Our hormones regulate appetite and metabolism, sleep cycles, heart rate, sexual function, general mood and stress levels, and body temperature. Hormonal imbalance symptoms depend on which hormones or glands are not working properly. We can have variation in our hormones and experience imbalances in insulin, cortisol, thyroxin, androgens, estrogen and progesterone levels, etc.
Here are some common symptoms that are related to hormonal imbalance.
1. Persistent Weight Gain
When weight won’t come off and you have tried all of the traditional routes to lose weight like diet and exercise, then weight may be due to underlying hormonal imbalances. Fluctuations in our hormones due to stress, thyroid or changes when women start into perimenopause/menopause and insulin resistance can be common reasons for weight gain.
2. Low Libido
One of the most noticeable symptoms of hormonal imbalance is low libido. This could be due to imbalances of estrogen and testosterone. Stress can also affect testosterone levels, so the adrenal glands may also play a role in lower drive.
3. Fatigue
There are many different reasons for fatigue but very common reasons for fatigue can be due to hormonal imbalances. If you are experiencing chronic stress, feeling like you are pushing through the day, your adrenal glands may be continued to be stressed causing you to feel out of balance. Another common reasons for fatigue could be due to your thyroid being suboptimal.
4. Anxiety, Irritability and Depression
Not feeling like yourself? Anxiety, mood swings and depression are clues that you have an imbalance. Estrogen has an effect on neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. When progesterone is in balance with estrogen, it calms you, brings feelings of peacefulness, and promotes sleep. But when they are imbalanced or when the relaxation hormone drops too dramatically, calmness can give way to irritability, anxiety, depression, sleepless nights, and brain fog. For some women, when progesterone and estrogen plummet right before menstruation starts, mood stability goes out the window.
5. Insomnia and Poor Sleep Patterns
If you start to notice some insomnia leading up to your cycle, this could be due to the sharp drop in the hormone progesterone that occurs just before menstruation. Progesterone has relaxing properties, so when its levels drop, it can make you feel restless and lead to poor sleep patterns.
6. Hot Flashes & Night Sweats
For many women, night sweats and hot flashes are the first uncomfortable sign that something is out of whack. The cause may be too much or too little estrogen or too little progesterone. Other hormone imbalances in your body that come from the adrenals, ovaries, thyroid, pancreas or gastrointestinal tract may also be the source of the problem.
7. Cravings
Common causes of cravings are adrenal fatigue, insulin resistance, low serotonin or even an imbalance in gut flora! Minimizing sugars, alcohol, dairy and wheat may help control cravings, and improve digestive function as well.
8. Persistent Acne
A lot of women breakout before their period due to hormonal shifts. However, if there is deep cystic acne, this may be due an increase in androgens. Testosterone stimulates excess production of oil, which can get trapped underneath the skin and merge with bacteria and dead skin cells leading to clogged pores.
9. Brain Fog
Women in perimenopause and after menopause report more memory complaints and difficulty concentrating than premenopausal women. Declining estrogen levels may be to blame, but other factors may play a role. Thyroid disease is another common cause of brain fog.
10. Digestive Problems
Hormones influence gut function through the microbiome and bacterial system in our intestines, so a hormone imbalance can impact the population and function of the bacteria in your gut, leading to symptoms like bloating, diarrhea or nausea.
Many of these symptoms can be linked to other physical problems, and a simple blood, urine or saliva hormone test can help you and your healthcare professional determine if there are other underlying concerns.
The good news is that there are many ways to help support healthy, normal hormonal function!! The beauty of naturopathic medicine is to help bring balance to your hormones by working from the ground up supporting all facets of health!
