Although most people are aware of the presence of hormones in their bodies, not everyone understands the critical role they play. Hormones are signaling molecules produced by the endocrine system that help to regulate body processes. Without them, your body wouldn’t be able to function.
And when your hormones aren’t balanced, you might experience all kinds of subtle symptoms. It’s your body’s way of telling you that something isn’t right. But because some of the common symptoms of hormonal imbalances may also be symptoms of other conditions, most doctors neglect to check if hormones are to blame.
For women suffering from hormonal imbalances, this can lead to an endless cycle of problems that don’t seem to have solutions. But solutions do exist. It’s just that you must learn to identify hormonal imbalances so you can take the appropriate action to correct them. Here are six signs and symptoms that you may have a hormonal imbalance so you can get to the root of the problem and solve it for good.
1. Sudden Mood Swings or Depression
The hormone estrogen plays a key role in controlling your menstrual cycle and keeping the cholesterol in your body under control. But it also affects the neurotransmitters in your brain that regulate your mood. It can stimulate the production of serotonin and the growth of serotonin receptors, and increase or decrease the production of endorphins – the body’s feel-good chemicals.
That means even a small shift in your body’s estrogen levels can have a major impact on your mood. It can cause everything from minor irritability to bouts of depression. And the effects can be short-lived or turn into chronic conditions. The symptoms of estrogen imbalance are most common just before your menstrual cycle begins, as well as during perimenopause and menopause.
2. Sleep Disturbances
Having trouble falling asleep or failing to get restful sleep when you do is another common sign of hormonal imbalance. And when it happens it may be the result of low progesterone levels. That’s a hormone released by your ovaries that prepares your body for pregnancy after ovulation. But when your body fails to produce enough of it, you might struggle to fall asleep or feel fatigued even when you get a full night’s rest. And if you have low estrogen levels at the same time, you may experience hot flashes and night sweats that compound the problem even further.
3. Digestive Problems
If you’ve ever experienced sudden trouble with digestion, particularly as your period approaches, it may be due to a hormone imbalance. It’s caused by the same mechanism that creates the far more common symptoms of bloating and cramping that most women experience during menstruation. This is because your gut contains thousands of hormone receptors that react to changes in estrogen and progesterone levels in your body. And they may produce unpredictable effects that mimic countless other digestive issues, making a hormonal imbalance diagnosis difficult – unless your doctor orders the correct tests.
4. Sudden Weight Gain or Loss
Changes in the levels of several types of hormones in your body can trigger sudden weight gain or loss. For example, an underactive or overactive thyroid can alter the levels of three different hormones in your body (triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and calcitonin). And a thyroxine deficiency can cause you to gain weight suddenly, even if nothing about your diet or environment has changed. Conversely, too much thyroxine can cause you to shed weight.
But that’s not the only hormone that might cause sudden weight gain or loss. An estrogen imbalance from a condition like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can trigger unexplained weight gain. And so can an increase in the hormone cortisol, which is a common occurrence in perimenopause and menopause.
5. Attention and Memory Issues
If you’ve ever felt like you were struggling to focus on a task and had difficulty remembering things you knew only moments before, you might have a hormone imbalance. The levels of both estrogen and progesterone have an impact on your alertness and can alter your ability to recall things or create new memories. It’s another side effect of the way the hormones interact with the neurotransmitters in your brain.
Attention and memory issues can also stem from certain thyroid conditions, as well as from problems with your adrenal gland. But because symptoms related to attention and memory are hard to pin down and may be fleeting, it’s not always easy to ascribe them to hormonal imbalances. Still, if you’re having attention or memory issues, it’s worth asking your doctor to look into the possibility that it’s hormone-related.
6. Chronic Acne
Even though most people stop worrying about acne when they reach adulthood, your hormones may cause it to reoccur at any time. And hormonal acne affects more women than you might think, with 25% of women aged 40 to 49 reportedly suffering from it. The cause is typically tied to a decrease in estrogen levels or an increase of androgen hormones in your body. And it tends to show up on the lower part of your face, especially around your jawline or lower cheeks.
The good news is that hormonal acne is one of the most well-understood – and common – issues related to hormone imbalances. That means your doctor shouldn’t have much trouble diagnosing it and prescribing a treatment that will help. So, if you’re suffering from sudden breakouts and you’re no longer a teenager, there’s plenty of hope that you won’t have to suffer with it for long.
Back in Balance
Now that you know some of the most common signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalances, you can take control of your body and get the care you need. But don’t be surprised if you meet with some resistance when you tell your doctor you suspect that you’re suffering from a hormonal imbalance. Because hormone levels shift so often, many will be hesitant to put in the work necessary to isolate the specific hormonal cause of your symptoms. Consider looking into how to balance your hormones naturally if you have the desire. If you persist, you’ll be rewarded with a real cure for what ails you – and a body that behaves the way you want it to with no more mysterious and elusive symptoms to worry about.