The endocrine glands in your body produce various hormones. These chemical messengers travel to organs or tissues in your bloodstream and impact various bodily processes. Some of these include sexual function, growth, and development, the ability to handle stress, mood, and metabolism. They also impact how your body breaks down food and your sleep-wake cycle. In simple words, hormones control and balance every important system in your body.

Hormonal balance is vital to keep your body functioning properly. An imbalance occurs when there is an excess or too little of a particular hormone. Keep reading to know more about hormonal imbalance, its causes, symptoms, and how to get tested.

What is Hormonal Imbalance?

When your hormones are not released at adequate levels, it causes a hormonal imbalance. There are various kinds of hormonal imbalances, which indicate different things. Sometimes there can be a deficiency of a specific hormone, while other times, a hormone might overflow.
Particular imbalances also influence the signs and symptoms that the person experiences. Hormones like testosterone, adrenaline, estrogen, and insulin are crucial for your overall health. If there is an imbalance in these hormones, it impacts health adversely.

Children, teenagers, young adults, and the elderly can find their hormones out of balance at various stages in life. In most cases of hormonal imbalances, women are premenopausal or perimenopausal. But imbalances are frequent when you are closer to menopause.
Some imbalances occur due to more than usual androgens in PCOS. These get checked when you go in to check for other hormones.

Note that there is no standard way to identify a hormonal imbalance. Many issues point to something wrong with the hormones. That is why getting tested occasionally when you begin experiencing unusual symptoms is important.

Major Causes of Hormonal Imbalance

The causes differ as per the particular hormone that is being produced in excess or at lower than usual levels. Generally, changes in the hormone-producing gland cause an imbalance. Hormonal imbalance can be triggered by the following.

Conditions such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, thyroiditis, Cushing Syndrome, and Addison’s Disease.
Eating disorders such as anorexia
Cancer treatments. These include radiation therapy and chemotherapy
Iodine deficiency
Antidepressants usage
Steroid use
Stress

What are the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance

There are various symptoms that you may experience because of hormonal imbalance. The general signs include the following:

Hair thinning
Dry skin
Increased hunger and thirst
Blurry vision
Sweating
Weight gain or a sudden weight loss
Muscle weakness
Fatigue
Frequent urination
Infertility

Women generally experience the following symptoms of hormonal imbalance:

Irregular periods
Reduced sex drive
Sudden weight loss or weight gain
Mood swings
Skin rashes
Insomnia
Pain in the abdomen during menstruation
Constipation

In men, hormonal imbalance can be seen in the following symptoms:

Hair thinning
Muscle loss
Reduced sex drive
Erectile dysfunction

Ways to Balance Your Hormones

You can balance hormones naturally in various ways. It mainly involves changing your nutrition and making certain lifestyle modifications.

Eat more healthy fats
Hormone-balancing food sources are those with healthy fats. Your body requires medium and long-chain fatty acids to create hormones. If your diet is rich in refined carbohydrates, swap them for food options with healthy fats.

Some great sources of anti-inflammatory fats include the following:

Coconut oil – It has antibacterial and fat-burning effects.
Avocado – It lowers inflammation.
White-cot salmon – It’s a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Do not add sugar, refined oils, and processed carbohydrates to your diet. Also, refrain from consuming oils rich in omega-6 fats, such as sunflower, corn, cotton seed, and safflower oil.

Supplement to balance hormones
Even on a healthy diet, imbalances can occur. Use supplements to fill the nutritional deficiencies leading to a hormonal imbalance. Some good supplements for this purpose include:

Evening primrose oil – It contains GLA, which promotes hormonal function. This oil also helps alleviate pre-menstrual and PCOS symptoms.
Vitamin D – Vitamin D keeps inflammation levels low and functions like a hormone within the body. Supplement with 2000–5000 international units of vitamin D3, especially if you reside in dark areas.
Bone broth – It calms the digestive system and gives nutrients that are easily absorbable. Bone broth contains healing compounds like glutamine, glycine, and proline.
Probiotics – Probiotics are bacteria that enhance the production of insulin, ghrelin, and leptin. They also restore the damaged gut lining, which balances the hormones.

Make lifestyle changes
External factors and lifestyle choices can prevent illnesses associated with imbalances in hormones. Aim to manage stress to ensure that the stress hormone cortisol remains balanced. If you frequently engage in high-intensity exercise, reduce its frequency. Do some moderate-intensity physical training to bring your cortisol under control.

Adequate rest is also essential for restoring hormonal balance. Sleep deprivation can raise cortisol levels and result in temporary insulin resistance. It can also inhibit thyroid function. So, ensure that you get at least 8 hours of sleep every night.

Testing for Hormonal Imbalances

A hormonal imbalance will make you experience a range of physical and emotional distresses. That’s why it’s critical to have your hormone levels tested. Hormone testing enables you to better understand how your body is functioning under the surface. It helps unravel the complicated internal reality that signs alone cannot reveal.

Some prominent tests to better understand your body and hormone levels include:

Saliva test: These measure the free hormones that are actively available, and you can monitor topical HRT (hormone replacement therapy) with them.
Blood serum test: This test measures how much of a specific hormone is in your bloodstream.
Urine test: It determines the way your body is metabolizing hormones. This test helps monitor progress with HRT via topical and oral methods.
Blood spot tests: They are especially effective in monitoring hormone levels for those using topical HRT.

Summing up

Hormonal imbalances dramatically reduce your quality of life. So, it is essential to recognize your symptoms and get tested. These tests can be conducted in various settings. You connect with RejuvenateHRT, which has highly experienced medical staff that treats people affected by hormone imbalances. The practitioners at RejuvenateHRT are experts in hormone health. They provide the best hormone testing and treatment options to address your symptoms and enhance your well-being.