It is common for both men and women to experience a shift in their hormone levels throughout their life. For women, things like menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause are big factors that influence their hormones. We would like to discuss some of the signs and symptoms of a hormone imbalance in women. This information is helpful when determining when to seek medical care or even hormone replacement therapy.
Learn More About Hormone Imbalances
The body produces chemicals in different glands and tissues that are part of the endocrine system. These chemicals help the body to carry out a variety of functions. They are delivered through the bloodstream and basically act as messengers. Some of the things that hormones regulate are the metabolism, heart rate, sleep cycle, appetite, stress levels, body temperature, and sexual function.
It is most common for women to experience imbalances with cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, insulin, thyroxine, and androgen. You may have too little or too much of one of these when you have an imbalance.
Symptoms and Signs of an Imbalance
An imbalance can cause a woman to experience excessive weight gain. A woman may not change her diet and may exercise the same amount but then start you notice extra belly fat. This is usually the result of having high levels of cortisol, insulin, and estrogen.
Some women experience a decreased sex drive because there is an imbalance in the chemicals that are produced by the ovaries. Variations in progesterone and estrogen levels can cause a woman to experience low libido.
Excessive hair loss is also a sign of a hormone imbalance. It is normal to lose hair each day. However, if you start to see that you are losing a lot of hair, this is something that you want to take seriously. Several hormone imbalances can cause hair loss. For example, if you have low thyroid function, you may be losing hair. Other symptoms that would go along with this would include dry skin and constipation.
Do you always have sweaty skin? If so, this could indicate that you have a hormone imbalance. Hormones control the temperature of your body. When they are off, you may feel hot and sweaty.
Other signs and symptoms of a hormone imbalance include extreme fatigue, loss of muscle mass, persistent acne, night sweats, and hot flashes.
Contact Us to Learn More
Are you concerned that you may have a hormone imbalance? If you are interested in wellness and vitality, don’t hesitate to register for one of Dr. Linell King’s seminars at Naples Vitality.