Hormones are some of the most important things in your body, yet many people aren’t clear on what they do.
Hormones are chemical messengers produced by your endocrine system that tell your body exactly what it needs to be doing. They have the power to affect everything from your hunger levels to how tired you feel.
In a perfect world, your hormones would operate reliably and as they should. However, that doesn’t always happen, and in many cases, people experience hormone issues.
So what sort of problems should you watch out for?
Keep reading to learn about seven hormone issue symptoms that might be a sign of a bigger problem.
1. Weight Gain
After a year of pandemics and quarantines, weight fluctuations are natural and to be expected. However, in some cases, weight gain can be a sign of a deeper, hormonal problem.
Weight gain that starts as a side-effect of stress can cause your body to produce cortisol. Your body uses cortisol to protect itself from danger, but it ends up holding onto it as a form of protection and energy.
Speak with your doctor to see what they recommend. The solution may require you to reduce your stress levels, but your doctor might also want to check and see if there’s a correlation between hormone issues and weight gain.
2. Exhaustion and Fatigue
It’s natural to feel tired and exhausted from time to time, but those feelings should disappear when you tend to them. Feelings of fatigue that don’t dissipate with rest, healthy foods, and hydration might have deeper issues.
If you can’t seem to get your energy levels to how they should be, make a point to meet with your doctor. They’ll help evaluate your hormones to figure out what the problem is.
In many cases, it’s a sign of a thyroid problem or adrenal fatigue. Both of these problems are common in the fast-paced and hectic society that we live in.
3. Anxiety
Many people suffer from anxiety, and for many of those people, it isn’t just “in their heads”. Oftentimes, anxiety and high levels of stress can trigger hormonal problems that, in turn, make them more severe.
Women have a higher risk of suffering from anxiety because of how estrogen levels change during pregnancy, the menstrual cycle, and menopause. Lower levels of estrogen tend to increase women’s susceptibility to fear and other negative emotions.
In men, the same is true with testosterone. Men with lower levels suffer from higher levels of anxiety and depression. Check out this article to learn about some of the signs of low testosterone.
4. Difficulty Sleeping
Almost everyone has the occasional night where they struggle to fall asleep. However, if you think that you have a more severe sleep condition or even insomnia, the problem might stem from a hormonal issue.
Studies link insomnia to problems in your hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. This is the spot where your nervous and endocrine systems interact, as well as where your body produces hormones.
Your body might not be producing enough melatonin, which is the hormone that helps you fall asleep. It might also be producing too much cortisol, which, as mentioned, keeps you wired and ready for action.
5. Changes With Hair and Skin
Most people think that a proper skincare routine is the way to get glowing skin, but that’s not always the case. Oftentimes, internal hormonal issues that cause acne might be preventing you from getting the skin you crave.
One of the hormones that your body produces is androgens. These regulate sebum production, so when your body releases too many androgens and therefore has excess amounts of sebum, it can lead to acne and breakouts.
The same goes for your hair. Problems with your thyroid can lead to dry, brittle hair. In some cases, it can even lead to hair thinning and loss.
6. Problems With Digestion
Your gut is one of the areas of your body that stress can affect the most. In fact, the region has more neurotransmitters than your brain.
If you suffer from high levels of stress or depression, you might find that you also experience digestive issues. Most of the time, this takes the form of nausea, bloating, and diarrhea.
Your hormones have a big effect on your gut because they control the microbiome and the bacteria that reside there. When you’re stressed, the hormonal imbalance can shake up the bacteria populations, leading to the issues mentioned.
7. Low Libido
If you used to have a strong sex drive and suddenly notice low levels of libido, a hormonal imbalance might be behind the problem. For most people, this happens as they get older, around the age of 50.
At age 50, our bodies begin to stop producing testosterone and estrogen. Both of these control your sex drive, so when their levels start to change, you might find that you have a lower libido than you did before.
Hormone issues in women are also common. As women age, lower estrogen levels can cause irregular periods. These can also be painful and heavy.
Make sure to schedule an appointment with your doctor to see if they have any supplements or treatments that can help.
Respond to Hormone Issues as Soon as Possible
If you find that you’re experiencing any of these hormone issues, make sure to speak with a doctor. They’ll be able to get to the root of the problem, as well as get to work treating it.
You’ll also want to ensure that you’re taking care of your body. That means eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and tending to your mental health.
Did you learn about some hormone issue symptoms that you didn’t know before? If you did, make sure to check out some of our other posts for more health and fitness guides and tips.
It’s nice that you talked about how hormones are some of the most important things in your body. My cousin has been gaining a lot of weight lately and it is apparently due to hormonal imbalance. It seems quite troublesome but fortunately, there are hormone issue treatments available now.