What are the symptoms of hormonal imbalance in women? Hormonal imbalance symptoms in women may include; sudden cravings, short time memory loss, headaches and migraines, poor sleeping patterns, high irritability, excessive sweeting etc.
What is hormonal imbalance?
Hormonal imbalance refers to the fluctuations in the normal hormone levels in the body. Hormonal imbalance in women may occur during puberty, menopause and perimenopause. Hormone imbalance may also be caused by toxins or living an unbalanced lifestyle.
Hormonal imbalance symptoms in women.
What causes hormonal imbalance in women
Hormone variations in women occur naturally, hormonal imbalance may occur during puberty, menopause and perimenopause. Hormone imbalance may also be caused by toxins or living an unbalanced lifestyle. Understanding the causes of hormone imbalance helps us to prevent them, and at the same time, feel better, think better, and better prevent breast cancer.
Moreover, there are many factors that can influence the levels of the female hormones found in the body and it is known that the absence of certain key macro- and micronutrients will affect hormone release by inhibition or causing an over secretion leading to hormone levels away from the expected norm.
Hormonal imbalance symptoms in women
How can you identify hormonal imbalance in women? Most of the women experience drastic physical changes when they the age of 40 to 50 years. However, the substantial internal changes that women do undergo reflect changes in their hormones. Some of the symptoms in women are caused by changes in diet, change in the lifestyle and the environment.
These symptoms greatly reveal a natural hormone imbalance in women. Hormonal imbalance symptoms are very stressful. There having known them may help in the treatment. Below are some of the major symptoms of hormonal imbalance in women:
1. Headaches and migraines
Headaches and migraines are cause by fluctuations in estrogen. This hormone controls the chemicals in the brain that cause or relieve the feelings of pain. The decline in estrogen levels can lead to headaches. According to WomensHealth.gov, “around two-thirds of women who regularly have migraines say their symptoms gradually dissipate when they reach menopause. But for others, the symptoms worsen. “
2. Poor sleeping patterns in women
During both perimenopause and menopause, a woman’s ovaries stop producing as many progesterone hormones. Since hormones promote sleep, it becomes a problem. This can be highly unsettling, and the disturbed balance in these specific hormone levels can cause difficulty in both sleeping and the ability to fall asleep.
Moreover, lowered estrogen levels can make you more likely to be influenced by environmental factors, which can lead to disruptions in sleep.
3. High Irritability
During different stages of menopause, fluctuating hormone levels can have a direct, but complicated effect on how the brain arranges moods and emotions. Thus, high irritability can likely be one of the side effects of this strange and difficult period
After all, many perimenopause women experience what is known as “emotional” symptoms. These can include any kind of disturbance in mood.
4. Excessive sweating
Hot flashes are one of the most evident signs of both perimenopause and menopause. Everyone experiences this particular symptom differently, however. Some women experience this symptom without sweating at all. Others sweat constantly and even struggle with it at night.
According to WebMD, “up to 75 percent of women experience hot flashes and both day and night sweats when they’re in a perimenopausal stage. Dr. Valerie Omicioli, a professor of gynecology at the University of Maryland, says, for 25 to 30 percent of women, this symptom can even be serious enough to affect their quality of life. “
5. Constant fatigue
There are different levels of fatigue. One level to look out for is crashing fatigue, which causes muscle weakness, exhaustion and clearly reduced energy levels. This is different from mere drowsiness, which is what you feel when you want to sleep.
As a woman experiencing symptoms that are more drastic than usual, make sure to get checked out by a doctor. You may have confused fatigue with chronic fatigue syndrome, which does not improve with rest. The illness can negatively impact physical and mental activity.
6. Mood swings
Although it is not clear on what causes mood swings, there is a strong connection between fluctuating hormone levels and changes in emotion. The hormones that trigger ovulation and menstruation also help release serotonin, a chemical that helps you regulate your moods.
Menopause expert Eileen Durward says, “During menopause, these hormones decline. In turn, so does the level of serotonin. Unfortunately, the decline in these hormone levels isn’t always smooth. When serotonin levels are high, you’ll be in a better mood.” However, the decrease in serotonin leads to worse moods.
7. Indigestion
Indigestion in women can arise as a result of hormonal imbalance. When women go through perimenopause or menopause, the level of estrogen in your body declines. This means that levels of cortisol are out of balance. When estrogen levels are high, cortisol is low.
That’s how blood sugar and blood pressure are kept in check. When estrogen levels in women are low, adrenaline can be triggered more easily. According to Durward, this greatly affects your body’s digestive abilities. Therefore, women may build up more gas, bloat more easily and become constipated.
8. Sudden cravings
While going through menopausal stages, our bodies’ main hormones; insulin, adrenaline and cortisol go through a turbulent ride. While adrenaline and cortisol manage our stress levels, insulin controls our blood sugar levels. They rise when we consume too much sugar and processed foods.
These hormones are responsible for a larger network of properties, like metabolism, digestion and, very importantly, appetite in women. A disconnect in this network will cause symptoms like weight gain.
9. Sudden memory loss
There are a number things that can lead to short-term memory loss and brain fog. A big reason is thyroid dysfunction, but other causes include adrenal fatigue, stress, sleep deprivation and unbalanced hormones.
According to expert Magnolia Miller, “low estrogen levels directly impact our neurotransmitters, which can then affect our mood, stress levels, memory and ability to think.” As a result of this on neurotransmitters, short-term memory issues in women may arise.
10. Changes in breasts
The drop in estrogen hormonal levels will affect the skin in many ways. The female skin becomes dry and less elastic. This makes the breasts to loose firmness and fullness, and, in many cases, you will change cup sizes. Furthermore, the dip in hormone levels will affect the breasts’ connective tissues and muscles.
Other symptoms of hormonal imbalance in women
There several other symptoms of hormonal imbalance in women. This include; Amenorrhea, or the absence of menstrual periods in women of menstruating age, sore or tender breasts, painful periods or cramps, heavy bleeding or irregular periods, decreased libido, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), acne etc.
Treatment for hormonal imbalance in women
Hormonal imbalance can be corrected in specialist treatment clinics. It can also be cured naturally using natural home remedies. Some of the effective remedies that could be used to balance hormones in women include:
- Treatment by eating healthy fats –including coconut oil and avocados
- Balance the Intake of Omega-3 to Omega-6 Fats
- Avoid the use of toxic Kitchen, Beauty and Body Care Products
- Have regular exercises
- Reduce Stress & get enough Sleep
- Be careful when using caffeine & alcoholic drinks
- Supplement your diet with Vitamin D3
- Avoid the use of birth control Pills
Sources and references
- Women imbalance institute: Causes hormone imbalance in women
- ELITE DAILY: 10 Signs You Might Be Suffering from a Hormonal Imbalance
- BodyLogicMD: Hormonal imbalance symptoms in women
- GOODBYE PMS: Hormonal imbalance
- MedicineNet.Com: Medical Definition of hormone
