With nearly half of women having been affected by a hormone imbalance and many men suffering too, it’s a much bigger problem than many might think. Often people don’t attribute the common signs of a hormonal imbalance to its actual cause, instead blaming them on something else or just waiting for them to go away.
Hormone imbalances can cause signs that range from mildly uncomfortable to seriously debilitating. It’s important to work out if the cause is a hormone imbalance by piecing together the clues and seeing a professional.
If your symptoms are indeed down to a hormonal imbalance, there’s plenty you can do about it. You don’t have to keep suffering!
1. Lower Sex Drive
A loss of libido is most common as someone grows older, but a hormonal imbalance can cause it to happen at any age.
If you’ve always had a fairly low sex drive, it’s probably not a cause for concern—however, if you notice a sharp decline that doesn’t seem to fit, it could be because of an imbalance. This might be especially true if it’s accompanied by other symptoms.
Medications such as birth control commonly cause this to happen.
2. Appetite Changes
Your appetite can be affected either way by a change in hormones. For example, estrogen affects the appetite by dampening it, so if there’s a decrease in estrogen your hunger might shoot way up.
For women especially, the appetite is affected at different stages of the month and this is completely normal. For example, women on their period might experience an increase in hunger for a few days, and this is generally nothing to worry about.
If it’s more prolonged or has no rhyme or reason to the timing, it may be a hormonal imbalance that needs treatment.
3. Weight Gain
A hormonal imbalance in women and men alike is often detected by sudden, unexplained weight gain. If there’s been very little change to your eating habits and exercise routine but you’ve noticed that you’re putting on weight, it could be due to hormones.
4. Trouble With Sleep
Studies have shown that women experiencing hormone declines are more likely to have disturbed sleep, suggesting this might also be a reason for hormonal imbalance in men too. Hormones can have an effect on many things, and sleep is just one of them!
Any trouble with sleep should be looked into by a medical professional, but it’s worth remembering that it might be a symptom of a hormonal imbalance. You can always discuss this with your doctor.
5. Skin Problems
Hormonal acne is most common during puberty when hormones are changing and settling, but it’d be a mistake to think this means it can’t happen as an adult! Hormones can affect your skin at any age.
It’s caused by hormones clogging your pores, and can appear anywhere on the face with varying severity.
6. Anxiety
Stress hormones (such as adrenaline and cortisol) can cause anxiety. Although anxiety can have various root causes, you might notice that it’s caused by hormones if it’s accompanied by other symptoms or if it’s brought on suddenly with no rhyme or reason.
Anxiety is not a nice thing to experience so it’s important to seek help if you have experienced a sudden bout.
7. Emotional Issues
Anxiety is not the only emotional problem that can be brought on by a hormone imbalance — in fact, there are many.
Because hormones can affect the brain, they can cause many changes in moods and emotions. Sometimes it’s because of a change in life stage, such as menopause making an appearance; other times, it’s caused by birth control or other medication that has forced a change.
Although these will often settle down on their own once the body gets used to its new self (whether that’s going through a life stage or getting used to hormonal medication), it’s important to see a medical professional if it becomes too much or goes on for a prolonged period of time.
Often people are too embarrassed to see a doctor for emotional issues or feel that they might be making it up, but fluctuating emotions is one of the very real signs of a hormonal imbalance.
So What Can You Do About a Hormone Imbalance?
Fortunately, if you do have a hormonal imbalance, there are many things you can do! You don’t need to suffer in silence.
Treat the Symptoms
You can always treat the signs and symptoms of a hormonal imbalance, and the treatment will largely depend on what you’re experiencing. For example, hormonal acne can be treated by many creams and medications, both over-the-counter and prescription. Appetite changes can be treated with a healthy diet.
This will generally only work if the symptoms are manageable and short-term — for example, as a result of menopause in women.
Natural Remedies
Exercise, a good diet, and ensuring you get enough protein are all good ways to balance your hormones. The body needs to be healthy to be able to regulate what it’s producing, and ensuring there’s balance in all other things will naturally help your hormones.
Hormone Supplementation Therapy
Hormone supplementation therapy is an effective but more serious treatment aimed at replacing your hormones to get rid of the symptoms you’re experiencing entirely.
If the signs are severe and you want them gone altogether, this is your best available choice. It’s important to look into the options available to you, like bioidentical hormones vs synthetic. Everyone is different, and there are benefits to each that might work better for your body.
Ultimately, consulting a professional is best.
Things Can Improve
A hormone imbalance may not sound serious, but the signs can definitely be unpleasant for someone experiencing it! If your low libido, anxiety, or emotional fluctuation is getting you down, try some natural remedies or look into hormone supplementation therapy to get back in top shape!
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