetes that helps to control blood sugar levels.

Thyroid hormone therapy

In case of hypothyroidism, medications that contains Levothyroxine such as Levothroid, Synthroid and unithroid helps to balance hormone levels.

Testosterone medications

Testosterone medications comes in form of patch, gel or injectable way. It helps to reduce symptoms due to low testosterone levels such as delayed puberty.

Eflornithine (Vaniqa)

A prescription cream to slow excessive facial hair growth in women.

Natural remedies for hormonal imbalance

There are natural supplements that reduces the symptoms of hormonal imbalance. However, it is not scientifically proven that natural remedies or supplements treat hormonal imbalance or their causes.

Yoga is a perfect way to get balance in your hormonal imbalance. Regular yoga practice not only promotes weight loss, but also helps you to gain flexibility, mental stability and treat hormonal imbalance. Check my yoga poses you should do every day.

Weight Loss is another a key factor in treating hormonal imbalance. Hormonal imbalance cause weight gain that slows down your metabolism and increase fat storage. Try to maintain healthy body weight. Go for healthy weight loss diet.

Balanced diet. When you are not taking proper nutrition and diet, it will lead to hormonal imbalance. Eat healthy filled with essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Limit sugar content in your diet and keep packaged foods away.

Menopause discomfort. Proper supplements can helps you to treat menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, weak metabolism and many others.

Preventing acne. Try Over-the-counter (OTC) products to treat acne. With the balance of healthy diet and keep cleaning your face, neck, back and other body parts can prevent acne.

Avoid hot flashes. Avoid causes of hot flashes like too hot and spicy foods, hot drinks and beverages, and also warm temperature.

Stress Management. Learn to manage stress, depression and anxiety. Depression and stress promotes high changes in your hormone levels. Look at some natural ways to fight depression.

Vaginal dryness. Keep vaginal area clean and moisturize it with moisturizers.

Say no to chemicals. Say no to chemicals in your cleaning products or vegetables or fruits.

Do not worry

Don’t worry. You are not alone who is facing hormonal imbalance and suffering from symptoms. Everyone at some point of their life experience hormonal imbalance.

As you know that it can be any factor that affects your hormones: puberty, menopause, pregnancy, stress, life style changes, environment or menstrual cycle.

Worry only when you face hormonal imbalance continuously. With basic life care it’s possible to treat and prevent them. Ask a doctor in case you experience it from long time as they can interrupt you in your daily routine and make you uncomfortable.