by Karishma
Experiencing hormonal imbalance at different stages of life is normal, however keeping the hormones balanced is also very important. The natural cycle of the body would result into hormonal imbalance during the puberty and menopause period. Some would experience mild hormonal imbalance during perimenopause period too. Though being a natural process, it brings along many symptoms, some of which may resemble the symptoms of many life threatening diseases.
Some may ignore these symptoms completely even after experiencing lots of disruptions in their routine, while some others may resort to panic situation due to misleading symptoms. Hormonal imbalance would not be always dangerous but sheer negligence would lead to certain complications.
The signs of hormonal imbalance would differ for men and women. These symptoms are more prominent during some stages of life, however one may experience some or all of these symptoms anytime in the life based on the severity of the imbalance. Here are some common symptoms to watch for!
Symptoms for Men
Following symptoms can be watched in men to ascertain whether they are suffering from hormonal imbalance.
- Increase in belly fat or body fat
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Anger attacks
- Reduced libido levels
- Muscle weakness
- Night sweats
- Hot flashes
- Erection issues
- Irritability
Most of these symptoms are associated with ageing, however the main reason is hormonal imbalance.
Symptoms for women
The body structure is different for men and women, so are the symptoms. The symptoms for hormonal imbalance for women are –
- Sudden weight gain
- Unexplained fatigue
- Night sweats
- Hot flashes
- Irregularity in menstruation
- Insomnia and sleeping disorder
- Lowered libido levels
Above symptoms may not always indicate severe disorder, but if the symptoms start affecting your life then these are the danger signs for sure! Some of these symptoms are same as those of certain chronic health conditions, hence it is better to diagnose the problem as soon as possible.
Once you diagnose the problem as hormonal imbalance, you now need to balance it!
Balancing the imbalance
Hormones can be balanced again with certain lifestyle changes, over the counter medicines, and for severe imbalance, you may also require prescription drugs. The line of treatment is decided by the doctor based on the blood reports.
Some of the common lifestyle and diet changes that your doctor would prescribe are –
- Nutritious diet – Nutrition rich diet solves half the problem. You will have to change your diet to fiber rich and fat free diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables will make up for the nutrients lost due to the hormonal imbalance.
- Manage Stress – Stress is the reason for both physical and mental fatigue. Too much of stress affects the functions of your body, which would also result in hormone fluctuation. Stress management is possible by meditation, nurturing your hobby, keeping yourself busy in the activity of your choice, or by anything that you find interesting. Various breathing exercises are available to lower down the stress effectively.
- Physical exercise – Hormonal imbalance is triggered due to both physical and emotional reasons. For the physical well-being you should form a regular exercise routine. Many good hormones are secreted because of physical exercise. Endorphins, the happy hormones are released because of certain exercises like walking, jogging, aerobics, and dance. When you exercise regularly, you manage stress effectively and also make your body systems run effectively. This will slowly balance all the hormones in your body.
- Proper sleep and rest – Sleeping disorders are resulted from hormonal imbalance, but proper rest and sleep are two important factors for regularizing the hormone levels. Proper rest would recalibrate the biological clock of your body to regularize the hormone levels during all times of the day. Ensuring proper sleep during night hours would also keep you fresh during day time.
Hormonal imbalance is one of the common health problems that would occur naturally and also go away on its own, but some irregularities would require timely treatment to avoid severe health problems in future. Consult your doctor if you come across any of the symptoms mentioned above or even when there are any irregularities found in your body. Diagnosis in time increases the chances of complete cure.
Author Bio:
Karishma has been writing for various health and fitness websites for almost a decade. This has turned out to be her hobby, profession and passion. She also shares her knowledge about health, fitness and weight management with Nutra Pure HCG to spread awareness about weight loss and homeopathic HCG drops.