You Shouldn’t Ignore These Signs of Hormonal Imbalance

Hormones have an essential role in the body and any imbalance can lead to serious problems like anger, frustrations, and mood swings.

Hormonal imbalances are more common in puberty, menopause and perimenopause. This imbalance is caused by leading an unhealthy lifestyle, stress, menstrual cycle, pregnancy and contraception.

This can in turn affect your life and you should learn to recognize the main symptoms:

Most common symptoms of hormonal imbalances
  • Hunger – a hormonal imbalance can lead to weight issues and unhealthy cravings. This is due to an increased level od ghrelin, the hormone for increasing appetite.
  • Fatigue – If you feel tired all the time it’s a sign that you have increased cortisol levels.
  • Mood swings – This type of imbalance can cause a change in your mood, so you could end up feeling sad, happy, mad, angry etc. Mood swings are often more common during a menstrual cycle and menopause. Estrogen and progesterone have an essential role here.
Read through the remaining 3 symptoms
  • Libido loss – Hormonal imbalance can have a great effect on your sexuality. If there is a change in your sex drive you should check your estrogen, thyroid hormone and testosterone levels.
  • Insomnia – Sleep disorders are common during a hormonal imbalance. If you sleep erratically during the night and wake up this might be the reason. Women during menopause usually have this disorder. This is due to improper cortisol levels. Insufficient estrogen can affect sleeping.   
  • Obesity – If you gain weight without control than you can have a problem with your hormones. An imbalance of the hormones can affect the metabolism and can prevent the body from burning calories. People who suffer from this type of hormonal imbalance gain weight in the abdominal area.


7 Signs Of Hormonal Imbalance In Men

Most people don’t realize that men go through hormonal shifts, just like women. These natural changes happen over a long period of time, but can also be caused by chronic illness or stress. And since hormones control normal functions of the body, you can notice when there’s something wrong. Masculine physical traits, which are ruled by sex hormones, can also change. This can be stressful for any man, but could be treated with a doctor’s help.


When it comes to hormones, most people think about women. But the truth is that hormones affect men just as much! In fact, men go through an age-related hormonal shift called andropause, or “the male menopause.”

This decline is slow and gradual, unlike the female menopause. Hormonal changes can also happen from underlying illnesses, stress, or unhealthy lifestyle habits. But when hormones aren’t balanced, men will notice a couple symptoms. Here are seven of the common signs:

1. Weight Gain
Testosterone, the male sex hormone, is responsible for muscle mass and the masculine look. But when the testosterone levels are low, body fat and weight increase. High stress levels can also elevate cortisol, a stress hormone that accumulates fat cells and packs on the pounds.

2. Poor Libido
A low sex drive might be caused by imbalanced testosterone, the follicle-stimulating hormone, and the luteinizing hormone. Normally, these work together to help the reproductive system thrive.

3. Erectile Dysfunction
Along with low testosterone, an abnormal level of thyroid hormones can lead to erectile dysfunction (ED). Testosterone controls how well the body performs important functions.

High prolactin, the hormone that makes breast milk, is another cause. Both men and women make prolactin in the pituitary gland, but men obviously don’t make enough to produce milk. Problems with the pituitary gland can boost prolactin production, causing ED.


4. Fatigue
Do you feel tired even after a full night’s rest? If so, your testosterone levels might be low, causing grogginess and insomnia. Prolonged stress can also increase cortisol, which regulates your sleep cycle. High levels can lead to tiredness and weakness, but low levels may also have a similar effect.

5. Depression
Low testosterone equals a low mood. An under-active thyroid gland, or hypothyroidism, might also be the culprit. This condition is marked by a lack of the thyroid hormone, leading to mood swings, sadness, or a lack of motivation.

However, depression can also stem from dealing with the other symptoms listed here.

6. Hair Loss
Any testosterone that is produced may convert into other molecules. In the hair, an enzyme turns it into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This super potent and is the main cause of age-related balding. Hair growth is also blunted, while existing hair becomes thin and weak.

7. Breast Enlargement
Normally, a man’s body produces more testosterone than estrogen, the female sex hormone. This is why men have flatter chests and more masculine features. But when hormonal imbalance causes estrogen to increase (and testosterone to decrease), breast enlargement occurs.

When a man has a hormonal imbalance, a combination of any of these symptoms can occur. The imbalance can be caused by the normal aging process or some underlying conditions. If any of these sound familiar, talk to your doctor for treatment options.