Produced by the endocrine glands, hormones function as chemical messengers to regulate your physiology and behavior. Your hormones are one of the most essential components of your body, that help your organs function. It affects a range of physiological functions, such as metabolism reproductivity, digestion, tissue function, sleep cycles, stress, growth, movement, reproduction, and mood regulation.
It is the hormones that tell your body whether you are hungry, sleepy, or stressed and also signals when to stop eating when you need to wake up, or when you need to calm down.
Since they are so vital to basic bodily functions, even the slightest imbalance brought about by stress, infections, hormonal birth control, sleep deficits and more — can cause issues that reverberate throughout your body and affect your overall health and wellbeing.
So, what causes Hormonal Imbalance?
Levels of hormones naturally fluctuate at various life stages, most noticeably during puberty and in women, it can occur due to pregnancy, birth control pills, PCOS, and menopause. They can also be affected by lifestyle and certain medical conditions.
Additionally, hormone imbalance can also be caused due to conditions such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, eating disorders, hypogonadism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, injuries, certain medications and treatments, and hormone therapy.
Signs and Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal imbalances occur when too much or too little of a hormone exists in your bloodstream. There’s more than one way your hormonal system can be unbalanced, and certain hormone imbalance symptoms run common in men and women, while others are specific only to women or to men. Common symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Constipation or irregular bowel movements
- Unexplained and sometimes sudden weight loss
- Night sweats
- Insomnia or poor sleep quality
- Low libido
- Increased sensitivity to heat or cold
- Fertility problems
- Mood disorders including irritability, depression, and anxiety
Symptoms of hormone imbalance in women include:
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Heavy, irregular periods
- Vaginal dryness and atrophy
- Excessive hair growth on the face
- Thinning hair or brittle hair
- Acne on the face, back, and chest
Symptoms of hormone imbalance in men include:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Development of breast tissue and breast tenderness
- Loss of bone mass or osteoporosis
- Decrease in hair growth
- Hot flashes
Ways to Regain a Healthy Hormone Balance
If you’ve noticed any mentioned symptoms, get in touch with a medical professional for a better diagnosis. While hormonal imbalances sometimes require working with an endocrinologist or another specialist, a lot of symptoms caused by hormones can be addressed through ways which are more natural and making a few dietary and lifestyle changes.
Reduce or Eliminate Sugar and Other Food Sensitivities
Identifying foods that disrupt your hormonal balance is an important step towards restoring the balance needed for your body to function. Stay away from refined carbs and sugar since sugar keeps insulin elevated, thus knocking other hormones out of balance and paving the way for insulin resistance. Cutting back on sugar helps your body optimize hormone function and prevent issues like weight gain and diabetes.
Checking yourself for food sensitivities such as gluten intolerance can also be beneficial since it can increase inflammation and contribute to hormonal imbalances. a healthy gluten-free diet can reduce inflammation and insulin resistance.
Address Toxicity
Many chemicals found around us can be harmful for our bodies which we might not even be aware of. These chemicals are considered endocrine or hormone disruptors because they interfere with hormonal production and create wide-ranging damage.
Some of the harmful chemicals which we interact with include bisphenol A (BPA), found in plastic water bottle and cans. Xenoestrogens, chemical compounds that mimic estrogen, can impact testosterone and estrogen production. To reduce your exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals, you can use nontoxic bath and beauty products and household cleaners.
Manage Stress Levels
Chronic stress is overall bad for hormonal balance as Stress causes the body to overproduce cortisol, causing adrenal fatigue. Due to this, you experience fatigue and your immunity goes down, which in turn damages the hormonal balance. If stress gets the better of you, practice biweekly (2 times per week) meditation, go for a walk, take a shower, practice yoga or anything that helps you de-stress.
Lowering Inflammation
Chronic inflammation happens when your adrenals over-secrete cortisol, leading other hormones, including insulin, to disrupt. Hormonal imbalances can increase inflammation, which in turn can further disrupt hormone production.
An anti-inflammatory diet, rich in wild-caught fish and high-fibre plant foods, is a great way to lower inflammation. If you can’t consume fish regularly, you can take a fish-oil supplement to get crucial anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.
Exercise Regularly
Finding a routine and the right kind of exercises can positively impact nearly every hormone. Exercise can help you reduce the amount of insulin in your body and help increase insulin sensitivity. It can also boost growth hormone, your “fountain of youth” hormone that keeps you lean and energetic.
Get a Good Night Sleep
Sleep disturbances can contribute to numerous problems including hormonal imbalances. 8 hours of sleep is the recommended amount for a healthy functional body. However, getting optimal sleep levels can be a challenge in today’s plugged-in society. To combat that, practice sleep hygiene like turning off electronics an hour or two before bed, minimizing your exposure to irritants like dander, dust mites, etc.
A good night sleep detoxifies the body and helps balance the hormones like cortisol, melatonin, and somatotropin.
