Signs & Symptoms Of Hormone Imbalances For Both Men & Women
Understanding your body can help you live a healthy and more productive lifestyle. One essential element is your hormones. When there’s an imbalance of hormones in your body, too many or too little in your bloodstream, many negative impacts can happen. Read more to learn the importance of having balanced hormones and signs to look if you think yours are out of whack!
What are hormones??
Hormones are your body’s messenger. They are chemicals produced by your glands that travel throughout your bloodstream to the tissues and organs, delivering important messages that tell your organs to do different functions. An easier way to understand this is to think about baking a cake — if you use too little or too much of an ingredient it can ruin the final result. Just like hormones! If one is just a little too high it can throw your body’s functions out of control.
Hormones help regulate your:
Heart Rate
Metabolism / Appetite
Sleep Cycles
Reproductive Cycles / Sexual Functions
Growth and Development
Mood and Stress Levels
Body Temperature
Overall, your hormones do…A LOT! Both men and women can be affected when there is an imbalance. Here is a list of different hormones that you might be familiar with, but may not really know their importance:
Insulin
Steroids
Growth Hormones
Adrenaline
Estrogen [Mostly affects women]
Progesterone [Mostly affects women]
Testosterone [Mostly affects men]
Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance
The symptoms of hormone imbalance range depending on which glands aren’t releasing hormones correctly and what organs are never receiving their signals. Here are some very common signs that both men and women may experience:
Weight gain
Hump of fat between your shoulders
Unexplained weight loss
Fatigue
Muscle weakness
Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
Joint pain
Increased or decreased heart rate
Excessive sweating
Constipation or more frequent bowel movements
Frequent urination
Increased thirst
Increased hunger
Decreased sex drive
Depression
Nervousness, anxiety or irritability
Blurred vision
Infertility
Thinning hair
Dry skin
Puffy face
Rounded face
Purple or pink stretch marks
There are certain signs that only women will experience. As women age, different hormonal cycles naturally change during these stages: puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause. But it’s still important to look for these symptoms:
Heavy or irregular periods
Excessive hair on your face, chin or other parts of the body
Acne on your face, chest or upper back
Hair loss
Darkening of the skin — along neck creases, groin and underneath your boobs
For men, testosterone plays a very important role in hormonal development. If not enough testosterone is being produced a variety of issues may present themselves:
Hormones are a vital part of your health. If they are off balance, they can sometimes cause mental health issues, hindering your way of life, which is why getting bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is encouraged, especially for people who have declining hormones. If you ever have any questions about your hormones and would like to get your levels checked, do not hesitate to give us a call or schedule a consultation online.
Dr. Rahul Kapur, M.D. is a board-certified family medicine physician with a dedicated passion for integrative medicine and a deep knowledge of functional medicine. He was named intern of the year at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, KS, and has been practicing as a hospitalist for over a decade. He has successfully helped many patients in Kansas City with his specialized IV bags, ketamine therapy, hormone optimization and weight loss therapy methods.
Dr. Rahul Kapur
Dr. Rahul Kapur, M.D. is a board-certified family medicine physician with a dedicated passion for integrative medicine and a deep knowledge of functional medicine. He was named intern of the year at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, KS, and has been practicing as a hospitalist for over a decade. He has successfully helped many patients in Kansas City with his specialized IV bags, ketamine therapy, hormone optimization and weight loss therapy methods.
Dr. Rahul Kapur
Dr. Rahul Kapur, M.D. is a board-certified family medicine physician with a dedicated passion for integrative medicine and a deep knowledge of functional medicine. He was named intern of the year at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, KS, and has been practicing as a hospitalist for over a decade. He has successfully helped many patients in Kansas City with his specialized IV bags, ketamine therapy, hormone optimization and weight loss therapy methods.
