Common Signs And Symptoms Of Hormonal Imbalances In Women
There are many signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalances in women. They depend on which glands in your body are affected and which hormones are imbalanced. Symptoms include:
Irregular periods
A hormone imbalance can lead to polycystic ovary syndrome , a condition in which the body makes higher levels of male hormones. The imbalance leads to skipped periods and can contribute to health issues such as heart disease and diabetes. Imbalances may also cause heavier than normal periods.
Low sex drive
A drop in your estrogen levels can cause a loss of desire for sexual intercourse. The imbalance can also cause vaginal dryness, which may make sex painful or uncomfortable.
Unexplained weight gain
Low levels of thyroid hormones, high levels of cortisol, PCOS, and other hormonal imbalances can cause unexplained weight gain.
Infertility
Hormone imbalances can affect your menstrual cycle, which can make it harder to get pregnant.
Insomnia
Progesterone is known as the relaxing hormone. An imbalance of this hormone can lead to insomnia, making it more difficult for you to sleep. Too much progesterone may also lead to chronic fatigue.
Bloating
Cells in the lining of your digestive tract have receptors for estrogen and progesterone. Changes in the levels of these hormones may affect your digestion, leading to bloating and other stomach issues.
Mood swings
Top Five Tips For Rebalancing Hormones
Maintain a healthy diet. Incorporate fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, plus raw nuts and seeds into your diet. Avoid high fatty foods, processed carbohydrates, fried foods, soft drinks, enriched flour, and processed vegetable oil. Avoid non-organic dairy products, which may contain harmful bovine growth hormones, steroids and antibiotics.
Add more Omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. These fats create healthy cell membranes, allowing hormones to bind to the cell more easily. Omega-3 fatty acids also repair receptor sites and keep it in optimal condition. Consider eating more foods with omega-3s or taking a high quality organic oil, such as hempseed or flaxseed.
Keep stress levels down. Studies show that women who mediate daily or practice yoga experience less hormonal swings than those who dont. Rest is important. Many women lead such hectic lives with many demands placed on them that they have little time to let their bodies re-adjust. Find small ways and time to relax. A massage can be a wonderful way to relax and remove the aches and pains caused by a busy lifestyle.
Get enough good quality sleep. Try to get at least 8 hours every night. During sleep the body recuperates and restores. Insufficient sleep is now recognised as a major cause heart disease, stroke, metabolic dysfunction and impaired mental health.
Your Circadian Rhythm Is Off
The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland that is located in the brain. It produces melatonin, which affects circadian rhythm and the levels of other hormones in the body. A pineal cyst is a disorder of the pineal gland that may not produce any symptoms. If the cyst is large, it may produce symptoms including water on the brain , headache, eye problems, and vision problems. Large pineal cysts that cause problems usually affect women who are in their second decade of life.
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Final Thoughts On Hormonal Imbalances
- Some of the most common symptoms of hormone imbalances include unexplained weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, and changes in hair, skin, and nails.
- Root causes of hormonal imbalances include compromised gut health, elevated inflammation, and high stress levels.
- Natural ways to balance your hormones include eating anti-inflammatory polyunsaturated fats, reducing your exposure to endocrine disruptors, getting adequate sleep, and using to fill in any nutritional gaps related to gut health and vitamin D levels.
Appetite And Weight Gain
You may gain weight during hormonal shifts, such as menopause. But hormone changes donât directly affect your weight. Instead, it likely happens because of other factors, like aging or lifestyle. For example, when youâre feeling blue or irritated, as you can be when your estrogen levels drop, you may want to eat more. It can also impact your bodyâs levels of leptin, a hunger-revving hormone.
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Make Eating Into A Mindful Practice
What you eat is just as important as when and how you eat.
In order to maintain whats known as balanced blood sugar which means youre keeping your blood sugar in a rather straight line versus having big spikes and dips throughout the day you should be eating every three to four hours.
Please dont wait until youre starving, have the shakes, feel like youll throw up, or faint. In addition, follow these rules at mealtime. Slooowww it down, girlfriend.
Sit down while eating , chew your food 20 to 30 times , and focus on something positive while eating. When youre stressed out, your gut cant easily absorb the nutrients youre consuming, so it doesnt matter how much broccoli you eat!
Some Of The Natural Ways To Fix Hormonal Imbalance
Getting enough sleep: getting adequate amounts of rest is necessary for your body to function properly. It reduces stress levels and increases serotonin production, which can also help balance hormones.
If you are experiencing hormonal imbalance, start doing these things as soon as possible because it will improve your health.
Controlling stress levels: stress can be one of the main reasons why you experience hormonal imbalance.
When stress levels rise, cortisol hormone production goes up, and that takes your other hormones down with it.
Reducing cortisol levels through meditation or yoga can help you get rid of the side effects of this hormone. It will also reduce your stress levels and make it easier for your body to function properly.
Many people want quick fixes, but hormonal imbalance isnt one of them. If you are serious about fixing this problem, then it is important to take your time and fix it right.
Reducing your caffeine intake: caffeine is a stimulant that increases cortisol levels and lowers your ability to fight stress. Caffeine can also have other negative effects, so its best to cut down on this energy booster if it has been causing you problems.
Avoiding alcohol: too much alcohol can cause serious damage to your hormonal balance.
When you stop drinking then your body will start to produce more estrogen, but when you are constantly drinking then this process is interrupted.
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What Are Irregular Periods
Most women have menstrual cycles that last between 21 and 35 days. Up to one quarter of women experience irregular periods. This includes having periods that are shorter or longer than usual or periods that are lighter or heavier than usual. Some women who have irregular periods may experience abdominal cramping or a lack of ovulation. Amenorrhea is a medical term that refers to an absence of periods for at least 3 months even though a woman is not pregnant. Menorrhagia is the term that means excessive menstrual bleeding. Dysmenorrhea refers to pain and cramping during periods. Prolonged menstrual bleeding involves periods in which bleeding routinely lasts for 8 days or longer. Oligomenorrhea is a condition in which periods occur infrequently or more than every 35 days. See your doctor if you believe hormonal imbalance is affecting your menstrual cycle.
What Is Hormonal Balance
Hormonal balance is having the appropriate amount of hormones at a specific time. Women have to keep their estrogen and progesterone levels in balance. Men have to keep their testosterone in balance.
If there is too much or too little hormone, overall health can be in danger of illnesses and diseases.
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The Zrt Laboratory Blog
I watch a bit of television now and again, and repeatedly see a commercial for a birth control pill. It looks quite glamorous to be taking it. Granted, at the tail end of the commercial it states many of the bad things contraceptive pills are widely recognized to cause. But the real impact of what birth control pills do to female bodies is never discussed and what is discussed is completely glossed over.
The true nature and impact of birth control pills is very concerning and prevents me from prescribing them in good conscience. All women should come to grips with the sad reality that this rampantly prescribed group of drugs can be harmful, and therefore unacceptable.
Hormone Replacement Therapies And Breast Cancer Risk Research
Although a number of studies over the years have pointed to elevated breast cancer risks among users of synthetic hormone replacement, the Womens Health Initiative was the first major clinical trial of its kind to study their impact on bodily health. Results revealed greater risk than benefit among HRT users in terms of heart disease, stroke, and blood clots and a 26% increase in breast cancer risk the trial was abruptly halted. Naysayers were quick to point out that since only one type of hormone replacement was used in the studyPremPro, a synthetic estrogen and progestin combination that was the number one prescribed HRT for womenthe results could not be applied to all forms of HRT use. And that further, the average age of women subjects in the WHI was over 60 so the results could not be representative of most women on HRT. These conclusions were swiftly challenged by the Million Women Study published in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, which found that, use of HRT, by women in the UK over the past decade has resulted in an estimated 20,000 extra breast cancers. Note to WHI naysayers: The women in this study were between 50 and 64 years of age and a full 15,000 of these cancers were associated with any combination of estrogen-progestin.
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What Does It Mean For Women
Its painful to have to reject what has come to be seen as the ticket to female freedom and independence from unwanted pregnancies. Birth control pills were a hard-fought female victory at the time, needed to achieve parity with males.
But the truth must be told, no matter how painful it is at first to hear. To be vibrant, healthy women we can no longer be chained to the technology and drugs designed decades ago at a time when the hormonal functions of women were not understood. Women are amazing rhythmic creatures and require the beautiful dance of their hormones to be healthy. No woman should have a baby she doesnt want. But knowingly putting synthetic hormones that disrupt the endocrine system into her body, destroying that rhythm and destroying fertility by removing hormones and replacing them with toxins, is simply not a reasonable option. Sadly, fertility and the health of females are one and the same thing. We must accept reality and then work to design effective contraceptives, or more natural ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies, which do not slowly destroy the female body by replacing vital hormones and rhythms with chemical endocrine disruptors. Effective contraceptives are surely needed, but sacrificing female health is not an option not now AND not ever!
When To See Your Gp
Some hormone imbalances need medical intervention. Always tell your GP if you experience any symptom thats not normal for you.
If you suspect an imbalance and your symptoms dont respond to diet and lifestyle changes, see your GP to rule out other causes.
5 October 2021
The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
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Your Body Has Over 50 Hormones And They Are Constantly Fluctuating Here How To Keep Them From Getting Too Out Of Whack
With Barry Sears MD
Our hormones are responsible for essentially every function in our bodies. Hormones are chemicals secreted by our glands in order to send messages through the bloodstream. Those messages then tell our organs what to do to keep us alive and healthy.
When we think hormone, we usually think about the sex hormones testosterone or estrogen, but there are actually more than 50 different hormones circulating inside your body right now.
For example, your thyroid hormones oversee your metabolism, energy levels, and temperature, while cortisol, the stress hormone, plays a role in fetal development and your response to physical and psychological stress. From heart rate to appetite to sexual function, each and every hormone plays an important role.
When your hormones are balanced and working in sync, you wont notice them, of course, and thats a good thing. Its when theyre imbalanced that you could start seeing cascading health issues take over.
Hormonal imbalance stems from your body making too little or too much of a hormone or a series of hormones. There are many hormones, such as insulin or adrenaline, that everyone shares, but specific hormones can affect men and women in different ways. For example, women may see an imbalance in estrogen and progesterone levels, while men may experience an imbalance in testosterone.
Whats The Outlook For A Hormonal Imbalance
If you have a hormone imbalance, there are various treatments to help bring your hormones back to appropriate levels and restore balance.
Depending on the underlying cause of the imbalance, as well as the specific hormones in question, treatments can vary, but there are ways to manage symptoms and bring hormone levels back to normal.
If theres an underlying condition causing the hormone imbalance, long-term management of the condition will help ensure hormonal balance.
Hormone levels change and fluctuate over time they dont remain static. Its important to be aware of your bodys symptoms.
Talk with your health care provider about any changes you might notice, especially after giving birth or while going through perimenopause.
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Balancing Hormones With Herbs
Often, all thats needed to rebalance your hormones are some herbs that have good evidence behind them to gently nudge your endocrine system into balance, along with attention to your diet and your stress.
For example, a combination of gamma oryzanol, black cohosh, dong quai, licorice root, and trans-resveratrol can balance estrogen levels and has been shown to:
- Improve hot flashes, night sweats, and quality of sleep [44
Very often, gently encouraging the hormonal system to rebalance with health-affirming action is all thats needed to improve hormonal imbalance.
Get Enough Sleep Every Night
Increasing the amount of sleep you get every night might be the most exciting thing about balancing hormones. Sleep allows your body to relax and recharge. And it gives your hormones time to balance themselves.
We all know what its like to not get enough sleep. Poor sleep is related to many symptoms including:
- 1. Increased irritability
- 3. Decreased exercise
- 4. Poor diet
All of these symptoms are attributed to hormone imbalance caused by poor sleep. So, if youre not getting enough sleep, then your hormones suffer.
In order to get better sleep, you should:
- 1. Try to sleep for longer
- 2. Improve the quality of your sleep
Set aside more time every day to get enough sleep. Also, improve the quality of your sleep by putting your phone away at night or turning on essential oils before bed. More high quality sleep will help balance your hormones.
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Estrogen Dominance Progesterone Deficiency And Breast Cancer
One of the first steps in protecting the health of our breasts and preventing breast cancer, is to recognize its hormonal risk factors and begin to reduce them. According to the experts, almost all risk factors associated with breast cancer are directly or indirectly linked to an excess of estrogen, or estrogen that is not sufficiently balanced with progesterone, as is the bodys accustomed way. Also known as estrogen dominance, the condition was defined by John R. Lee, M.D., as an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone in which estrogen levels can become too high relative to inadequate progesterone levels. Dr. Lee also emphasized that estrogen can become dominant whether levels are within normal range, high, or even low, if progesterone levels are even lower, relatively speaking. This is a common condition during perimenopause when hormone levels are fluctuating, and at menopause when ovarian hormone production ceases altogether. A growing number of experts believe that correcting this fundamental imbalance is at the heart of preventing and treating breast cancer.
Scary Side Effects Of Hormonal Birth Control
- Pin177
Did you know one of the side effects of hormonal birth control actually is hormone imbalance?
There are a lot of women all over the world who use hormonal birth control, and a lot of women also have a hormone imbalance and have no idea.
Today, I want to go over a few things you might not know about birth control, and hormone balance.
First off, I want to clarify that this is not a post bashing birth control or anyone who uses it.
This is not a medical opinion.
This is information from a woman who is passionate about womens health and an advocate for women being informed about what they are putting in their bodies.
This information is for your benefit, and to make you more aware of what birth control is and what it does.
Using contraceptives to prevent pregnancy when you are not ready for kids yet is not wrong in my opinion.
But you may want to consider the side effects of hormonal birth control before you start using it.
I am against uninformed women taking something that could harm them.
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Thyroid Problems Here Are The Missing Nutrients You Need
Another one of the signs of hormonal imbalance is hair loss. A few years ago, my hair was coming out by the fistful. I honestly worried Id be bald before my 40th birthday.
Turns out, my hair loss was being caused by my dysfunctional thyroid. Once I fixed my thyroid, my hair became thick and healthy again.
And if youre experiencing hair loss, weight gain, fatigue and other symptoms of poor thyroid health, my advice is to eat foods high in iodine, selenium, zinc, and iron.
Think 3 to 5 Brazil nuts or a cup of seaweed daily.