Hormones are chemical messengers that travel to the body’s tissues and organs through the bloodstream. They control our appetite and metabolism, sleep cycles, sexual function and general mood and stress levels. A hormone imbalance can cause various symptoms, including fatigue, itchy skin and irregular periods.
How Does Hormone Imbalance Affect Your Health?
Hormones are powerful chemical messengers that carry signals through the bloodstream to tissues and organs. They are important in our metabolism, energy levels and sexual function. When hormones are out of balance, it can cause many symptoms. For example, women with hormonal imbalances might experience hot flashes and other signs of menopause. Fatigue is another common symptom. If you’re always tired and don’t know why, a blood test can measure your thyroid hormone levels and determine if they are too low. A hormonal imbalance can affect males and females at any age. It’s more common during puberty, pregnancy, menstruation and menopause, but health conditions, stress, diet and certain medications can also cause it. Most people will go through at least one period of hormonal imbalance during their lifetime. Fortunately, it’s usually a temporary condition that will resolve itself. However, some people will have a chronic imbalance that requires treatment to help manage symptoms.
What Are the Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance?
Your hormones control many functions, including appetite and metabolism, sleep cycles, reproductive cycles and sexual function, body temperature and mood. When your hormones get out of balance, you may notice various symptoms. Your healthcare provider will perform blood tests to check your hormone levels and determine what’s causing them to become unbalanced. They may also order an imaging test for tumors or other conditions affecting your endocrine system. Hormonal imbalances can affect men and women differently based on their endocrine systems and hormone-related cycles. Symptoms can include weight changes, fatigue, sex drive issues, itchy skin and low energy. Other signs of hormone imbalances include insomnia, bloating and digestive problems like diarrhea and constipation. High cholesterol and trouble concentrating can also indicate a hormonal issue. Some dietary and lifestyle changes can help alleviate these symptoms. They may include avoiding foods with added sugar, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, getting enough sleep, and regular exercise.
What are the Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Hormones are our body’s chemical messengers, leading complex communications between different organs and systems. They can help you stay physically healthy, but your whole system may feel the effects when they become unbalanced. Visiting a hormone replacement therapy Denver clinic can help you treat many hormone imbalance symptoms, especially for women during perimenopause and after menopause.
Hormonal treatment can be delivered through a pill, ring, patch or shot. For women, it can include estrogen and progesterone to help with irregular menstrual periods or genital symptoms, such as vaginal dryness or urinary frequency. Estrogen-only hormone therapy is also available and has lower blood clots or heart disease risks.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a way to replace the hormones naturally produced in the body. It is taken as a capsule or injection and can be used to treat thyroid hormone deficiency, growth hormone deficiency or both. It is most commonly given to women during perimenopause and after they reach post-menopause, but it can be used for transgender hormone therapy and men with testosterone deficiency.
How Can Hormone Replacement Therapy Help You?
Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different bodily functions by carrying signals through your blood to your organs and tissues. Too much or too little of a certain hormone can lead to irregular menstruation, ovarian cysts and amenorrhea. These imbalances can be caused by natural aging, certain medical conditions or external factors like stress and hormone medications. Some people may experience a permanent hormonal imbalance due to genetics or head trauma. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) replaces the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, which become at a lower level during menopause, which can relieve a range of symptoms. Many women take HRT through hormone pellets placed under the skin and slowly released over three months. However, the mix of hormones used in these pellets has not been tested, meaning you could be taking too much or too little, which can cause your symptoms to worsen. Alternatively, you can try bio-identical hormones, which have been shown to reduce your risk of a hormonal imbalance.
