The role that hormones play in your body can’t be underestimated, as these important chemical messengers control many of your body’s most vital functions. From metabolism to mood, when hormones are balanced they can promote health and well-being. However, when your hormones are out of whack, you may experience a wide range of symptoms including weight gain, mood swings, and fatigue, among others.
Read on to learn more about the signs your hormones are off, and ways to address a hormone imbalance to help promote a healthy and well-balanced body.
What are hormones?
Hormones are chemical messengers that play an important role in controlling and coordinating various functions within your body. Your endocrine system which includes your pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands secrete hormones directly into your bloodstream, where they travel to different organs and trigger specific responses.
There are many different types of hormones, each with its own unique role in regulating a specific bodily function. For example, the reproductive hormones estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone each play an important role in promoting fertility and maintaining sexual health.
Hormonal imbalances occur when your body produces too much or too little of a specific hormone. Any fluctuation in hormone levels, even slightly, can affect how your body operates and in turn, how you feel.
Signs Your Hormones Maybe Imbalanced
The following are 11 signs your hormones are out of whack:
1. Mood swings
Hormonal imbalances can trigger mood swings, irritability, and feeling overwhelmed, as specific hormones are closely linked with emotional well-being. For example, the reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone can negatively impact the serotonin levels (feel-good chemicals) in your brain (1).
2. Weight Gain
Stubborn weight gain is another sign that your hormones may be out of whack. Hormonal fluctuations can affect your appetite, including the quantity you eat and what you’re craving.
Additionally, your metabolism is mostly controlled by your hormones. Studies have shown that certain hormones, like insulin and cortisol, can lead to fat storage whereas other hormones like growth hormone and thyroxine may help promote fat loss (2)(3).
3. Irregular Periods for Women
The hormones estrogen and progesterone in addition to luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, are all involved in keeping your menstrual cycle regular. An imbalance in any one of these hormones can trigger irregular cycles in women. Studies have shown that the fluctuations in hormone levels for women are oftentimes linked with health behaviors like smoking, obesity, and stress (4).
4. Skin Issues
Hormones play an important role in skin health. One of the most common skin issues that can be linked to imbalanced hormones is acne which affects people at all stages of life. Hormone imbalances including testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone can stimulate the sebaceous (oil) glands in your face leading to the development of acne (5).
Additionally, a lack of specific hormones can have the opposite effect leading to dry, flaky skin. Considering hormones like estrogen and testosterone fuel your oil glands, a reduced amount can cause dry, flaky, and even itchy skin.
5. Fatigue
If you’re feeling unusually tired despite getting plenty of rest, it could be your hormones to blame. Having too much progesterone circulating in your bloodstream can contribute to fatigue. Moreover, having too little thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) can also rob you of your energy (6).
READ MORE: Supplements for Energy Support for Women
6. Low Libido
Reduced sex drive is a major complaint often related to hormone imbalances. One of the keys to having a strong libido is having appropriately balanced hormones including estrogen and testosterone. For women, having adequate levels of testosterone can increase sexual interest, arousal, and response. Whereas having too much estrogen, which can lower testosterone levels, can lead to a lower libido (7).
As men age, their testosterone levels decline. Seeing as testosterone levels directly impact libido, when testosterone levels drop, libido may take a dip as well.
7. Digestive Issues
Hormonal imbalances can promote digestive problems, including both constipation and diarrhea depending on the cause. For example, having fewer thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) can slow down body processes including digestion which can lead to constipation. On the flip side, having an increase in thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism) can speed up body processes which can lead to more frequent bowel movements and diarrhea (8).
8. Sleep
Sleep disturbances and poor quality sleep can all be triggered by hormonal imbalances. This is especially true for women whose progesterone levels are low. Having low progesterone can negatively impact the production of melatonin, a hormone that is needed to fall asleep and continue sleeping throughout the night. Progesterone also plays a role in promoting relaxation which is key to helping you fall asleep fast (9).
Moreover, in men, low testosterone levels have been linked with restlessness and poor sleep quality (9).
READ MORE: Sleep Hygiene to Reset for Daylight Savings
9. Brain Fog
One of the main symptoms of low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism) is brain fog, characterized by forgetfulness, lack of concentration, and difficulty focusing. Low thyroid hormone levels appear to slow cell functioning and neurotransmitter production all of which can impact your brain’s ability to remember, concentrate, and focus (10).
Additionally, for women, estrogen plays a role in brain health by binding to the receptors in the brain which helps promote cognitive functioning. In fact, research suggests that balanced estrogen levels may help protect against age-related cognitive decline (11).
READ MORE: The Best Nootropic Supplements
10. Hair Loss
Hormonal imbalances can cause hair loss, which is especially true for women. When experiencing a drop in estrogen and progesterone levels, hair tends to become thinner and grow more slowly. A decrease in these hormones also increases the production of androgens or a group of male hormones known to shrink hair follicles which can lead to hair loss (12).
11. Excessive Sweating
Hormone imbalances caused by changes in estrogen and progesterone can make you feel overly hot leading to excessive sweating. This is often the case for women during perimenopause and menopause when the ovaries are producing less estrogen, progesterone, along with testosterone. In fact, 50–75% of women experience perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats among others (13).
How to Naturally Support Balance Hormone Levels
Now that you know the 11 signs that your hormones are out of whack, let’s review ways you can help restore hormone balance within your body.
- Sleep deprivation can throw your hormone levels out of whack (14). Try to aim for at least seven hours of quality sleep each night.
- Uncontrolled stress can disrupt your body’s delicate hormone balance. One effective way to address hormone imbalances is to focus on stress management which may include deep breathing techniques, meditation, or yoga.
- Exercising is one of the best ways to naturally balance hormone levels. It can help reduce stress by keeping your cortisol levels at bay and can also increase insulin sensitivity.
The Bottom Line
Hormones are an essential part of your body’s regulatory system, responsible for coordinating some of the most important bodily functions. If you think your hormones may be out of whack, it’s best to speak to your primary healthcare provider, such as your primary care physician or a virtual doctor through GNC Health, to address the cause and to discuss treatment options.
References:
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2. Xiao, Y., Liu, D., Cline, M.A. et al. Chronic stress, epigenetics, and adipose tissue metabolism in the obese state. Nutr Metab (Lond) 17, 88 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-020-00513-4
3. Kucharska AM, Witkowska-Sędek E, Rumińska M, Pyrżak B. Thyroid Hormone Changes Related to Growth Hormone Therapy in Growth Hormone Deficient Patients. J Clin Med. 2021 Nov 17;10(22):5354. doi: 10.3390/jcm10225354. PMID: 34830636; PMCID: PMC8618596.
4. Bae J, Park S, Kwon JW. Factors associated with menstrual cycle irregularity and menopause. BMC Womens Health. 2018 Feb 6;18(1):36. doi: 10.1186/s12905-018-0528-x. PMID: 29409520; PMCID: PMC5801702.
5. Bakry OA, El Shazly RM, El Farargy SM, Kotb D. Role of hormones and blood lipids in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris in non-obese, non-hirsute females. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2014 Nov;5(Suppl 1):S9-S16. doi: 10.4103/2229-5178.144506. PMID: 25506579; PMCID: PMC4252966.
6. Saran S, Gupta BS, Philip R, Singh KS, Bende SA, Agroiya P, Agrawal P. Effect of hypothyroidism on female reproductive hormones. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Jan-Feb;20(1):108-13. doi: 10.4103/2230-8210.172245. PMID: 26904478; PMCID: PMC4743370.
7. AlAwlaqi A, Amor H, Hammadeh ME. Role of hormones in hypoactive sexual desire disorder and current treatment. J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2017 Dec 15;18(4):210-218. doi: 10.4274/jtgga.2017.0071. PMID: 29278235; PMCID: PMC5776161.
8. Daher R, Yazbeck T, Jaoude JB, Abboud B. Consequences of dysthyroidism on the digestive tract and viscera. World J Gastroenterol. 2009 Jun 21;15(23):2834-8. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.2834. PMID: 19533804; PMCID: PMC2699000.
9. Morssinkhof MWL, van Wylick DW, Priester-Vink S, van der Werf YD, den Heijer M, van den Heuvel OA, Broekman BFP. Associations between sex hormones, sleep problems and depression: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020 Nov;118:669-680. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.08.006. Epub 2020 Aug 31. PMID: 32882313.
10. Ettleson MD, Raine A, Batistuzzo A, Batista SP, McAninch E, Teixeira MCTV, Jonklaas J, Laiteerapong N, Ribeiro MO, Bianco AC. Brain Fog in Hypothyroidism: Understanding the Patient’s Perspective. Endocr Pract. 2022 Mar;28(3):257-264. doi: 10.1016/j.eprac.2021.12.003. Epub 2021 Dec 8. PMID: 34890786; PMCID: PMC8901556.
11. Girard, R., Météreau, E., Thomas, J. et al. Hormone therapy at early post-menopause increases cognitive control-related prefrontal activity. Sci Rep 7, 44917 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44917
12. Grymowicz M, Rudnicka E, Podfigurna A, Napierala P, Smolarczyk R, Smolarczyk K, Meczekalski B. Hormonal Effects on Hair Follicles. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jul 28;21(15):5342. doi: 10.3390/ijms21155342. PMID: 32731328; PMCID: PMC7432488.
13. Dehghan M, Isari Z, Abbaszadeh MH, Ghonchehpour A. Menopause symptoms in women and its relation with using complementary and alternative medicines: A survey in southeast Iran. Front Public Health. 2022 Aug 22;10:947061. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.947061. PMID: 36072370; PMCID: PMC9443961.
14. Kim TW, Jeong JH, Hong SC. The impact of sleep and circadian disturbance on hormones and metabolism. Int J Endocrinol. 2015;2015:591729. doi: 10.1155/2015/591729. Epub 2015 Mar 11. PMID: 25861266; PMCID: PMC4377487.
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