What is hormone imbalance?
A hormone imbalance occurs when there are too much or too little of a certain hormone in the body. Hormones are powerful chemical messengers that control most of the major bodily functions, including metabolism, growth, sleep, reproduction, cognition, and mood. Even small hormonal fluctuations can cause widespread symptoms.
Some key things to know about hormone imbalances:
- They affect both men and women, but are more common in women due to fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.
- Common symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, hot flashes, night sweats, acne, dry skin, low libido, anxiety, irritability, and trouble concentrating.
- Major hormones that can become imbalanced include insulin, cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid hormones.
- Causes include chronic stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, toxins, untreated medical conditions, and natural hormonal shifts from aging or life stages.
- Imbalances can negatively impact overall health and increase disease risk if left unchecked. They are linked to issues like infertility, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
- Treatment involves identifying and addressing the underlying causes through diet and lifestyle changes like eating nutritious whole foods, reducing toxins, managing stress through self-care practices, and getting regular medical checkups.
- Bioidentical hormone therapy from clinics like Optimal Health Hormone Clinic may also help rebalance key hormones for optimal health. Their expert physicians develop customized regimens to restore hormonal harmony using plant-based hormones identical to those naturally produced by the body.
In summary, hormone issues are complex but very treatable with expert guidance. Getting lab testing is crucial for understanding your hormone profile and root causes of unpleasant symptoms. If you’re struggling with unexplained symptoms like fatigue, mood issues, and trouble losing weight, consider getting evaluated for hormone imbalance. Rebalancing your hormones could transform your health, wellbeing and vitality!