What Causes Hormonal Imbalance In Women

What Are The Core Symptoms

When hormones are healthy, you tend to feel vibrant and energetic. When the hormones that affect your brain neurohormones are off, you are off. You may experience symptoms that change the way you think, feel, and act in negative ways. It also makes you more vulnerable to conditions like anxiety, depression, and even psychosis. If nobody checks your hormone levels, you will never know the root cause of your issues. And if your hormones are the problem, no amount of psychiatric medications will get you right.

Eat Enough Protein At Every Meal

Consuming an adequate amount of protein is extremely important.

Dietary protein provides essential amino acids that your body cant make on its own and must be consumed every day in order to maintain muscle, bone and skin health.

In addition, protein influences the release of hormones that control appetite and food intake.

Research has shown that eating protein decreases levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates the production of hormones that help you feel full, including PYY and GLP-1 .

In one study, men produced 20% more GLP-1 and 14% more PYY after eating a high-protein meal than after eating a meal that contained a normal amount of protein.

Whats more, participants hunger ratings decreased by 25% more after the high-protein meal compared to the normal-protein meal .

In another study, women who consumed a diet containing 30% protein experienced an increase in GLP-1 and greater feelings of fullness than when they ate a diet containing 10% protein.

Whats more, they experienced an increase in metabolism and fat burning .

To optimize hormone health, experts recommend consuming a minimum of 2030 grams of protein per meal (

This is easy to do by including a serving of these high-protein foods at each meal.

Summary:

Consuming adequate protein triggers the production of hormones that suppress appetite and help you feel full. Aim for a minimum of 2030 grams of protein per meal.

What Can You Do About A Hormone Imbalance

After you have a diagnosis, treatments vary depending on the hormone imbalance. For people with type 1 diabetes, insulin injections are necessary to produce the insulin the pancreas can’t. While those with an underachieve thyroid gland usually take daily hormone replacement tablets to level out their hormones.

Alexandra managed her overactive thyroid gland by taking thyroid suppression drugs and beta-blockers. She also took radioactive iodine on two occasions, when she was 13 and again when she was 15.

Rachel looked into lifestyle changes to manage her PCOS. “Overweight and obesity lead to worsening of polycystic ovary syndrome, and the symptoms can be improved by weight loss and improved fitness,” reveals Aylwin. “But most other hormonal disorders are not affected by lifestyle.”

Another exception is type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to being overweight and inactive. The pancreas produces some insulin, but not enough. Eating well, staying physically active and watching your cholesterol can all help. Type 1 diabetes is not lifestyle-related and is classed as an autoimmune disease, not a hormone imbalance, where the pancreas, for whatever reason, is unable to produce insulin.

Rachael went on the combined pill for this reason: “It helped with the unwanted hair growth, but it gave me depression as a side effect so I had to come off it. When I came off the pill I experienced mood swings.”

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Treatments For A Hormonal Imbalance

The exact treatments used for hormonal imbalances may overlap, but theyre generally based on the cause of the imbalance.

Birth/Hormone Control Treatments: People who are trying to avoid pregnancy, or just not trying to get pregnant, can use hormonal birth control medications that can help treat irregular periods and other menstrual cycle related symptoms. Birth control treatments include the pill, ring, patch, etc.

Vaginal Estrogen:Vaginal dryness is strongly linked to your estrogen levels. This can be treated by applying estrogen-based products to the vagina, such as creams and tissues. Also, estrogen products can be taken as tablets, or be inserted as a ring into the vagina.

Hormone Therapy: Hormone replacement therapy medications containing female hormones to replace the ones the body no longer makes after menopause is sometimes used to treat common menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and vaginal discomfort.

Anti-Testosterone Medications: Anti-Testosterone medication reduces the level of the male-sex-hormone responsible for causing acne, and hair growth.

PCOS and Fertility Medications: Medications like Clomid are able to help people with PCOS that are trying to get pregnant. PCOS helps to stimulate ovulation to help people with PCOS get pregnant. If you struggle with PCOS or other fertility issues, you could be treated with injections to boost the chances of pregnancy.

Medically Reviewed by Banafsheh Kashani, MD, FACOG

When Is A Period Considered Irregular

Irregular periods are those that occur less than 24 days apart or more than 38 days apart. Put another way, the length of time from the first day of your last period to the first day of your next one is either less than 24 days or more than 38 days.

If your cycle length changes by more than 20 days each month, thats also considered irregular. However, irregular periods are normal during the first few years of menstruation and during perimenopause, the time leading up to menopause.

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Hormone Imbalance In Women: Causes Symptoms And Treatments

by Sylvia KangDec 10, 2019

Hormone imbalances happen when you have too high or too little of a hormone in your bloodstream. Hormones play an important role in your body, especially in your reproductive system. Hormones deliver messages to your organs and tell them what to do. Even small hormonal imbalances can lead to noticeable changes in your body. Lets explore the causes symptoms and side-effects of hormone imbalances together!

Causes Of Hormonal Imbalance In Women

Comments: 2 | October 23rd, 2018

Hormones play a vital role in several functions in a womans body. They affect everything from fertility to mood to metabolism. But hormone levels do not always stay steady. They can decline and become out of balance. Because hormones are so important to various bodily functions, even a small decline can lead to problems.

When hormones decline, it can lead to a variety of symptoms including:

• Hot flashes
• Dry skin
• Trouble concentrating

Several things can lead to a decline or imbalance in hormone levels in women. In some cases, determining the cause of an imbalance can help correct the problem. Below are some of the most common causes of a hormonal decline or imbalance.

7 Causes of Hormonal Imbalance in Women

1. Aging

As a woman ages, her hormone levels may naturally decline. During the menstrual cycle, estrogen and progesterone are the two main hormones that are produced. As a woman approaches menopause, her hormone levels fluctuate and gradually decline. In fact, hormone levels can start to decline several years before menopause is reached.

After menopause, estrogen and progesterone decline dramatically. The decline in both hormones is responsible for many of the common symptoms of menopause including hot flashes, weight gain, and trouble sleeping.

2. Over-exercising

3. Poor diet

4. Chemotherapy

5. Hysterectomy

6. Xenoestrogens

Natural Solution for Hormonal Imbalance

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Hormones And Female Development

For women, in particular, hormones play a fundamental role during puberty, the start of menstruation, pregnancy and the stop of menstruation known as menopause.

Hormone imbalances, particularly in estrogen and testosterone, may cause skin changes, mood changes, weight gain, low energy or low libido. When hormone levels decline during menopause, symptoms may include hot flashes, mood swings, difficulty sleeping, memory issues, bone loss, and urinary or vaginal discomfort.

Women can also be affected by imbalances in adrenaline, insulin, steroids and growth hormones.

Causes Of Hormone Imbalance

You might experience changes in your hormones due to aging its natural to see sex hormones alter in women around the time of menopause and men in their older years. Excessive stress or exercise can lead to an imbalance in your adrenals. Thyroid hormone imbalances may be caused by disease.

Regardless of why you have an imbalance in your hormones, you dont have to tolerate the discomfort. The Well for Health can help. We identify the imbalance and offer solutions whether that be replacement hormones, a personalized program of dietary and other lifestyle changes, or adrenal or thyroid optimization.

If youre ready to feel like yourself again and banish the symptoms of erratic hormones, call The Well for Health or schedule an appointment online.

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Puffy Swollen Or Rounded Face

Though this symptom of hormonal imbalance isnt talked about much, for those who experience it, it can be a major concern. And while this symptom is relatively painless, besides possible tenderness due to the swelling, it may be negatively impacting your quality of life. Sometimes referred to as moon face, this gradual rounding or swelling of the face is a common sign of high cortisol characterized by Cushings syndrome. If your adrenal glands release too much cortisol, theyre unable to properly regulate your blood pressure and inflammatory response. As a result, your body has a hard time keeping your blood vessels functioning appropriately, leading to swelling and a puffy appearance around your face or shoulders.

What Is A Hormonal Imbalance

Hormones are chemicals produced by different glands and tissues, forming a part of the endocrine system.

Hormones travel to all of the bodys tissues and organs through the bloodstream. They give messages to these organs, letting them know what function to perform and when to do it.

Hormones help regulate a lot of processes in the body. Hormones manage appetite and metabolism, sleep cycles, heart rate, sexual function, general mood and stress levels, and body temperature. Because they affect so many functions, imbalances in certain hormones can lead to uncomfortable symptoms.

A hormonal imbalance occurs when a person has too much or too little of a certain hormone, such as insulin, cortisol, thyroxine, androgens, estrogen, or progesterone. Even slight changes can have a significant effect on your body.

Track my period

A range of symptoms can result from female hormone imbalance. Hormonal imbalance symptoms depend on which hormones or glands are not working properly.

Some of the most common hormonal conditions in women cause the following symptoms:

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Hormonal Imbalance In Women

Half of all women have experienced hormonal imbalance symptoms according to the New York Post – but they might not even know. Thats because many of the symptoms bloating, skin issues, weight gain, low energy coincide with quite a few other conditions.

Hormonal imbalance-related issues can be disruptive at best, and prohibitive, at worst. They can affect the way you relate with others, view your own body, recover from illnesses, and more.

In this article, well cover hormonal imbalance in women and what you can do to help your body return to balance using entirely natural, healthy, and proven remedies.

Natural Alternative To Hormone Replacement Therapy

It is important to consider the effect of estrogen and progesterone on the thyroid function and thyroid autoimmunity and take necessary steps to establish and correct hormonal imbalances that may occur in women after 30.

Usage of bio-identical hormones in physiological doses is a safe method of hormone replacement therapy that can help women to restore the hormone levels and will most likely result in improved thyroid function.

However, young women with hormonal imbalances who are in their 30s and 40s can get more benefits using natural alternative approaches to hormone replacement therapy. This way the hormone levels can be restored naturally using the bodys ability to heal. This will prevent hormonal issues when the woman enters menopause later in her life.

One of the first steps to correct estrogen dominance is lowering your estrogen and xenoestrogen exposure from your environment and diet as well as getting rid of accumulated toxins in your body by detoxifying your gut and liver. Often sluggish liver cannot eliminate the toxins and hormone by-products efficiently creating a state of estrogen dominance.

While hormone replacement therapy is often the only solution that is offered by doctors, medication cannot help to correct all hormonal imbalances and that is why many women continue to have symptoms despite of being treated with prescription drugs.

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Get Treatment For Hormone Imbalance

Dr. Karen Clark of Chapel Hill Gynecology is a certified menopause practitioner, experienced in helping patients manage the symptoms of menopause, including bone loss. To schedule an appointment, call 960-2720. Chapel Hill Gynecology is open for office visits as well as telemedicine visits.

Eat Good Fats And Good Proteins

We also need to make sure were eating good sources of fats and proteins. These foods promote hormonal health. Healthy fats are really good for insulin. Medium-chain triglycerides, like the ones found in coconut oil, help reduce insulin resistance in diabetics and overweight people.

Then, theres the protein factor. Protein is important for the growth of healthy tissues throughout the body as well as hormone levels, but you dont want to eat too much. Try to aim for the recommended daily amount. For men, thats 55 grams per day, and for women, its 46 grams. If you eat meat, youre likely getting way more protein than this.

Research shows that a high-protein breakfast reduces cravings and snacking because it helps keep the hunger hormone ghrelin under control. If youre eating a high-carb breakfast such as cereal, oatmeal, waffles, pancakes, muffins, etc. try switching to one thats higher in protein, such as an omelette or these spinach and goat cheese egg muffins that you can eat on the go.

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Potential Causes Of A Hormonal Imbalance

There are many things that can challenge your endocrine system, therefore disrupting hormone balance and function. The longer a system is out of order the more difficult it can be to bring it back into harmony. Identifying and correcting the causes of hormonal imbalance early on will help maintain your health and prevent the onset of chronic disease. Some of the most common underlying causes of hormonal imbalance include:

• Underactive thyroid
• Birth control or hormonal replacement
• Poor diet
• Cushing syndrome
• Exposure to endocrine disruptors

So how do you know if you have a hormone imbalance? Find out the signs of hormonal imbalance to look out for, and natural remedies that can help balance your hormones.

Manage Your Weight And Blood Sugar Levels

Keep your insulin levels low. To do this, avoid refined sugars and carbohydrates that cause sugar spikes in your bloodstream because they can lead to weight gain or cravings for more carbs. Instead of reaching for high-carb snacks like chips or cookies, choose foods rich in nutrients, protein, fibre healthy fats.

Check out this quick video below about losing menopause weight.

Some snacks you might think about are:

nuts and seeds, ricotta cheese or cottage cheese with fruit, greek yoghurt with berries, and grain-free granola.

You can also use supplements to help balance your insulin levels. For example, magnesium citrate boosts energy naturally without caffeine or stimulants that lead to stress.

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What Are The Causes Of Hormonal Imbalance In Females

There can be a hormonal imbalance in females due to several reasons. Let us tell you in detail further.

• Hormonal imbalance may occur due to hypothyroidism in females.

• The use of certain drugs and medications can lead to hormonal imbalance.
• Anxiety and stress can lead to hormonal imbalance.
• Hormonal imbalance can be a result of unhealthy eating habits or eating disorders, as a result of depression.

Hormone Balance And Tummy Trouble

Cells lining the gastrointestinal tract have receptors for both estrogen and progesterone. Levels of these hormones change throughout the course of a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle. When they do, they impact the function of the gastrointestinal system. Women often experience abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, and nausea before or during their periods. These symptoms can also occur with many other conditions. If a woman experiences them along with mood changes and fatigue before or during her period, it may be more likely that the GI disturbances are occurring due to monthly hormonal fluctuations.

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What Is The Endocrine System

When a hormonal imbalance in a womans endocrine system occurs, it can cause a variety of problems. The endocrine system is a series of glands that produce and disseminate hormones throughout the body. A womans hormones do much more than just regulate mood and sexualitythey can determine whether an individual may be at risk for elevated blood sugar, decreased bone density, and thyroid problems.*

Estrogen Reduction And Menopause

Many of the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, mood swings, sleep disorders and anxiety, are caused by a decline in estrogen production as a woman ages. A combination of herbal remedies, diet and bioidentical hormone therapy can ease these symptoms and balance estrogen levels. Ginseng may ease anxiety and mood swings, while black cohosh, dong quai and evening primrose can provide relief from hot flashes. According to a study by the Linus Pauling Institute, foods rich in phytoestrogens include: flaxseeds and sesame seeds carrots, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower alfalfa and clover sprouts split peas, pinto beans and chickpeas and tofu and other soybean products. Its also important to choose organic, hormone-free meats, dairy and eggs instead of their hormone-supplemented counterparts.

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What Are The Causes Of Hormonal Imbalance

Almost everyone experiences periods of hormonal imbalance at specific phases in their lives. However, most cases of hormonal imbalance occur when one or more endocrine glands do not perform their function properly.

The human body has several endocrine glands, each producing its own specific hormones. These endocrine glands are:

Some of the causes of hormonal imbalances include:

• Abuse/ Overdosing On Steroid Medications
• Addisons Disease
• Benign tumours on endocrine glands
• Cysts which affects endocrine glands
• Cancers of the endocrine glands
• Chemotherapy And Radiation Therapy
• Injury to the endocrine glands
• Exposure to toxins, pollutants, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals
• Specific hereditary conditions such as pancreatitis
• Hormonal replacement therapy
• Consumption of birth control medications
• Hyperglycemia
• Overproduction of the parathyroid hormone
• The underproduction of parathyroid hormone
• Hyperthyroidism
• Extreme allergic reactions or infections
• Turner syndrome
• Diabetes