10 Common Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Women

10 Common Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Women

The human body produces, secretes, and uses at least 50 different hormones. These special molecules regulate a number of the body’s important processes, including blood pressure, heart rate, thirst, mood, weight, hunger, and sexual desire.

With so many chemicals surging through the blood, it isn’t surprising that an imbalance can occur. When this happens, it can wreak havoc on your life.

Do you suspect that you’re suffering from a hormonal imbalance?

A small imbalance can create a big impact when it comes to hormones. Early detection can send you on the right path to correct the imbalance with hormone therapy.

Read on to learn 10 signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalance in women.

1. Fatigue

Women tend to take on a lot these days from taking care of the home, to schooling children during a pandemic, and working a full-time job. Many women often feel exhausted.

Unwarranted fatigue or low energy levels may signal an abnormal shift in hormone levels. Take a break and if your fatigue persists without signs of illness, then ask your hormone specialist to check your blood.

2. Mood Swings

While mood moves fluidly, impacted by thoughts, feelings, and circumstances, it should not suddenly change. Many things can cause mood swings, including hormone levels.

Think about the fragility involved with the moods of pregnant women and teenagers. Hormones, normal to pregnancy and puberty, shift and surge, causing moodiness in both stages of life.

When you do not suspect puberty or pregnancy, this sudden shift in mentality can cause concern. Commonly, shifts in estrogen, testosterone, thyroid hormone, and insulin can lead to mood swings.

3. Changes in Weight

Since hormones control everything from how often you feel hungry to the way your body metabolizes fat and calories, an unexplained shift in weight could indicate a hormonal imbalance.

If you notice your clothing fits differently, assess the situation. Did you change your diet or exercise patterns? 

Try tracking your activity, food intake, and weight over a couple of weeks to see if it makes sense. If your weight changes without a difference in lifestyle, then hormones might be involved. 

4. Hair Loss

Hair loss can feel devastating, especially for a woman. You want to pay attention to this symptom for more than cosmetic reasons though.

Hormones such as thyroid hormone, reproductive hormones, and the stress hormone, cortisol, all play a roll in keeping a healthy head of hair. Though not a hormone, insufficient vitamin B-12 may also contribute to hair loss, as this vitamin facilitates healthy blood flow to the hair follicles.

5. Irregular Periods

With an average 28 day cycle, it can stretch anywhere between 21-40 days, with a 2-7 day flow. Though menstrual cycles vary in length and flow time, they should remain fairly consistent for each woman. 

An irregular period is one of the signs of hormonal imbalance. What should you consider abnormal?

• A cycle and/or flow that lasts longer or shorter than the normal range of days

• A cycle or flow that suddenly lasts longer or less time than your normal

• Extremely heavy bleeding that soaks more than one pad per hour

• The absence of a period

You may experience these changes with hormonal birth control. If you did not recently start birth control, then it may raise a red flag.

Periods that last long or cause heavy bleeding can lead to anemia and other health issues, so contact your doctor right away. Any change in the menstrual cycle due to your hormones going out of whack may affect your fertility.

6. Pelvic Pain

Periods can normally cause some cramping. But, you should not experience persistent pain.

If you begin to notice your period feels more painful than usual or you experience mid-cycle pain, you may suffer from endometriosis. This condition occurs when a hormonal imbalance causes uterine cells to grow in places like the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and pelvis.

This hormonal condition does not typically go away without intervention until menopause. It can cause infertility when let go but could be reversed with treatment.

7. Depression

Hormones affect your mood. In fact, they essentially drive it. When the way your body produces or processes hormones changes, you can fall into a depressive state.

Times, when depression may spike due to hormones, include puberty, pregnancy, post-partum, and menopause. Hormonal changes due to ailments like hypothyroidism and other conditions involving the endocrine system can also lead to depression.

8. Temperature Regulation Issues

One of the telltale signs of menopause soaks your bed with sweat at night. Hormonal imbalances can cause hot flashes and night sweats. Other hormonal problems may lead to ice-cold hands and feet, even in warmer temperatures.

9. Breast Discharge

During lactation, the hormone oxytocin allows your breasts to release milk. But, any other time, you should not experience discharge from your nipples. Overproduction of certain hormones can lead to a thick, milky discharge.

10. Fluid Retention

Hormones regulate fluid balance in your body. For instance, antidiuretic hormone and aldosterone, regulate urination to maintain a proper balance between salts and fluid.

When an imbalance occurs, your body may retain the fluid. This will cause your kidneys to send the fluid back into your bloodstream where it will settle in tissues. You may notice swelling in your face, feet, legs, and hands. 

What Can I do for a Hormonal Imbalance?

When hormone levels fluctuate, the symptoms can make life miserable. Fortunately, once the levels stabilize, your life will typically go back to normal.

If you suspect a problem, ask your doctor to run blood tests. Once you detect the hormone(s) causing the problem, seek hormonal therapy.

Hair loss, mental health issues, and many fertility issues might seem impossible to shake and completely devastate your life. But, replacing hormones to balance your body chemically can often reverse these issues.

Need Balance? We Can Help 

Do not let your hormonal imbalance go thinking you need to simply deal with it. Balance your body to get your life back.

We want to help you feel good again! Our cutting edge therapy can help you whether you suffer from physical or mental ailments due to unbalanced chemical messengers.

Contact us today to discuss how we can help you!