Hormonal imbalance

Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. Produced in the endocrine glands, these powerful chemicals travel around your bloodstream telling tissues and organs what to do. They help control many of your body’s major processes, including metabolism and reproduction.

When you have a hormonal imbalance, you have too much or too little of a certain hormone. Even tiny changes can have serious effects throughout your whole body.

Think of hormones like a cake recipe. Too much or too little of any one ingredient affects the final product. While some hormone levels fluctuate throughout your lifetime and may just be the result of natural aging, other changes occur when your endocrine glands get the recipe wrong.

Read on to learn more about hormonal imbalances.

Symptoms of a hormonal imbalance

Your hormones play an integral role in your overall health. Because of that, there’s a broad range of symptoms that could signal a hormonal imbalance. Your symptoms will depend on which hormones or glands aren’t working properly.

Common hormonal conditions affecting both men and women could cause any of the following symptoms:

weight gain

fatigue

increased sensitivity to cold or heat

constipation or more frequent bowel movements

dry skin

puffy face

unexplained weight loss (sometimes sudden)

increased or decreased heart rate

muscle weakness

frequent urination

increased thirst

muscle aches, tenderness, and stiffness

pain, stiffness, or swelling in your joints

thinning hair or fine, brittle hair

increased hunger

depression

decreased sex drive

nervousness, anxiety, or irritability

blurred vision

sweating

infertility

a fatty hump between the shoulders

rounded face

purple or pink stretch marks

Symptoms in women

In women, the most common hormonal imbalance is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Your normal hormonal cycle also changes naturally during:

puberty

pregnancy

breastfeeding

menopause

Symptoms of a hormonal imbalance specific to women include:

heavy or irregular periods, including missed periods, stopped period, or frequent period

hirsutism, or excessive hair on the face, chin, or other parts of the body

acne on the face, chest, or upper back

thinning hair or hair loss

weight gain or trouble losing weight

darkening of skin, especially along neck creases, in the groin, and underneath breasts

skin tags

vaginal dryness

vaginal atrophy

pain during sex

night sweats

Symptoms in men

Testosterone plays an important role in male development. If you aren’t producing enough testosterone, it can cause a variety of symptoms.

In the adult male, symptoms include:

development of breast tissue

breast tenderness

erectile dysfunction

loss of muscle mass

decreased sex drive

infertility

decrease in beard and body hair growth

osteoporosis, the loss of bone mass

difficulty concentrating

hot flashes

Symptoms in children

Puberty is the time when boys and girls start producing sex hormones. Many children with delayed puberty will go on to experience normal puberty, but some have a condition called hypogonadism. Symptoms of hypogonadism include:

In boys:

muscle mass doesn’t develop

voice doesn’t deepen

body hair grows sparsely

penis and testicular growth is impaired

excessive growth of the arms and legs in relation to the trunk of the body

gynecomastia, the development of breast tissue

In girls:

period doesn’t begin

breast tissue doesn’t develop

growth rate doesn’t increase

Causes of a hormonal imbalance

There are many possible causes for a hormonal imbalance. Causes differ depending on which hormones or glands are affected. Common causes of hormonal imbalance include:

diabetes

hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid

hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid

hypogonadism

Cushing syndrome

thyroiditis

hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules

hormone therapy

tumors (benign or cancerous)

congenital adrenal hyperplasia

eating disorders

medications

stress

adrenal insufficiency

pituitary tumor

injury or trauma

cancer treatments

Causes unique to women

Many causes of hormonal imbalance in women are related to reproductive hormones. Common causes include:

menopause

pregnancy

breastfeeding

PCOS

premature menopause

hormone drugs like birth control pills

primary ovarian insufficiency

Tests and diagnosis

There’s no single test available for doctors to diagnose a hormonal imbalance. Begin by making an appointment with your doctor for a physical exam. Be prepared to describe your symptoms and the timeline along which they’ve occurred. Bring a list of all medications, vitamins, and supplements you’re currently taking.

Your doctor may ask you questions such as:

How often are you experiencing symptoms?

Does anything help relieve your symptoms?

Have you lost or gained weight recently?

Are you more stressed than usual?

When was your last period?

Are you planning to get pregnant?

Do you have trouble getting or maintaining an erection?

Do you have vaginal dryness or pain during sex?

Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may suggest one or more diagnostic tests. You can also ask your doctor to perform these tests.

Blood test

Your doctor will send a sample of your blood to a lab for testing. Most hormones can be detected in the blood. A doctor can use a blood test to check your thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol levels.

Pelvic exam

If you’re female, your doctor may perform a pap smear to feel for any unusual lumps, cysts, or tumors.

If you’re male, your doctor may check your scrotum for any lumps or abnormalities.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound machine uses sound waves to look inside your body. Doctors may use an ultrasound to get images of the uterus, ovaries, testicles, thyroid, or pituitary gland.

Additional tests

Sometimes more advanced tests are required. These can include:

biopsy

MRI

X-ray

thyroid scan

sperm count

Can you test your hormone levels at home?

If you’re experiencing symptoms of menopause, you may be tempted to try a home testing kit. Home testing kits measure follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in your urine. FSH levels increase when you enter menopause, but levels also rise and fall during a normal menstrual cycle. This test can give you an indication of whether menopause has started, but it can’t tell you conclusively.

Treatment options for a hormonal imbalance

Treatment for a hormonal imbalance will depend on what’s causing it. Common treatment options include:

Estrogen therapy

If you’re experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, your doctor may recommend a low dose of estrogen. Be sure to discuss the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy with your doctor.

Vaginal estrogen

If you’re experiencing vaginal dryness or pain during sex, you may want to try applying an estrogen cream, tablet, or ring. This local therapy treatment avoids many of the risks associated with systemic estrogen, or estrogen that travels throughout the bloodstream to the appropriate organ.

Hormonal birth control

If you’re trying to get pregnant, hormonal birth control can help regulate menstrual cycles. Types of hormonal birth control include:

birth control pill

birth control patch

birth control shot

vaginal ring

intrauterine device (IUD)

It may also help improve acne and reduce extra hair on the face and body.

Anti-androgen medications

Androgens are male sex hormones that are present in both women and men. Women with high androgen levels may choose to take medication that blocks the effect of androgens, such as:

hair loss

facial hair growth

acne

Metformin

Metformin is a type 2 diabetes medication that may help some women with PCOS symptoms. It isn’t approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat PCOS, but it might help lower androgen levels and encourage ovulation.

Testosterone therapy

Testosterone supplements can reduce the symptoms of low testosterone in men. In adolescents with delayed puberty, it stimulates the start of puberty. It comes as an injectable, patch, and gel.

Thyroid hormone therapy

In people with hypothyroidism, the synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine (Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Unithroid) can bring hormone levels back into balance.

Flibanserin (Addyi)

This is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of low sexual desire in premenopausal women. It has some serious side effects. Talk to your doctor to see if this medication could be right for you.

Eflornithine (Vaniqa)

This is a prescription cream designed specifically for excessive facial hair in women. Applied topically to the skin, it helps slow new hair growth, but doesn’t get rid of existing hair.

Natural remedies and supplements

There are many nutritional supplements on the market that claim to treat menopause and hormone imbalance. However, few of them are backed up by scientific evidence.

Many of these supplements contain plant-derived hormones. These are sometimes called “bioidentical” hormones because they chemically resemble the body’s natural hormones. There is no evidence to suggest that they work better than regular hormone therapy, though.

Some people find that yoga helps treat symptoms of hormonal imbalance. Yoga is excellent for your strength, flexibility, and balance. It may also help you lose weight, which can help regulate your hormones.

You can also make the following lifestyle changes:

Lose weight. A 10 percent reduction in body weight in women can make your periods more regular and increase your chances of getting pregnant. In men, weight loss may help improve erectile function.

Eat well. A balanced diet is an important part of overall health.

Remove unwanted hair. If you have excess facial or body hair, you can use hair removal creams, laser hair removal, or electrolysis.

Decrease vaginal discomfort. Use lubes or moisturizers free of parabens, glycerin, and petroleum.

Avoid hot flashes. Try to identify things that commonly trigger hot flashes, like warm temperatures, spicy foods, or hot beverages.

Hormonal imbalance and acne

The primary cause of acne is excess oil production, which leads to clogged pores. Acne is most common in areas with many oil glands, including the:

face

chest

upper back

shoulders

Acne is often associated with pubescent hormonal changes, but there’s actually a lifelong relationship between acne and hormones.

Acne and menstruation

The menstrual cycle is one of the most common acne triggers. For many women, acne develops the week before you get your period and then clears up. Dermatologists advise hormonal testing for women who have acne in combination with other symptoms, like irregular periods and excess facial or body hair.

Acne and androgens

Androgens are male hormones present in both men and women. They contribute to acne by overstimulating the oil glands.

Both girls and boys have high levels of androgens during puberty, which is why acne is so common at that time. Androgen levels typically settle down in the early 20s.

Hormonal imbalance and weight gain

Hormones play an integral role in metabolism and your body’s ability to use energy. Hormone disorders like hypothyroidism and Cushing syndrome can cause you to become overweight or obese.

People with hypothyroidism have low levels of thyroid hormones. This means that their metabolism doesn’t work as well as it should. Even when dieting, people with hypothyroidism can still gain weight.

People with Cushing syndrome have high levels of cortisol in their blood. This leads to an increase in appetite and an increased fat

storage.

During menopause, many women gain weight because the metabolism slows down. You may find that even though you’re eating and exercising like normal, you still gain weight.

The only way to treat weight gain from a hormone disorder is to treat the underlying condition.

Hormonal imbalance and pregnancy

During a normal, healthy pregnancy, your body goes through major hormonal changes. This is different than a hormonal imbalance.

PCOS

Hormonal imbalances like PCOS are among the leading causes of infertility. In women with PCOS, the hormonal imbalance interferes with ovulation. You can’t get pregnant if you’re not ovulating.

Pregnancy is still possible in women with PCOS. Losing weight can make a big difference in your fertility. There are also prescription medications available that can stimulate ovulation and increase your chances of becoming pregnant.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is also an option if medication doesn’t work. As a last resort, surgery can temporarily restore ovulation.

PCOS can cause problems during pregnancy, for both you and your baby. There are higher rates of:

miscarriage

gestational diabetes

preeclampsia

cesarean section

high birth weight

admission to and time spent in the NICU

Hypothyroidism

Babies born to women with untreated hypothyroidism have a higher risk of birth defects.

This includes serious intellectual and developmental problems.

Hormonal imbalance and hair loss

Hormonal changes and imbalances can sometimes cause temporary hair loss. In women, this is often related to pregnancy, childbirth, or the onset of menopause. An over- or underproduction of thyroid hormones can also cause hair loss.

Most hair loss, like male pattern baldness, is hereditary and unrelated to hormonal changes.

Other complications

Hormone imbalances are associated with many chronic, or long-term, health conditions. Without proper treatment, you could be at risk of several serious medical conditions, including:

diabetes

high blood pressure

high cholesterol

heart disease

neuropathy

obesity

sleep apnea

kidney damage

depression and anxiety

endometrial cancer

osteoporosis, or bone loss

loss of muscle mass

breast cancer

infertility

urinary incontinence

sexual dysfunction

goiter

The takeaway

Hormones are responsible for many of your body’s major processes. When hormones get out of balance, the symptoms can be extremely varied. Hormonal imbalance can cause a variety of serious complications, so it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible.