Table of contents:
- Sign of hormonal imbalance
- 1. Irregular menstrual cycle
- 2. Experiencing sleep disorders
- 3. Chronic acne
- 3. Tiring easily
- 4. Mood fluctuates rapidly
- 5. Changes in appetite, and weight gain
- 6. Headache
- 7. Dry vagina
- 8. Decreased sex drive
- 9. Changes to the breast
Hormones are a group of biochemicals in the body that play an important role in every function of the body, therefore levels must be kept in balance. Hormonal imbalances occur due to unhealthy lifestyles and eating patterns. Although it may seem simple, hormonal imbalance can be detrimental to your health. What are the signs of imbalanced hormone levels in the body?
Sign of hormonal imbalance
1. Irregular menstrual cycle
The distance between a woman's menstruation from the first month to the next month lasts from 21 to 35 days. If you don't have the same cycle every month, or if you are late to the count of months even though you haven't entered menopause, you could be experiencing hormonal imbalance.
This condition can occur because you have excessive or too little levels of hormones such as estrogen or progesterone in your body. If you are at the age of 40 to 50 years, this may be due to menopausal symptoms.
Irregular menstrual cycles can also be a symptom of health problems such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). If you experience irregular menstrual cycles for up to a number of months even though you are not pregnant, you should consult this with your doctor.
2. Experiencing sleep disorders
Progesterone, a hormone released by your ovaries, should be able to catch sleepiness. If the level of this hormone is lower than normal, then you will have trouble sleeping. High levels of estrogen can also trigger it hot flashes and night sweats. This disturbance can cause you to wake up and have trouble sleeping again.
3. Chronic acne
Spotty face before menstruation is normal. The reason is, at that time there were hormonal changes in the body. However, if you suffer from chronic acne that doesn't go away, it could be a sign that you are experiencing hormonal imbalance.
Excess levels of androgens (hormones that both men and women have) can cause your oil glands to overwork. Androgens also affect skin cells in and around your hair follicles. Both of these can clog pores and cause acne.
3. Tiring easily
Feeling tired easily is one of the most common symptoms of hormonal imbalance. Excess progesterone can make you sleepy. Also, if your thyroid gland is underproducing thyroid hormone, this can reduce your energy levels. to find out the level of the thyroid in the body, you can do a blood test.
4. Mood fluctuates rapidly
Hormonal changes can cause your mood to change rapidly. The hormone estrogen can affect key chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. This can make you feel happy but then an hour later can be upset or angry for just a trivial thing.
5. Changes in appetite, and weight gain
When you are in a bad mood, your estrogen levels will decrease, so you have a tendency to eat more. This also causes hormone levels in the body to play a role in increasing body weight. Estrogen levels can also affect the level of the hormone leptin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake.
6. Headache
Many things can trigger headaches, one of which is an imbalance in hormone levels in the body. Especially for women, estrogen levels are very influential in this condition. This is also the reason why you often feel headaches when you are menstruating.
During menstruation, estrogen levels in the body will decrease. Headaches that are on the same cycle, could be a sign that your hormone levels are changing.
7. Dry vagina
Usually the surface of your vagina remains wet and especially during your fertile period. But if you suddenly notice that your vagina is dry frequently, it could be due to low levels of the hormone estrogen. This hormone helps the vaginal tissue stay moisturised and comfortable. If these hormones drop, one of the effects is to reduce vaginal fluid.
8. Decreased sex drive
The hormone testosterone can affect your level of sex drive. This happens to both men and women, because women also produce the hormone testosterone. Low levels of testosterone and high prolactin can reduce the desire to be sexually active.
A study reports that about two-thirds of men who have high levels of prolactin in the body lose interest in sex and also experience erectile dysfunction.
9. Changes to the breast
The drop in estrogen in women can make your breast tissue less dense. Conversely, an increase in the hormone estrogen can tighten these tissues, even causing lumps or cysts. If you experience changes in the texture of your breasts, you may be experiencing a hormonal imbalance. Talk to your doctor if you have breast changes.
This condition does not only occur in women, but men as well. Men produce the hormones testosterone and estrogen. The hormone estrogen is responsible for female characteristics such as breast enlargement. Hormonal imbalance that involves increasing estrogen and decreasing testosterone causes breast enlargement in men. This condition is also known as gynecomastia.
