Did you know that men’s testosterone levels have declined in the last 20 years? Since testosterone is the primary male sex hormone that is responsible for a number of different essential roles in the body, this is cause for concern.
Testosterone isn’t the only hormone that can be out of whack in the body, though. Having hormone imbalances can lead to a long list of issues and side effects that can leave you feeling far from your best.
Are you wondering whether it’s time for you to look into how to check hormone levels?
Let’s take a look at what you need to know about hormone imbalance.
What Are Hormones?
Your body’s internal metabolism is controlled and regulated by the endocrine system through the use of hormones. It also regulates your growth and development, reproduction, energy level, as well as your response to stress, injury, and environmental factors.
Signs of Hormone Imbalance in Both Men and Women
The balance of your hormones plays an essential role in your overall wellbeing and health. For this reason, there are a wide variety of symptoms or signs that can point to a hormonal imbalance. Depending on which glands or hormones aren’t working properly, your signs and symptoms can vary.
Some of the hormonal conditions that commonly affect both women and men can cause any of these symptoms and signs:
- Fatigue
- A hump of fat between the shoulders
- Weight gain
- Unexplained weight loss that sometimes comes on suddenly
- Stiffness, swelling, or pain in your joints
- Sweating
- More frequent bowel movements or constipation
- Decreased or increased heart rate
- Frequent urination
- Increased hunger
- Increased thirst
- Increased sensitivity to heat or cold
- Depression
- Decreased sex drive
- Blurred vision
- Anxiety, nervousness, or irritability
- Fine, brittle hair or thinning hair
- Puffy face
- Dry skin
- Pink or purple stretch marks
- Rounded face
- Infertility
Having these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean that your hormones are out of balance. These symptoms are nonspecific and could result from other things.
Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Women
The most common hormonal imbalance for women of reproductive age is polycystic ovary syndrome.
For women, there are natural hormonal cycles that occur during puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause.
Some of the female-specific symptoms of hormonal imbalance are:
- Skin tags
- Hair loss
- Acne on the face, upper back, or chest
- Irregular periods including a stopped period, missed periods, or a frequent period
- Heavy periods
- Vaginal dryness
- Pain during sex
- Darkening of the skin, particularly underneath the breasts, in the groin, or along neck creases
- Hirsutism, which is excessive hair on the chin, face, or other body parts
- Vaginal atrophy
- Night sweats
- Headaches
Hormones impact the way that your organs and cells function. While there are normal hormonal cycles that occur at different life stages, hormonal imbalances can also occur due to other conditions or causes.
Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Men
Men who aren’t producing enough testosterone can experience a number of different symptoms. This is because testosterone plays an important role in the development of men.
Some of the symptoms of hormonal imbalance that can occur in adult males are:
- Loss of muscle mass
- Breast tenderness
- Gynecomastia, or developing breast tissue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Loss of bone mass
- Decrease in body hair growth and beard growth
- Erectile dysfunction
- Hot flashes
- Difficulty concentrating
If you’re on testosterone replacement therapy, follow this link to learn the answer to “What Does High Hematocrit Mean for Men on TRT?”
Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Children
During puberty, boys and girls begin producing sex hormones. It is common for children who experience delayed puberty to still have a normal puberty experience. However, some children have hypogonadism, which occurs when little or no sex hormones are produced by the sex glands.
Girls with hypogonadism might experience:
- Breast tissue not developing
- Menstruation not beginning
- Growth rate not increasing
For boys with this condition, they might experience:
- Body hair that grows sparsely
- Lack of muscle mass development
- A voice that doesn’t get deeper
- Gynecomastia
- Excessive growth of the legs and arms in relation to the torso
- Impaired testicular and penis growth
Hormonal disorders can cause growth problems in children. However, these aren’t the only causes of growth problems, as genetic factors and poor absorption of food can also play a role.
Causes of Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal imbalances can result from a number of different causes. The cause of hormone imbalances can depend on the affected glands or hormones. Some of the common causes include:
- Medications
- Hormone therapy
- Benign or cancerous tumors
- Chemotherapy and other cancer treatments
- Stress
- Eating disorders
- Pituitary tumors
- Trauma or injury
Also, a number of conditions can be caused by hormonal imbalances. On top of this, having these disorders can also lead to hormones becoming further imbalances. These conditions include:
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Diabetes
- Thyroiditis
- Diabetes insipidus
- Cushing syndrome, or high levels or cortisol
- Addison’s disease
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which leads to low levels of aldosterone and cortisol
- Hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules
Some of the causes of this type of imbalance are specific to women as they are related to reproductive hormones. Some of the common causes for women include:
- PCOS
- Menopause
- Pregnancy
- Primary ovarian insufficiency (premature menopause)
- Birth control pills and other hormone drugs
- Breastfeeding
In total, there have been more than two hundred hormone or hormone-like substances that have been discovered so far. This means that there are countless ways that hormones can be unbalanced and a lot of different symptoms that can result from this imbalance. Next, let’s take a look at just a handful of the hormones that are important to your wellbeing.
A Look at Some of the Hormones That Are Essential to Your Wellbeing
Hormones control a number of different vital functions including reproduction, mood, metabolism, growth, and sexual health. If your body is producing too much or too little of a hormone, it can lead to a number of health problems and lead to you feeling unwell. Let’s take a look at some of the hormones that play an important part in your overall health.
Testosterone
This sex hormone is produced in both male testicles and female ovaries. While it is often discussed in relation to sex drive, it is also very important in the distribution of fat cells, bone mass, and muscle. When a man has low levels of testosterone, it can lead to low sex drive, decreased semen production, low bone density, loss of muscle mass, and erectile dysfunction.
When women produce too much testosterone, it can impact them in a number of different ways. It can lead to absent or irregular periods and might mean that they have more body hair than is average for women. It can also lead to frontal balding.
Women with high testosterone can also have increased muscle mass, acne, an enlarged clitoris, and their voice can deepen.
Estrogen
Estrogen is often referred to as the female sex hormone. This is produced by the ovaries in women. It is a very important part of the development of pubic hair, breasts, and the process of the hips widening. Estrogen is involved in blood clotting, bone formation, and nail and skin health as well as regulation of women’s periods.
Women who have low levels of estrogen might experience depression or low moods. Estrogen levels can fluctuate, for instance during menopause. This can lead women to experience low libido, hot flashes, and weight gain.
Melatonin
Melatonin plays an essential part in your sleep/wake cycle and the internal clock inside your body. This hormone is produced in the pineal gland in your brain.
Your brain starts to produce more melatonin as the day starts to turn tonight. This helps to prepare you for sleep. Both your sleep quality and your melatonin levels can be impaired when you experience interruption to natural darkness.
Cortisol
You have probably heard cortisol referred to as the stress hormone. This is your body’s way of alerting you to the fact that you are under duress. While this can be a very useful indicator when you’re seriously in danger, there are a number of issues with experiencing consistently high cortisol levels.
When your cortisol levels are elevated too often, it can lead to migraines, anxiety, heart problems, weight gain, brain fog, irritability, and sleep disturbances.
Insulin
Insulin is known as the fat-storage hormone. It regulates many of your metabolic processes and is relieved by your pancreas. This is what makes it possible for your liver, Oregon, and fat to deal with and absorb glucose.
When your body is not able to produce enough insulin or if it does not know how to use it properly, it can lead to diabetes as blood sugar accumulates.
How to Check Hormone Levels
There isn’t just one single test that people typically take to determine whether or not they have a hormonal imbalance. The first thing you will want to do if this is something you are concerned about is to make an appointment with your doctor.
When you are preparing for your appointment, be sure to write down all of the symptoms you have been experiencing and a general timeline of when they have occurred. You also want to bring a list of all of these supplements, vitamins, and medication you are currently taking.
Your doctor can do a number of different tests to determine whether or not you have a hormonal imbalance. This includes a blood test, pelvic exam, ultrasound, and a number of types of additional tests.
There are also some at-home tests you can use to check hormone levels. You can find at-home test kits available for a wide variety of different conditions.
Hormone Therapy Treatments
The cause of your hormone imbalance will determine the proper treatment method for you. Some of the common treatment options include:
- Estrogen therapy
- Vaginal estrogen
- Anti-androgen medications
- Hormonal birth control
- Testosterone therapy
- Thyroid hormone therapy
- Metformin
- Eflornithine
- Flibanserin and bremelanotide
There are also a number of natural supplements and lifestyle changes that you might consider. Not all of these ideas have been thoroughly researched so it’s important to do your due diligence and talk to your doctor before incorporating anything new into your routine.
Some of the ways you might be able to naturally balance your hormone levels include:
- Making sure you are eating enough protein at every meal
- Engaging in regular exercise
- Learn and practice stress management techniques
- Avoid refined carbs and sugar
- Consume healthy fats
- Avoid both undereating and overeating
- Eat fatty fish often
- Drink green tea
- Get regular, high-quality sleep
- Consume a high fiber diet
- Stay away from sugary drinks
- Eat lots of eggs
- Lose weight
- Eat a balanced diet
Some of the supplements that could potentially help to balance hormones include:
- Maca
- Probiotics
- Ascorbic acid
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Copper
- Calcium
- Glycine
It’s not a good idea to start popping supplements without any sense of the cause of your issues or what the supplements do. Just because supplements are natural doesn’t mean they aren’t powerful. Make sure you talk to your doctor before you add anything to your routine.
Are You Experiencing a Hormone Imbalance?
As you can see, having a hormone imbalance doesn’t necessarily have one specific cause or have a set group of symptoms. There are a lot of different ways that your hormone can be out of whack which can lead to a number of different side effects. Be sure to make an appointment with your doctor if you think you might have a hormone imbalance that’s affecting your health.
Did you find this article on how to check hormone levels interesting? If so, be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more fascinating and informative content!
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