Causes Of Hormone Imbalance
Most cases of hormone imbalance occur in women older than 35, although an imbalance may develop at other ages. Hormone imbalance may be caused by a number of contributing factors, which include the following:
Women suffering from hormonal imbalances may experience headaches, depression, mood swings, irritability and memory lapses.
What Diseases Are Associated With Hormonal Imbalance
Eight major glands, including the thyroid, pituitary, adrenal, and pancreatic glands, are part of your endocrine system. Growth and development, metabolism, sexual function, and mood are all impacted by this system. You may have an endocrine disorder or disease if your hormone levels are out of balance. If your body does not react to hormones as it should, you may develop endocrine diseases and disorders.
What Are Symptoms Of A Hormone Imbalance
There are many symptoms that are related to hormone imbalances, including:
- Anxiety, irritability, and depression – Anxiety and depression are clues that you have an imbalance, toxicity, are overworked, stressed out, and most likely aren’t nourishing your body the way it needs.
- Belly fat and loss of muscle mass – An underproduction of certain hormones and an overproduction of others that makes your body store fat for future use, making an increase in belly fat a clue to adrenal fatigue.
- Fatigue – Feeling sluggish, scattered, or mentally foggy.
- Insomnia and poor sleep patterns
- Low libido – One of the most noticeable symptoms of hormonal imbalance is low libido, which starts with disturbed sleep. Without quality sleep, sex hormone production can diminish.
- Persistent weight gain Many people have underlying hormonal imbalances that make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
Many of these symptoms are easy to ignore or dismiss. If you feel that your life is negatively affected or if you or a loved one have noticed a change in your body, demeanor, or health, it is a good idea to see a medical professional for a checkup.
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Are Video Visits With A Hormonal Imbalance Doctor Online Covered By My Insurance
Most insurers provide coverage for video visits at the same cost as in-person visits. You can search on Zocdoc specifically for Hormonal Imbalance doctors who accept your insurance for video visits by selecting your carrier and plan from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. We recommend you check with your insurance carrier directly to confirm your coverage and out of pocket costs for video visits.
What Doctor Should I See For Hormonal Imbalance
The human body produces over 50 hormones that are highly specific and effective in small quantities, enough to circulate in the bloodstream and target only the tissues they are intended for. If your endocrine system is in order, you must have a regular sleeping pattern, uniform growth, healthy bowel movements, etc. However, if something goes awry, your body will usually present with some signs indicating that you should see a doctor for hormonal imbalance as soon as possible.
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Hormone Replacement Therapy To Treat Hormone Imbalance
The key to treating any kind of hormone imbalance is to return the hormone or hormones in question to their more normal levels. While a hormone imbalance can mean too much or too little of a given hormone, the most common type of hormone imbalance is caused by the level of a critical hormone such as testosterone or HGH being below normal.
The most common cause of lower-than-normal HGH and/or testosterone in otherwise healthy adults is age-related hormone loss. As important as HGH and testosterone are to your overall health, the levels of both critical hormones drop as you age. This age-related hormone decline can lead to low testosterone, adult-onset growth hormone deficiency, or both.
The good news is both of these conditions can be treated, and your hormones can be brought back into proper balance with hormone replacement therapy. Testosterone therapy and/or growth hormone replacement therapy in patients suffering from age-related hormone in balance has been shown to:
Can Hormone Imbalance Cause Anxiety
Yes, certain hormonal imbalances can cause anxiety, including:
- Hyperthyroidism: If you have hyperthyroidism, it means your body has too much thyroid hormone. Excess thyroid hormone speeds up your metabolism. This can cause anxiety, in addition to unusual nervousness, restlessness and irritability.
- Cushings syndrome: While its not as common of a symptom, Cushings syndrome can cause anxiety, as well as depression and irritability.
- Adult-onset growth hormone deficiency: Adults with growth hormone deficiency often report having anxiety and/or depression.
Several other conditions and factors can cause anxiety. Its important to talk to your healthcare provider if youre experiencing anxiety.
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Why Are There So Many Hormonal Imbalances In The Body
Hormonal imbalances occur when there is too much or too little of a hormone in the bloodstream. Because of their essential role in the body, even small hormonal imbalances can cause side effects
Many OB/GYNs know the latest evidence for the benefits and risks of hormone therapy, but others do not. Bedside manner also matters. If your medical professional is not helping you, find another one! says Ellen Dolgen, a speaker, author, and health and wellness advocate who blogs about menopause. The first doctor I went to didnt help me.
Hormonal Imbalance And Men
You may think that women are the ones facing hormonal imbalances. But this is not the case. Men, as well as womens bodies, produce several hormones that are essential for wellbeing. One very well-known male hormone is testosterone. But, did you know that men, also, produce estrogen? Testosterone is mainly produced in the testicles and, a small amount is produced in the adrenal glands. It is responsible for ones manly characteristics, such as:
- Facial and Body Hair
- Muscle and Bone Density
It also stimulates the production of sperm and affects your desire for sex. It also plays a major role in the way one gains weight and, how and where the body will end up accumulating these fat cells. Finally, red blood cells production is linked to testosterone levels.
Estrogen is made from testosterone with the help of an enzyme known as aromatase. As you age, not only do your testosterone levels naturally drop, but your estrogen levels go up simultaneously. The loss of testosterone with age is referred to by some professionals as andropause male menopause.
However, testosterone levels can drop, even in young men, from several causes, such as:
- Injuries to Scrotum or Testicles
- Testicular Cancer
In fact, one study has shown that 30 percent of men who were overweight had low testosterone, as opposed to only 6.4 percent of men of normal weight. Another study found 24.5 percent of diabetic men having low testosterone as opposed to 12.6 percent of non-diabetic men.
Cortisol Imbalance
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Hormone Replacement Therapy What Men Should Know
Many think of menopause and hormone replacement, as the period when women suffer of hot flashes. But it turns out that men, too, experience effects of fluctuating hormones. Some even reported symptoms that are very similar to those of women who are in the stages of pre and full-blown menopause.
It has long been debated whether such a condition actually exist and how it could be affecting men. All this debate led to labeling the whole hormonal changes in men period as low testosterone. Sometimes it is called male menopause. Most experts agree that it is the result of a gradual decline in hormones, including testosterone and DHEA, due primarily to aging. Typically, testosterone levels in men begin to decline between the ages of 25 and 50, with up to a 50 percent reduction by the time a male reaches his 60s. However, some men can witness a simultaneous spike in their estrogen hormone levels.
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How Can Hormone Replacement Therapy Balance My Hormones
Medications often correct a hormone imbalance, as can hormone replacement therapy . HRT is designed to ease menopause symptoms by replacing the hormones your body no longer produces. Dunwoody OB/GYN, LLC, offers regular and bioidentical HRT.
Bioidentical HRT closely mimics the hormones naturally produced by the human body. They can provide relief from uncomfortable menopause symptoms, like hot flashes or low libido. But HRT may not be safe for all women. Your provider can help you determine if HRT is right for you.
What Is The Hormonal Imbalance
The chemical messengers in our body are hormones. Hormones are produced in the endocrine glands and travel into the bloodstream conveying the tissues and organs to function. Hormones control the bodys major processes that include metabolism and reproduction. Too much or too little of a certain hormone causes hormonal imbalance in the body. Even the smallest change can have a serious effect on the body.
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What Are The Most Common Hormone Imbalances
Because your hormones are so interconnected and control nearly every system and process in the body, the symptoms can be wide-ranging, and a lot of this depends on the exact type of hormonal imbalance you may have. While there are many different types of hormonal imbalances, modern life puts us all most at risk for developing a few specific ones. Here, Dr. Krieg explains the most common hormone imbalances she sees in her office and some of the top causes of those hormonal imbalances.
How To Talk To Your Doctor About Hormonal Imbalance
Youve decided that something is going on with your hormones. Whether its a daily afternoon slump, debilitating cramps, weeks of PMS or any plethora of symptoms youve done enough research to suspect your hormones are to blame. But what next?
How do you go about diagnosing and then treating your problems? This can be a complicated and confusing subject, but it doesnt have to be! With a little guidance and direction, you will be on your way to happy hormones and better health.
The first stop for most of us is our primary doctor or OB/GYN. And my first recommendation is to make sure that this is someone you have seen before, that you feel you can talk to and trust. If you dont have any primary care, try to get a recommendation from a friend.
Unfortunately, hormone health is not something that most doctors receive extensive training in. Womens diseases and vague symptoms are also much more likely to be ignored. The implicit bias of the entire healthcare system against women is starting to be a big conversation.
Traditionally, medical research has focused on men, and female-specific conditions have been ignored and underfunded. Conditions such as multiple sclerosis and endometriosis were attributed to womens hysteria for decades until scientific, diagnostic proof was found. So keep this in mind and make sure the doctor you see is someone who will listen to you. It is your body after all!
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Common Symptoms Of A Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal imbalances can cause many different symptoms. Some common issues to look out for include:
- A bulge in the neck
Many symptoms of a hormonal imbalance can be misleading. For example, both weight gain and weight loss can be symptomatic of a hormonal imbalance. So, its really difficult to just rely on symptoms to understand which specific hormone is the root of the problem. This is when getting tested becomes handy.
If youre having trouble falling asleep, you may have low progesterone levels that are usually in charge of helping you fall asleep. On the other hand, high progesterone levels could be problematic as well, as these will make you feel sleepy even if youre getting enough rest.
Low melatonin gives your body a signal that its time to rest. Low estrogen can give you night sweats that can be unbearable for many.
If youre struggling with any symptom of a possible hormone imbalance, you need to get tested. Your hormone levels will depict the root cause of the symptoms you are experiencing and, you will be able to target them properly.
Should I See A Gynecologist Or Endocrinologist For Menopause
Alice Chang, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, said that women whose quality of life is compromised by menopausal symptoms should start by talking to their gynecologists. For someone who has been debilitated by symptoms, you need to find a doctor who will really talk to you and listen to your concerns.
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What If Hormone Imbalance Goes Untreated
If a hormone imbalance goes untreated, the symptoms being caused by that particular hormone imbalance will only get worse, leading to some very severe health consequences. For example, diabetes, a condition caused by a failure of your body to make insulin the hormone responsible for removing sugar from your blood could lead to blindness, limb loss and even death.
While leaving other hormone imbalances untreated may not be fatal, they can still seriously impact your health and your quality of life.
Furthermore, the most harmful thing about ignoring a hormone imbalance may not even be the worsening of symptoms but failing to find out what could be causing it. Since the cause of a hormone imbalance can sometimes be a very serious genetic condition or disease such as cancer, a hormone imbalance could be a sign of a deeper underlying medical issue, which could be quite dangerous if left untreated.
Therefore, it is critically important for you to speak to your doctor if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of hormone imbalance mentioned above or if anything seems to be off or out of the ordinary for you physically or emotionally. This is particularly true if you notice sudden changes in sleep, appetite, weight, or sex drive.
Ask For A Referral Or Find Another Md
If youre not confident in your physicians ability to help you address your concerns, its always OK to ask for a referral to an endocrinologist or someone who has more experience treating hormonal imbalance. You may also need to simply shop around for a doctor with whom you feel comfortable and supported.
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Do: Prepare For Your First Visit
Its helpful to be ready for your first visit with your new hormone doctor, as it can ensure your visit runs smoothly and lessen any anxiety you may have. You can expect your provider to do a comprehensive medical intake, and having the right information with you can make this process easier. Below are some tips to help you better prepare for your first visit.
How Can I Book An Appointment Online With A Doctor For Hormonal Imbalance
Zocdoc is a free online service that helps patients find doctors for Hormonal Imbalance and book appointments instantly. You can search for doctors for Hormonal Imbalance or any other visit reason. Then, enter your desired appointment location and choose your insurance plan. Based on that information, youll see a list of providers who meet your search criteria, along with their available appointment slots.
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How To Test Cortisol Levels
Cortisol levels are measured with lab tests. These may be blood tests, which measure levels of the hormone in the bloodstream, or saliva tests, which measure cortisol levels in a saliva sample. Cortisol testing is typically done early in the morning, when levels are normally highest. Often, to produce the most accurate results, testing is repeated in the afternoon of the same day. Cortisol testing is often done in conjunction with ACTH level tests, since this pituitary gland hormone works to regulate cortisone levels. ACTH tests measure levels of the hormone in the bloodstream.
Getting tested can be done through your health care provider, who can order your tests for you, take your blood or saliva samples or send you to a lab to have them done. Then, your provider will let you know your results once they are delivered to his or her office.
You can also order these lab tests yourself online or over the phone from independent testing services, like Health Testing Centers. Ordering your own tests is generally less expensive, since you skip the cost of an office visit, and more efficient, since the results are delivered directly to you.
However, it is important to note that if your tests show that your cortisol and/or ACTH levels are abnormal too high or too low following up on those results with a visit to your healthcare provider is essential. Abnormal levels of these important hormones require further examination and testing.