Everything You Need to Know About Hormone Imbalance
Hormones being the chemical messengers of the body, play a critical role in your survival and wellbeing. Ever since you were born, hormones travel through your body, telling every organ and cell what to do. They have been dictating your mood, appetite, sleep, how you respond to stress, and virtually everything else.
The endocrine system (composed of hormones and glands) and the nervous system are the two systems that coordinate all the bodily functions.
Now, you can imagine how the hormone imbalance effects can make you feel like a stranger in your own body. When your hormones are out of whack, you will also be out of sorts—hence the need to seek hormonal imbalance treatment in Beverly Hills.
What Is Hormonal Imbalance?
In a nutshell, when your hormones are not produced at the correct levels, you will experience hormonal imbalance. You can experience different types of hormonal imbalances. There are instances where imbalance would mean a deficiency in a particular hormone, and other times there would be an excess of the hormone.
The signs and symptoms that you will experience will be determined by the type of hormone which is imbalanced.
You can experience hormonal imbalance at any stage of your life, but there are life transitions like pregnancy or menopause, which can cause the imbalance.
It is not only women who struggle with hormonal imbalance, but also men can have their fair share of struggles. Even children, teenagers, and the elderly can find themselves fighting with their hormones being out of balance.
The reason as to why you might need to get a hormonal imbalance test is that there isn’t a single way to spot hormonal imbalance.
Causes of Hormonal Imbalance
Generally, there are different causes of hormonal imbalance, depending on the type of hormone involved. But, in a general sense, there is a dysfunction or a change that has occurred to a hormone-producing gland.
With each underlying cause, there is a corresponding gland and hormone which is affected. Some of the reasons are:
- Diabetes
- Cushing Syndrome
- Hyperthyroidism or Hypothyroidism
- Addison’s disease
- Tumors (benign and cancerous)
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Injury or trauma
- Stress
- Cancer treatment
- Pancreatitis
- Eating disorders
- Thyroiditis
- Premature menopause
- Primary ovarian insufficiency
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
- Hormone drugs such as birth control pills
Some of the causes only experienced by women are:
Signs and Symptoms
Men and women experience different hormonal imbalance symptoms, but there are general symptoms that are seen in both sexes. Here are some of them:
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Weight changes
- Muscle loss
- Reduced bone density
- Sexual disinterest
- Infertility
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Anxiety and depression
- Memory Problems
- Palpitations
- Brain fog
Tests and Diagnosis
Currently, there isn’t a single test that doctors can use to diagnose hormonal imbalance. When you make an appointment at Youplushealth, the first thing will be to take a physical exam. You will have to describe your symptoms in detail, which includes timelines. You will have to come with a list of all the medications, supplements, and vitamins that you are taking.
Depending on the hormonal imbalance symptoms you have, our doctor may suggest that you take some diagnostic tests. Here are some of the tests available:
- Blood test
- Ultrasound
- Pelvic exam
- Thyroid scan
- X-Ray
- MRI
- Sperm count
- Biopsy
Though there are home testing kits, it advisable that you get a hormonal imbalance test done by professionals at Youplushealth to get to the underlying cause.
Treatment
The different hormonal imbalance treatments in Beverly Hills are prescribed according to the underlying cause, sex, and age. Here are some of the available treatments:
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
- Testosterone Boosters
- Thyroid Hormone Therapy
This is used to replace female hormones after menopause. There are administered in two ways. Either through the systemic hormone therapy or low-dose vaginal products.
These are hormone balancing supplements that can be used to treat the symptoms of low testosterone. It is administered as a patch, gel, or injection.
This treatment is used to treat people who have hypothyroidism. It employs the use of the synthetic thyroid hormone that counters the hormone imbalance effects.
Other Remedies
You can also help bring about balance when you make some changes. At times, hormonal imbalance is brought about by poor lifestyle habits. Here are some things you can do:
- You can cultivate healthy eating foods, which can include hormone balancing supplements like B vitamins, probiotics, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise
- Have enough sleep
- Reduce stress
Hormones are vital in almost every major bodily functions. If you think you have any of the symptoms, seek hormonal imbalance treatment in Beverly Hills as soon as possible.