Hormonal Imbalance: Symptoms, Treatment, Tests, and Causes

Hormonal imbalance is a condition when there’s too much or too little hormone in the blood. Hormones are basically the chemicals produced in the endocrine system by various glands. The main function of hormones is to deliver messages to various organs that tell them what and when to do things. Hormones carry these messages through blood and play an essential role in the human body, hence even a small imbalance can cause various side effects. The various major process of the body like metabolism and reproduction are also controlled by hormones.

Hormones are responsible for smooth functioning and regulation of:

• The functioning of heart and heart rate
• Metabolism
• Mood swings
• Stress levels
• Growth and development of the body
• Appetite
• Reproductive cycles and functioning

What are the symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance?

There are different symptoms associated with hormonal imbalance depending on which glands are affected. Both men and women can be affected by the condition due to imbalances in insulin or steroids. The most probable signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalance are:

• Disturbed sleep cycles
• Unexpected and unexplained weight loss or weight gain
• Skin allergies: skin rashes or dry skin
• Irregular heart rate
• Changes in blood pressure of the body
• Unnecessary sweating
• Sudden anxiety issues
• General Irritation
• Brittle bones and pain in bones
• Depression
• Increased hunger and thirst
• Headache
• Distorted vision
• Changes in breast or breast tenderness

If you think that your body is showing any of these symptoms, the first thing to do is to book a doctor’s appointment. We at Pathkind labs have doctors specialized in diagnosing such symptoms and providing appropriate solutions.

Causes of Hormonal Imbalance

The main cause of hormonal imbalance is the irregular functioning of endocrine glands. These glands produce, store and release hormones in the bloodstream. A person’s lifestyle and habits also play an important part in maintaining the balance of the hormones. Also, hormonal imbalance can be caused due to the side-effects of the various medical conditions. Some of the identified causes of Hormonal Imbalance are:

• Diabetes
• Underactive and overactive thyroid
• Chronic stress
• Poor diet
• Unhealthy lifestyle and toxic habits
• Overweight and obese conditions
• Pituitary tumors
• Hyperglycaemia (excess of production of glucagon) and Hypoglycaemia (excess of production of insulin)
• Medications on birth control
• Medications on birth control
• Anorexia
• Injuries to the endocrine gland
• Pancreatitis (if hereditary)
• Goiters- Deficiency of iodine
• Cushing syndrome (high level of cortisol hormone) and Addison’s disease (low level of cortisol)
• Turner Syndrome
• Prader-Willi syndrome
• Excessive exposure to pollutants and toxins including pesticides, insecticides or herbicides that affect the endocrine glands
• Other infections and allergies

Treatment and tests

The first thing that you should do if you think you are facing my hormonal imbalance symptoms to booking an appointment with a specialized doctor. The doctor will ask you questions related to your condition including past history, the duration for which you are experiencing these conditions, present situation and effect on the body, etc. Based on this information, your doctor will suggest you various tests:

• Blood test The doctor will take a sample of your blood and send it to test the hormone level in your blood. Hormones such as thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol levels can be easily detected in your blood and the doctor can accordingly suggest an effective treatment.
• Ultrasound test By using an ultrasound machine, doctors will look inside your body for any abnormalities.
• Pelvic sound This test differs from gender to gender, as in, for females, your doctor will perform you a pap smear to detect any lumps. If you are am male, your doctor will suggest checking your scrotum for any lumps.
• Other related tests
• MRI
• Thyroid scan
• X-Ray
• Biopsy
• Sperm count

Doctors suggest various treatments based on what kind of hormonal imbalance your body is going through. This hormonal Imbalance is determined through various tests mentioned above. Some of the most common treatment includes:

Estrogen therapy Estrogen therapy is suggested when you experience menopause symptoms lie hot flashes. Your doctor will probably suggest a low dosage of estrogen to maintain the hormonal balance.

Vaginal Estrogen therapy The doctor may suggest you apply a cream, tablet or a ring if you feel vaginal dryness or pain during sex. This therapy minimizes the risk related to systematic estrogen.

Hormonal birth controls When one tries to get pregnant, it mostly results in an imbalance of hormones. At such times, hormonal birth controls such as birth control pill, birth control shot, vaginal ring, etc help regulation and maintenance of the menstrual cycle.

Metformin

Anti-androgen medications Male sex hormones present in both men and women are called androgens. High level of androgens in female causes side effects such as hair loss, growth of facial loss, acne, etc. Hence, women should take anti-androgen medications.

Testosterone therapy Low levels of testosterone cause various hormonal imbalance symptoms. Hence doctors suggest testosterone therapy, which also stimulates puberty in adolescents.

Thyroid Hormone therapy Hormonal imbalance caused in people suffering from thyroid resort to synthetic hormone levothyroxine to maintain hormone levels.

All these tests are easily available and efficiently done in all Pathkind labs without any hassle. Hormonal imbalance is a condition that every human being goes through at one point in their life. However, if this hormonal imbalance is affecting the smooth functioning of your body, it immediately needs medical attention. Pathkind labs have solutions to all kinds of Hormonal imbalance problems and our doctors do a thorough test to detect your condition. Based on the results, the doctors at Pathkind will provide an appropriate treatment apt for your condition.