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Recognize and restore a hormonal imbalance
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Your metabolism, fertility and mood are just a few things that are determined by your hormones. These substances determine the functioning of many different organs and tissues. Too little or too much of a certain hormone can have a major impact on your entire body.
Also read: What are hormones and what do they do?
Hormones: balance vs imbalance
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Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. These powerful chemicals are produced in the endocrine glands and travel through your bloodstream to tell tissues and organs what to do. They help regulate many of the most important processes in your body, such as metabolism and reproduction.
Some hormone levels fluctuate throughout your life and may simply be the result of natural aging. But other changes occur when your endocrine glands don’t function properly.
Also read: What are hormone disruptors and how dangerous are they for our health?
Symptoms of hormonal imbalance
There is a wide range of complaints that can indicate a hormonal imbalance. They depend on which hormones or glands are not working properly. Common symptoms of hormonal dysfunction include:
- Weight gain, unexplained and sometimes sudden weight loss
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness, muscle pain
- Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
- Increased or decreased heart rate
- Sweating, hot flashes
- Constipation or having to go to the toilet often
- Increased thirst or hunger
- Decreased sex drive
- Depression
- Nervousness, anxiety or irritability
- Blurry sight
- Infertility
- Thinning hair or fine, brittle hair
- Dry skin
- Swollen face
Also read: Do hormonal mood swings also occur in men?
Cause: hormonal imbalance
Symptoms such as mood swings, weight fluctuations, changes in libido and hot flashes are often due to altered hormone concentrations of the sex hormones. These fluctuate as a woman goes through different phases of her life cycle – from puberty to menopause.
Also read: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS): symptoms and treatment
Diagnosis of hormonal imbalance
There is no one specific test to detect hormonal problems. If you suspect something is wrong, you may want to make a list of the symptoms. You can take that list to the doctor. He will ask you additional questions. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may perform one or more diagnostic tests, such as a blood test. This way he can control the level of certain hormones. He can also suggest, for example, an MRI or a scan of the thyroid gland.
Also read: Symptoms of increased cortisol in chronic stress
Restore hormone balance
If an endocrine disorder is diagnosed, the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment. For example, thyroid hormone is given for hypothyroidism. For Addison’s disease, the doctor prescribes hydrocortisol. Women with severe menopausal symptoms may opt for hormone replacement therapy.
Sometimes a doctor also recommends lifestyle changes. For example, a lower body weight can help regulate the menstrual cycle and increase the chance of pregnancy. Weight loss can also help improve erectile function.
Also read: Menopause: the different types
Sources:
Last updated: April 2024
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2024-04-03 22:03:24
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