Everything You Should Know About Hormonal Imbalance

Many of us suffer from hormonal imbalance, whether we are aware of it or not. The causes are touted to be a stressful lifestyle, lack of a healthy diet, missing out on daily exercise, or an increased workload. Hormones are your body’s natural chemical messengers, produced in the endocrine glands. These chemicals travel through the body via the bloodstream, reaching the organs and tissues and instructing them about how to behave. All major processes of your body, including metabolism, sugar levels, stress levels, growth, and reproduction, are controlled by the specific hormones responsible for a function. Read further to know about hormonal imbalance symptoms and their treatment.

What is a Hormonal Imbalance?

A slight change in the level of hormones can disrupt the process it handles to a large extent. Hence, hormonal imbalances are mostly accountable for a variety of issues cropping up, and most of the signs and symptoms might be visible to you. Hormonal imbalance can affect both men and women, but an imbalance in the levels of oestrogen and progesterone in women affects them to a larger extent.

Causes of a Hormonal Imbalance

Endocrine glands are the organs producing hormones, and if they malfunction in any way, imbalances are likely to be seen. The most common causes behind an imbalance are:

• Medications that impact the endocrine glands
• Hormone therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Cancer, cancerous or benign tumours in those glands that produce hormones
• Eating disorders or being overweight
• Stress
• Birth control medications that directly affect the reproductive organs
• Injury or trauma that affects the endocrine glands
• Diabetes (type 1 and type 2) where the body does not produce enough insulin
• Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, where the thyroid gland is either overactive or underactive.

Hormonal imbalance in women is observed to be more common as compared to males due to natural periods of fluctuations such as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. So, symptoms of hormonal imbalance are typically more visible in females. A few other causes of hormonal imbalance in females are as follows:

• Polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS where small fluid-filled cysts are either developed later on in life or can be present in the ovaries since birth
• Ovarian cancer
• Ageing and stress
• Primary Ovarian Insufficiency or POI is a condition where a woman’s ovaries stop functioning before she turns 40

Hormonal Imbalance Symptoms

Hormonal imbalance has plenty of symptoms and signs, and those symptoms help in the diagnosis of the root cause too. Hormonal imbalance symptoms include:

• Fatigue and hair loss
• Acne on the face, chest, or upper back
• Heavy periods or irregular periods for women
• Darkening of the skin under the breasts or of the armpits in women
• Excessive hair growth in the facial area or on the other parts of the body
• Night sweats and headaches
• Vaginal dryness in women
• Pain during sex

Test and Treatments for a Hormonal Imbalance

Since hormones are carried via your blood, a blood test or a urine test reveals the levels of each hormone secreted into the bloodstream. An ultrasound, biopsy, X-ray, or an MRI scan may be suggested in case your examiner suspects tumours or cysts of some kind in the endocrine glands.

Hormonal imbalance in males is treated by a process called Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy or BHRT, wherein hormones are artificially introduced or replaced in the body to rebalance the hormone levels. This can be done via an oral pill or a topical cream or even using patches on the skin.

Treatments of a Hormonal Imbalance for Females

Hormonal imbalance treatments include​​​

• Oestrogen Therapy: A lower level of oestrogen is elevated via small doses of the hormone introduced artificially in your bloodstream.
• Hormonal Birth Control: It can help regulate the menstrual cycle in case of irregular periods, and the medications can be taken orally or through a shot. Birth control patches and intrauterine devices have also been proven to work wonders in females.
• Anti-Androgen Medications: Androgen is the male sex hormone that is present in females in lower quantities, but an elevation can result in more facial hair growth. These medications help control the level of androgen in a woman’s body.
• Metformin: According to studies, this medication has proven useful in some women suffering from PCOS as it lowers androgen levels and encourages ovulation.

But as they say, prevention is better than cure. The best natural way to prevent hormonal imbalance is a stress-free lifestyle, a balanced and healthy diet, regulating the vitals through daily exercise, and ensuring to have proper health insurance as a backup plan for unforeseen circumstances.

Opt for specific health insurance plans that offer coverage for hormonal imbalance diagnosis and treatment. Health insurance benefits are far and wide as offered by Niva Bupa. They can cover pre and post-hospitalisation costs. You should search for the best health insurance plans from Niva Bupa based on what your needs are. The coverages provide support for maternity expenses, women-specific diseases like PCOS, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, etc.

Your lifestyle is largely dependent on your hormones and vice-versa. Hence, staying fit is imperative for the glands to function correctly too!

FAQs

1. What are the 5 signs of hormonal imbalance?

Common signs include unexplained weight gain or loss, irregular or missed periods, fatigue, mood swings or anxiety, and skin problems like acne or dryness. These symptoms suggest that hormone levels may be off balance.

2. What happens when a girl has a hormonal imbalance?

A girl with a hormonal imbalance may experience irregular menstrual cycles, excessive hair growth or hair loss, acne, mood changes, and difficulty managing weight. It can also affect growth, puberty, and overall reproductive health. 

3. What causes hormonal imbalances?

Causes include stress, poor diet, medical conditions like thyroid disorders or PCOS, ageing, medications, and lifestyle factors such as lack of exercise or sleep.

4. How is hormonal imbalance diagnosed?

Doctors typically diagnose hormonal imbalances through blood tests that measure hormone levels, along with evaluating symptoms and medical history.

5. Can lifestyle changes help balance hormones?

Yes, healthy eating, regular exercise, stress management, and adequate sleep can significantly improve hormonal balance. However, sometimes, medical treatment may be necessary.