Hormonal Imbalance: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

The human body is a complex system with many other systems working in a balance to support your life. Hormones act as chemical messengers circulating in the blood, coordinating these systems and regulating growth, metabolism, mood, and reproductive functions.

What are Hormones?

Hormones are substances produced and secreted by the endocrine system and glands. Hormones are mostly produced in the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, pancreas, and ovaries in females, and testes in males.

Hormones travel through the bloodstream to reach all organs and tissues. They regulate and maintain various body functions. Each hormone targets certain cells, creating its individual effect.

What is a Hormonal Imbalance?

A hormonal imbalance is a condition comprising an excess or scarcity of a hormone available in the bloodstream. Even the tiniest changes in hormone levels have a colossal effect on the body’s workings. Everyone, regardless of their age and gender, can experience hormonal imbalance. However, at certain periods in life’s circle, like puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and andropause, these changes are particularly active.

Several factors are responsible for hormonal imbalance: lifestyle choices, environmental factors, aging, and health problems. An improper diet, chronic stress, sleep disorder, and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals can also cause hormonal disturbances. Diabetes, thyroid ailments, and PCOS are diseases related to acute hormonal imbalance but they can be treated and managed.

What Conditions are Caused by Hormonal Imbalances?

Left untreated, these disorders can greatly affect your quality of life. So, what causes hormonal imbalance? Some of the most common conditions associated with hormonal imbalances include:

1. Diabetes. Insulin secretion from the pancreas controls blood sugar. Overall, the balance between insulin production and sensitivity forms the clinical manifestation of diabetes. Diabetes is considered a major disorder that results from impairment of the body in maintaining blood glucose homeostasis and includes both short and long-term complications.
2. Thyroid disorders are conditions where the thyroid gland produces significantly less or more hormones that regulate metabolism. An overactive thyroid can make you rapidly lose weight, and become fidgety and nervous, while an underactive thyroid can result in fatigue, rapid weight gain, and depression.
3. Polycystic ovary syndrome is the condition of hormonal overproduction of androgens targeting people assigned to females at birth. This syndrome is characterized by an irregular menstrual cycle, ovarian cysts, and major fertility problems.
4. Adrenal insufficiency is a condition where the amount of cortisol produced within the body isn’t enough to keep you going with sufficient energy during stressful events. It manifests in extreme weariness, lowered blood pressure, and general health complications.
5. Osteoporosis. Most hormonal changes that activate estrogen deficiency lead to this condition. This decrease, typically in older age, significantly contributes to the development of osteoporosis, increasing your vulnerability to fractures and bone degeneration.

Aging itself is associated with reduced production of sex hormones, especially estrogen and progesterone in females and testosterone in males. Their reduction gives rise to hot flashes and mood swings, a decrease in libido accompanying menopause and andropause, and reduced muscle mass.

Symptoms and Causes

Symptoms can be wide and variable depending on which hormonal glands are affected.

What are the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance?

Fatigue is the most common hormonal imbalance symptom. Weight changes without explanation, including gains or losses, can also be a hormonal imbalance sign, especially when insulin or thyroid hormones are involved.

The dermatological manifestations can take the form of acne, dry, or oily skin due to disturbed balance in the skin cell cycle and sebum secretion.

Our metabolic processes are especially sensitive to hormonal changes. So, when insulin, thyroid hormones, or cortisol go out of kilter, your metabolism might be revving up or slowing down, manifesting in symptoms constellations like unexplained and rapid weight changes, low energy levels, and food cravings.

In people assigned female at birth, hormonal imbalances typically involve estrogen and progesterone. Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone manifest with severe hormonal imbalance symptoms in females: they disrupt normal menstrual cycles, leading to irregular periods or missed cycles altogether. Hormonal imbalances can also exacerbate premenstrual syndrome symptoms, leading to more intense mood swings, period cramps, and discomfort.

In people assigned male at birth, a drop in testosterone can reduce sexual desire and impair the ability to achieve or maintain an erection. Muscle loss is also a common symptom of a testosterone deficiency.

Can Hormone Imbalance Cause Weight Gain?

Yes, hormone imbalances are usually a common cause of unexplained weight gain. When hormones that regulate metabolism, like thyroid hormones and insulin, are out of balance, the body’s ability to burn fat efficiently can be impaired. Additionally, high cortisol levels, often resulting from chronic stress, can lead to fat accumulation, particularly in the abdominal region.

Can Hormone Imbalance Cause Anxiety?

Hormonal imbalances can contribute to anxiety. Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol directly influence mood and emotional regulation. Low estrogen levels, particularly during menopause, have been linked to increased feelings of anxiety, while high cortisol levels, often associated with stress, can exacerbate anxious thoughts and behaviors.

What Causes Hormonal Imbalances?

Numerous factors can contribute to hormonal imbalances.

For example, chronic stress prompts the adrenal glands to release cortisol, which, if in excess, interferes with the balance of other hormones, including thyroid and sex hormones. This leads to further hormone imbalances.

Diets high in processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats ultimately lead to insulin resistance, inflammation, and impaired hormone production. Paired with sleep debt, a lifestyle like this disrupts the production of cortisol, melatonin, and other critical hormones.

Diagnosis and Tests

Hormonal imbalance diagnosis is a balance of physical examination, detailed anamnesis, and laboratory tests. The blood tests, mostly the ones that verify existing hormone levels, include testing for thyroid hormones, insulin, estrogen, and testosterone. For example, a TSH test may allow doctors to notice whether the thyroid gland functions normally or not, while blood sugar tests allow to estimate insulin sensitivity. In certain cases, your doctor can order saliva and urine tests.

Studying the functional and structural condition of endocrine glands is managed through ultrasound imagining. This visualization technique outlines any structural abnormalities, including cysts, tumors, and other changes in structure that could potentially result in a hormonal imbalance.

Management and Treatment

Treating hormonal imbalances requires a personalized approach based, first and foremost, on the underlying cause of the imbalance. Common treatments include:

• Hormone Replacement Therapy. HRT replaces estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone with their supplementation when any of these drops to an extremely low level with no possibility of restoring their natural production. This sort of medication is usually applied for the resolution of problems associated with menopause and andropause.
• Medications that can restore a normal hormone level, depending on the disorder, are also a serious line of treatment. For instance, thyroid hormone replacement is given for hypothyroidism, while for insulin resistance, you can get a prescription for metformin.
• Changes in Lifestyle. Exercising, good eating habits, managing your stress, and focusing on sleep hugely help with balancing your hormones.
• Peptide Therapy. Peptides are small chains of amino acids ‒ they tend to behave like signaling molecules that could trigger either the production or regulation of other types of hormones. Hence, personalized peptide therapies are now emerging as targeted treatments for hormonal imbalances.

Acting as bioregulators, peptides help to modulate the functions of cells, glands, and tissues, supporting the body in restoring balance naturally, and acting within target cells. These therapies are gaining traction for their precision in addressing hormonal imbalances.

Prevention

Preventing hormonal imbalances involves proactive lifestyle choices that support the body’s natural hormone production and regulation.

Incorporating relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can reduce cortisol levels and prevent the onset of stress-induced hormonal imbalances.

A diet with whole foods, healthy fats, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates can support hormone health. Avoiding excessive sugar, alcohol, and processed foods can also reduce the risk of insulin resistance and inflammation. Physical activity also plays a key role in regulating hormones, particularly insulin and cortisol. It also promotes overall metabolic health.

Prioritizing sleep allows the body to regulate melatonin and cortisol levels. Creating a consistent sleep routine can improve hormone balance.

Living with a hormonal imbalance can be challenging, but with the right treatment and lifestyle adjustments, it’s possible to manage symptoms and lead a healthy, balanced life. Regular communication with your healthcare provider is essential for monitoring hormone levels and adjusting treatments as needed. It’s also important to be mindful of ongoing symptoms and make necessary lifestyle changes to support long-term hormone balance.