Just like we should be mindful of our physical and mental health, we must not neglect our hormonal health. But what really are hormones and how do they impact us?
Hormones can be presumed as tiny chemical couriers that take important messages across our bodies. This information can relate to growth, metabolism, fertility and countless other functions vital for our sustenance. These chemical substances are the reason our bodies can effectively communicate within themselves for administering complex mechanisms.
Put another way, hormones are indispensable for the normal functioning of our body…
While their amicable balance can ensure that we thrive physically as well as mentally, any disruption in this equilibrium can have far reaching consequences for our health.
Hormonal imbalance is usually disguised as symptoms that can be easily assessed if you pay attention to your body.
But what exactly should you watch out for? Read on to find the most common symptoms of hormone imbalance.
Have you been experiencing unexplained weight gain or finding it extremely challenging to shed excess pounds?
This can be a symptom of hormonal imbalance. The hormones involved with our metabolism and fat-storage include insulin, leptin, oestrogens, androgens and growth hormones. People who suffer from strange and resilient weight gains might suffer from an imbalance related to any of these hormones.
Similarly, a sudden and unaccounted for weight loss can also be symptomatic of hormonal imbalance.
Sidenote: Don’t dismiss the hormonal factor altogether even if your bloodwork shows they are in the normal range. It is often the imbalance that causes these issues, not the actual figures themselves!
Feeling excessively depleted and drained is a common side effect of the modern-day lifestyle that is both fast-paced and stressful.
However, if you feel tired all the time and find that those short boosts of relaxation don’t work any longer, you might be suffering from a hormonal imbalance in the form of adrenal fatigue or hypothyroidism, amongst others.
Life can give you many reasons to feel anxious; financial stress, marital life issues, career choices or a million other dilemmas every human faces. However, your anxiety can be directly related to your hormones going all lopsided.
Women are particularly more prone to anxiety owing to the hormonal changes they endure during and before their menstrual cycles, menopause or pregnancy. Additionally, men are found to develop anxiety or major depressive disorder when their testosterone levels dip.
You may think that it is the thought of facing another work day that is keeping you up, when in reality, it might be your hormones. These chemical messengers can interfere with your sleep, particularly in women, and can either make you sleepy during midday or keep you staring at the ceiling for the rest of the night.
Changes in the levels of hormones such as thyroid, testosterone, cortisol, progesterone, melatonin and/or growth hormone can induce difficulty falling asleep. Consequently, it is recommended that you consider double checking the levels of these hormones for figuring out if hormonal imbalance is to be blamed.
The overall condition of our skin and hair responds to a myriad of things including diet, lifestyle, environmental exposures and hormones. In fact, skin is usually the first organ to respond to unhealthy eating habits, insufficient sleep and environmental stressors.
Skin and hair problems can also arise due to hormonal imbalance. For instance, acne is typically caused by an excess of a hormone called androgens whereas hair loss is sometimes directly related to thyroid issues such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and parathyroid disorder.
If you have been feeling like your sex life is not what it used to be, a hormone imbalance must be suspected. Hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone can cause your libido to take a fall and take the pleasure out of your sexual life.
A low libido is one of the most noticeable symptoms of hormone imbalance which is why it must not be taken lightly, especially when there is no other apparent reason for losing interest in a pleasurable activity as sex.
While there may be other causes for the symptoms described above, a hormonal imbalance cannot be ruled out completely.
It is, therefore, recommended that you visit your physician if any of these symptoms arise and find out the underlying health concern.
Do you experience any of the symptoms described above? If so, were you diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance? Please share your experiences in the comments section below.
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