When a woman’s female sex hormones are being produced at all the right levels, these hormones contribute significantly to a healthy balanced life. But the problem is, hormones can get out of balance – most notably at key times in a woman’s life such as during puberty, after childbirth, and during menopause.
Hormones are the chemical messengers which our endocrine system creates to send important messages throughout our body and this assists in the regulation of many vital processes in our bodies.
When women’s hormones become imbalanced – the messages the hormones are sending aren’t quite right as well and this can affect your mental and physical health.
There are quite a few symptoms that point towards a hormonal imbalance and these include mood changes, fatigue, hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbance, daytime sleepiness, changes in your menstrual cycle, weight gain, painful periods, and debilitating PMS.
There are ways to treat hormonal imbalances naturally including the most common one which is called Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). This treatment uses synthetic hormones and is mainly prescribed for menopausal women. But there have been several studies finding health risks from the side effects of this therapy – see this story here.
So, a more natural form of hormone therapy has emerged using naturally occurring hormones such as estrogen and progestin. This therapy alleviates the symptoms of a hormonal imbalance and it’s often used as a treatment along with a good diet and exercise program.
When does a hormone imbalance start?
For women, a hormone imbalance can strike at those times when their hormonal levels are changing drastically – for example during puberty, pregnancy, after giving birth and menopause.
At these times in women’s lives, dramatic changes are occurring in the hormonal levels of their body and they can sometimes get out of balance or simply not return to the right levels after major events such as giving birth.
Female hormones include estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, DAGA and cortisol. For women, the three sex hormones are: estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. Although we understand these three hormones to be female hormones, they’re also present in the male body in smaller amounts.
The messages these hormones send fulfil certain functions including:
- Production of energy
- Libido or sexual desire
- Youthful appearance
- Weight maintenance
If your hormones are unbalanced, this can have a major impact on your daily life and physical activity.
Symptoms of a hormone imbalance include:
- Fatigue
- Lack of energy
- Poor concentration
- Lack of libido
- Depression
- Weakened immune system
- Chronic degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis and arthritis
- Irregular menstrual cycles, heavy menstruation, infertility, severe premenstrual syndrome or polycystic ovary syndrome can occur.
More about your hormones and what they do
Estrogens
Estrogensare hormones – often referred to as female sex hormones – and they’re important for sexual and reproductive development, mainly in women. The term ‘estrogen’ refers to all of the chemically similar hormones in this group, which are estrone, estradiol (primary in women of reproductive age) and estriol.
In women, estrogen is responsible for normal development, regular menstrual cycles, keeping cholesterol within normal limits and ensuring bones are strong. Stress and poor diet can increase the level of estrogen in the blood and consequently lower the level of the hormone progesterone. This often leads to a stronger premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Progesterone
Progesterone is a steroid hormone and it’s an important part of the menstrual cycle. It also plays a major role in pregnancy and child development. Low levels of this hormone can cause a range of pregnancy problems including miscarriage. Before menopause, progesterone is usually lacking in women’s bodies, so it needs to be replaced
Progesterone has a beneficial effect on blood vessels, migraines during menstruation, as well as the occurrence of cramps in the arteries. This hormone promotes well-being, and its influence is important in preventing breast, ovarian and bowel cancer.
Testosterone
Testosterone is considered a more ‘male hormone’ but it’s also important for women. Healthy women can produce up to 300 micrograms of testosterone a day in their ovaries and adrenal glands. Testosterone promotes increased sex drive and higher libido in both sexes. This hormone is also important for a sufficient level of red blood cells, bone density, muscle mass, quality sleep and a high level of body energy.
Low levels of the hormone testosterone can cause serious health problems, such as decreased libido, weak orgasms, fatigue, depression, mood swings, decreased physical strength, and loss of bone turnover.
Your Thyroid
While the thyroid is not a hormone, it does produce hormones. So, if you’re experiencing a thyroid imbalance, you could also have some symptoms including: weight gain or weight loss, hair loss, dry skin and nails, constipation, diarrhea, and racing heartbeats.
What can you do about a hormone imbalance?
Often you can be struggling with the symptoms of a hormone imbalance but you’re not aware of what’s causing the problem, so you can feel there’s nothing you can do about it.
If you’re experiencing some of the symptoms we’ve mentioned in this story, you can book in to see me as your health coach. I specialize in women’s health and hormonal issues.