We need hormones to control lots of the body’s major processes like reproduction, blood pressure, energy production, or metabolism. Hormone imbalance means having too high or too low levels of a certain hormone.
The hormonal background is a fragile thing and even slight changes can have serious effects on your overall health and change the way your body works. While certain hormone levels change throughout a lifetime as a result of natural aging, other changes could be provoked by certain factors.
Hormone imbalances are accompanied by specific signs like fatigue or hunger. But these are not the only things that can happen to you when you have a hormonal imbalance. Here are some signs of hormonal imbalance that might surprise you:
1. Unexplained weight changes
Any unexplained weight changes when your diet remains the same might be a sign of a hormone imbalance. The weight changes go beyond what people perceive would be expected for their levels of physical activity or eating. They’re consuming the same, however, they still gain weight over weeks or years.
Too high levels of cortisol or testosterone can result in weight gain. On the other hand, too high levels of thyroid hormones can provoke sudden weight loss.
2. Mood swings
It’s no surprise that hormonal fluctuations during PMS or menopause can lead to mood changes. However, hormonal fluctuations can appear for other reasons. Inadequate levels of thyroid hormones can impact your emotional state as well. People with hyperthyroidism might be anxious and short-tempered, while those with hypothyroidism might be more passive and depressive.
3. Brain fog
Growth hormones boost your brain. If you have low levels of these hormones you could find yourself with memory problems and decreased mental function. Low levels of thyroid hormones can cause memory loss too.
4. Appetite changes
If you notice you have a higher appetite than usual, this could be due to hormone imbalance. Thyroid hormones are involved in the regulation of your metabolism, so if you have hyperthyroidism, your body burns calories faster than usual which could lead to an increased appetite.
Another type of hormone imbalance that can raise your appetite is too high levels of a stress hormone called cortisol. Excess cortisol can signal you to eat up to fuel you through a fight or flight. Your body is perceiving that it’s under stress and requires to store more energy.
5. Sleep problems
People with sleep problems are more prone to hormonal imbalances since their bodies have no time to restore fully. On the other hand, some symptoms of hormonal imbalance might be to blame. For example, overactive thyroid is the most common reason for sleep deprivation. Those who experience hypothyroidism might be lethargic and sleep a lot.
6. Constant fatigue
When you have a hormone imbalance, your body’s energy is suffering as well. While low levels of thyroid hormones slow down, most processes in your body leave you with constant fatigue, high levels of those hormones can make you anxious which can exhaust you.
7. Weak bones
When your body is healthy, it turns vitamin D into the hormone calcitriol which you need for strong bones. People who have fragile bones often have a lack of calcitriol that could be due to a hormone imbalance. The parathyroid hormone that helps regulate the amount of calcium in the body can also impact your bone health, which could explain why your bones are so fragile.
8. Hair loss
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) causes your body to produce too much testosterone. It can result in hair loss in women that might resemble male pattern baldness with unwanted hair growth on the body. In addition to hirsutism, women with PCOS also experience weight changes, insulin resistance, irregular periods, etc.
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