Hormonal imbalance is a pretty serious matter. And all the more reasons to be aware of the symptoms and causes. A few common causes of hormonal imbalance include pre-menstrual syndrome, pregnancy, and menopause. Lifestyle factors also cause fluctuation in your hormone levels. Lack of exercise, being overweight, and lack of sleep can throw your hormones off balance. Underactive thyroid and diabetes are also to be blamed for causing havoc with your hormone levels.
Know Your Body And Recognize The Signs
Recognizing the manifestation of a hormonal imbalance thus becomes important and pertinent for every woman. It helps you address the underlying causes sooner and get your hormones in balance again.
Here are 6 signs of hormonal imbalance you need to fix for a better life.
1. A Sudden Change In Food Preference
If you feel frequent pangs of hunger in general and a sudden craving for salty or sweet foods, it is a sure sign that your hormones are fluctuating. Your body secretes several hormones that control hunger and appetite. Ghrelin is one such hormone that stimulates your appetite. Any imbalance in your hormones will leave you hungry and cause unhealthy food cravings.
2. Problems With Your Skin
Acne, dry skin, and painful cysts can be triggered by hormonal imbalance. Your body could be producing testosterone in excess which causes oily skin and induces the pores to clog. Low levels of androgen hormones can also aggravate acne symptoms.
3. Regular And Chronic Headaches
Many factors like tiredness and stress can bring on a headache. But hormonal fluctuations around the menstrual cycle may also cause headaches and even migraines. If the estrogen levels are stable and balanced in your body, headaches induced by hormones are rare and can be eased.
4. When Your Tummy Acts Up
Hormonal changes can wreak havoc with your digestive system. You must have surely felt that your stomach starts churning in stressful situations. An estrogen imbalance and some steroid hormones affect the gut when a person is under stress. Higher levels of hormones produced by the ovaries can also be the reason for cramps and abdominal pain before your period as well as the unpleasant sensation of bloating and alterations in bowel patterns.
5. Unusual Weight Gain
Gaining weight even when you have your diet under control and are in the habit of exercising regularly is a sure indication that your hormones are the culprit. High levels of cortisol, estrogen, and insulin along with low testosterone can cause you to put on extra belly fat. And excess belly fat can also produce hormones that adversely affect your health.
6. When sleeping becomes difficult
Two important hormones that influence the sleep cycle are estrogen and progesterone. Imbalance in progesterone before your period can make it difficult for you to sleep. A sharp drop in progesterone levels after childbirth is the reason why many women have difficulty sleeping.
If you feel that your adverse health situation is in any way related to an imbalance in your hormones, you should consult a doctor or a trained professional. You can also control your diet, manage your stress, steer clear of synthetic hormones, and reduce exposure to environmental toxins, especially plastics.
We hope you can identify the underlying causes of your problems and get treatment to get well soon!