What are the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance?

And What Can I Do if I Suspect It?

Since this is such a broad subject, we will discuss a rather overview of it in this blog. But in the future blog, I will discuss more specific symptoms, related conditions, and the therapies/treatments for them.

What Is Hormone?

Hormones are regulatory substances made out of lipids, protein, or cholesterol-based molecules that function as chemical messengers. Hormones are produced in glands such as the adrenal, thyroid, ovaries, testicles, pancreas, and pituitary.

Causes of Hormonal Imbalance

The human body has very delicate chemical balances. The disruption of hormonal balance can be caused by certain health conditions such as autoimmune diseases, cancers, high physical, mental, psychological stresses, insufficient sleep, unhealthy diet, menopause, pregnancy, medications, phytoestrogens, xenobiotics (toxins, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, microplastics), and so on.

Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance

As hormones are constantly regulating our body and maintaining the “homeostasis”, the physiological balance” in our body, the following symptoms can occur if the hormonal imbalances exist in the body.

• weight gain
• a hump of fat between the shoulders
• unexplained, and sometimes sudden, weight loss
• fatigue
• muscle aches, tenderness, weakness, and stiffness
• pain, stiffness, or swelling in your joints
• increased or decreased heart rate
• increased sensitivity to cold or heat
• constipation or more frequent bowel movements
• frequent urination
• increased thirst
• increased hunger
• decreased sex drive
• depression, nervousness, anxiety, or irritability
• blurred vision
• infertility
• thinning hair or fine, brittle hair
• dry skin
• puffy face, rounded face
• purple or pink stretch marks

Tests

The symptoms above can be quite confusing and baffling sometimes because they present with mixed frequencies and durations. If one suspects a hormonal imbalance, there are options tests to find out which hormones are involved. The common tests that are offered to diagnose are blood tests, saliva tests, and urine tests. I prefer using “DUTCH“, which is short for “Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones”. The urine tests provide a more comprehensive map of hormonal activities by revealing the downstream metabolites of adrenal and sex hormones such as cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and melatonin. Click the link below if you’d like to check out the sample report.

DUTCH Test Link

Treatments

There are various options of hormonal therapies based on the findings of the test mentioned above. The following are a few options;

• Conventional therapy: This is done by synthetic hormones or hormones produced by the urines of certain pregnant animals.
• Bioidentical hormones: These are the ones that are chemically identical to what the body produces, largely from plant sources.
• Natural/herbal therapy: The selected herbs and natural remedies can be recommended.

It appears that there are more risks and side effects from conventional therapy compared to bioidentical and natural therapy. The side effects of conventional Hormone Replacement Therapy include mild to moderate symptoms such as bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, mood swings, nausea, vaginal bleeding, to serious conditions such as dementia (in women over 65 years of age), breast cancer, cardiovascular incidents (heart attacks, stroke), blood clots, gallbladder disease. The herbs that are used in natural therapies include maca, chaste tree extracts, black cohosh, ashwagandha, Dong Quai, Dandelion, Valerian roots, Wild yam, and essential nutrients such as EPA-DHA (omega-3), Evening Primrose Oil, DIM (Diindolylmethane), vitamin B, C, and D, and more.

Here is a link for a study on bioidentical vs conventional replacement therapy.

Bioidentical Hormone Debate

Your caregiver also should look into balancing out other aspects of your lifestyle such as your diet, exercises, managing stress, and other existing health conditions to optimize the balance between all the systems in the body.

Today’s discussion was an overview of hormonal imbalance. Hope this helped you understand what can be done. In the next round of “Hormonal health” discussion, I will specifically talk more about “PMS” symptoms and solutions!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

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Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products mentioned on this page are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The content in this blog should not be used as a substitute for the professional advice and/or recommendation of qualified healthcare practitioners or licensed physicians. The content presented in this blog is intended for information purposes only. Consult your doctor or healthcare practitioners for your current conditions.