Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance:
- Irregular or absent periods: Increasing irregularities in your period signal a disruption in the hormonal activity that controls menstruation. Often, the cause is an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. It can also b due to a condition called PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) or increased testosterone. It can also be related to increased levels of stress hormones..
- Weight gain: Changes to your weight or body shape are caused by shifting hormones, particularly in menopause, that tell your body to store fat in the abdomen. This can occur even if you’ve never had a weight problem before.
- Irritability and/or moodiness: Feeling out of control or overwhelmed can be caused by changes in your sex hormones, your adrenal stress hormones or your thyroid hormones. .
- Skin issues: Adult acne is associated with sex hormone imbalances.
- Hair loss/unusual hair growth: Imbalances in thyroid function or between estrogen and testosterone can cause thinning hair, and high levels of testosterone can lead to unusual hair growth, including on the face.
- Infertility: Women with PCOS often have high amounts of androgens (including testosterone) as well as insulin resistance. Both contribute to increased estrogen, along with lack of ovulation and infertility.
- Fatigue/loss of energy: Thyroid hormones imbalances and chronic stress that leads to adrenal hormone dysfunction are the most likely contributors.
Take the following quiz to see if you have issues of hormone imbalance:
o I am gaining weight for no clear reason or am unable to lose weight with a diet and exercise program
o My “normal” body temperature is low (below 98.2° when I take it)
o My hands and feet are cold to the touch and I frequently feel cold when others do not
o I feel fatigued or exhausted more than normal
o I have a slow pulse, and/or low blood pressure
o I have been told I have high cholesterol
o My hair is rough, coarse dry, breaking, brittle, or falling out
o My skin is rough, coarse, dry, scaly, itchy, and thick
o My nails have been dry and brittle, and break more easily
o My eyebrows appear to be thinning, particularly the outer portion
o My voice has become hoarse and/or ‘gravelly’
o I have pains, aches, stiffness, or tingling in joints, muscles, hands and/or feet
o I have carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, or plantar fasciitis
o I am constipated (less than 1 bowel movement daily)
o I feel depressed, restless, moody, sad
o I have difficulty concentrating or remembering things
o I have a low sex drive
o My eyes feel gritty, dry, light-sensitive
o My neck or throat feels full, with pressure, or larger than usual, and/or I have difficulty swallowing
o I have puffiness and swelling around the eyes, eyelids, face, feet, hands and feet
o I am having irregular menstrual cycles (longer, or heavier, or more frequent)
Trillium Functional Medicine can help you assess your hormone imbalances and get you on a road to resolving the above issues.