Depending on the glands that are affected, even the slightest change of hormone balance in the body can set off a chain reaction. Hormones regulate metabolism, heart rate, sleep cycles, reproductive functions, mood levels, growth and development, and body temperature. You can have too much or too little of a hormone and can severely what goes on in your body.
What Are the Causes of Hormone Imbalance?
Depending on which hormones and glands are affected will determine the type of hormone imbalance you will see in the body. Common causes include:
• Diabetes
• Thyroiditis
• Tumors
• Eating Disorders
• Stress
• Medication
• & More!
What Type of Hormone Imbalances are More Prevalent in Women and Men?
For women, there are several changes throughout life in which hormones can be offset including puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and the stages of menopause. Of course, these are natural occurrences within the body, and because women have different endocrine organs from men, they have more opportunities for hormone imbalance.
Women have hormone imbalances that are geared specifically for that sex, including menopause, pregnancy, breastfeeding, PCOS, and ovarian insufficiency.
Men may exhibit a hormone imbalance during puberty and aging. Medical conditions that can cause a hormone imbalance include prostate cancer, and hypogonadism. The symptoms may involve reduced sex drive, muscle mass, and body hair growth, low sperm count, breast tenderness, etc.
What Treatment Options Are Available?
Women with hormone imbalances can utilize birth control to avoid getting pregnant, and to regulate irregular menstrual cycles and symptoms. Vaginal estrogen and hormone replacement medications can reduce vaginal dryness and severe menopause symptoms.
The treatment options for men cover metformin and levothyroxine that aid in those with type 3 diabetes, and improving the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Your doctor may ask you a series of questions followed up with tests that can deduce the main issue.