7 Pesky Signs of Hormone Imbalance and How to Deal With Them
Have you been feeling off lately? Like you get upset easily or you cry over little things. Much to your annoyance, pimples pop out at the worst of timings.
Is there something wrong with you? Mood swings and acne breakout are two of the many pesky signs of hormone imbalance. That means yes, there’s something wrong specifically with your hormones.
Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers. These hormones flow through the bloodstream to the organs to instruct them what to do and when to do their stuff.
These hormones are responsible for many functions in the body. They control your sleep and wake cycles, body temperature, stress levels, appetite, metabolism, heart rate, mood, and sexual drive.
Too important, aren’t they? Just like anything else that has a role in how your body operates, when hormones are out of whack, it means trouble.
Would you let these crazy hormones take control of your days? You shouldn’t. Below are the most common signs of hormone imbalance and how to deal with them.
Acne
If you’re not used to acne breakouts and your skincare products can’t get rid of them, your hormones could be the ones to blame.
Those pimples that seem to be having a party all over your face could be because you have excessive androgens. These male hormones (yes, females also have androgens) control your sebum production.
When you have too many androgens, your body will produce more sebum than needed. Sebum and dirt may clog your pores causing pimples to appear.
How to deal with hormonal acne? Oral contraceptives or anti-androgen medications are given to those who are dealing with cystic acne. Retinoids (stronger formulation) may also be prescribed by your doctor to clear up your skin.
Following a proper skincare routine also helps to prevent acne. Wash your face with a mild cleanser in the morning and at night. Avoid comedogenic products, they clog your pores. And don’t forget to always wear sunscreen!
Anxiety
Talking about anxiety and what causes this condition may branch out to far more topics. You can get anxiety from your stressful lifestyle or unhealthy habits. Or it could be because of hormonal imbalance.
Any imbalance in hormone production can lead to stress and potential anxiety. When the organs involved produce more or less of the usual hormone count, this will cause physical responses that trigger stress.
Pregnancy causes almost all of your hormones to go crazy, which leads to physical, emotional, and psychological changes (often undesirable). Anxiety is one of the major results of this hormonal imbalance.
Digestion problems
Keeping your gut healthy will keep unwanted issues at bay including hormonal imbalances. That’s because hormones and your gut’s microbiome have a close connection.
A leaky gut can interfere with the functions of estrobolome, the gut bacteria that metabolize estrogen. And you know that estrogen imbalance may lead to further distressing effects like sudden weight gain or weight gain, constipation, or frequent bowel movements.
Your gut is also responsible for producing 95 percent of the serotonin in your body. Insufficient amount of this happy hormone does not only affect your mood but can also lead to eating disorders, poor appetite, weight gain, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Fatigue
Feeling tired all the time? If this exhaustion won’t go away despite having adequate rest or pampering yourself with a relaxing massage, then hypothyroidism could be the culprit.
Fatigue is a common result of low thyroid hormone levels, which can be diagnosed with a blood test. The stress, anxiety, and insomnia you suffer from other hormone imbalances can give rise to chronic fatigue.
Addressing these imbalances is the only way to prevent further signs and symptoms from interfering with your normal bodily functions.
Low sex drive
Are you feeling it less often or less intense than before? Experiencing a decreased sex drive is an effect of low levels of sex hormones in both men and women.
Aside from testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone levels, cortisol and thyroid also affect your libido. Stress and underperforming thyroid gland influence your desire (or lack thereof) for sex.
Taking an adaptogen could help bring back the fire. And don’t hesitate to talk to your partner about what you’re going through. Maybe it’s time to explore new stuff in the intimacy department.
Mood swings
Getting emotional for trivial reasons? Nope, you’re not overreacting. Your hormones might be to blame.
You experience irritability, anger, anxiety, sadness, and other mood disturbances when that time of the month is nearing. These can all be connected to premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
But mood swings strike from different directions or hormonal influences. As mentioned earlier, your gut is where the majority of your happy hormones come from. When your gut is healthy, you’re happy.
Now if you’re having issues with your cortisol levels, better take your self-care routine seriously this time. Breakaway from anything that stresses you out.
Keep your insulin levels in check. When your blood sugar spikes and crashes down, your mood becomes directly affected, too. The same goes for your thyroid. Since it regulates your mood, an inactive thyroid will most likely prompt your sluggish disposition.
Weight gain
Your emotional state when suffering from PMS increases your cravings for comfort foods, which are high in fat, sugar, and salt. Dubbed as comfort foods, these are what you presumed to make you happy or feel better.
Estrogen, thyroid, insulin, and cortisol imbalances trigger weight gain. But there’s one hormone that when out of whack, can make it difficult for you to lose weight.
Leptin is the hormone that regulates your appetite and tells your brain to stop eating because you’re already full. But leptin’s function can be disrupted when you consume too much fructose from fruits or processed food.
When your body becomes overwhelmed with too much fructose, it will convert the fructose into fats, which will then travel through the bloodstream to your liver and your belly.
Leptin comes from fat cells. So more fat cells mean more leptin. And as with any hormone, when your leptin levels increase, it will fail to carry out its normal function. Your brain might not receive the message that you should stop eating, which eventually makes you gain weight.
Natural ways to balance your hormones
Hormone imbalance may seem to be a complicated issue to resolve. But don’t lose your confidence because there are natural ways that can help balance your hormones and regain your control over your holistic wellbeing.
- Manage your stress
- Exercise regularly
- Skip the sugar and refined carbs
- Eat the right amount of food your body needs
- Get at least seven hours of quality sleep each night
- Include fiber, protein, fatty fish, and healthy fats in your diet
- Take a natural supplement for hormone balance
DIM is a natural compound from cruciferous vegetables that can help regulate your hormones. It promotes good estrogen, supports weight loss, eliminates acne, and provides menopause relief for women. For men, DIM boosts testosterone, blocks estrogen, improves prostate health, and increases libido.
Get your DIM supplement today and bring your hormones back on track!
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