Imagine feeling slightly “off” for a few months and not having the ability to pinpoint what is wrong. In addition to being worried about your frequent urination, excessive sweating, increased heart rate, brain fog, muscle ache, and weakness, you are constantly exhausted. Then after months of feeling this way, you go to the doctor and after tests, procedures, and time, you learn that your hormones are off-balance.
Are you thankful or wondering what took so long? Continue reading to discover more about hormone imbalance and why there is no single test that a doctor can perform to confirm a hormonal imbalance diagnosis. Hormones are chemicals in our bodies that act as messengers. They move through the body and control growth, metabolism, mood, sexual health, and fertility. Hormones influence and alter our behavior and immune system. Everyone has 50 hormones, and sometimes our bodies produce too much or too little of them, thus creating a hormonal imbalance.
Signs of Hormonal Imbalance
Unfortunately, having even a tiny hormonal imbalance can make you ill. In addition to the above, some other symptoms of hormonal imbalance are:
- Decreased sex drive
- Depression
- Nervousness, anxiety, or irritability
- Blurred vision
- Increased thirst
- Thinning and brittle hair
- Increased hunger
- Purple or pink stretch marks
- Infertility Dry skin
Signs and Symptoms Specific To Women
- Irregular or heavy periods
- Excessive facial hair
- Acne on face, chest, and upper back
- Hair loss
- Darkening skin around the neck, groin, under the breast
- Skin tags
- Vaginal dryness
- Night sweats
Signs and Symptoms Specific to Men
- Hot flashes
- Erectile dysfunction
- Breast tenderness
- Development of breast tissue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Loss of bone mass
- Loss of muscle mass
- Decrease in beard growth and body hair
As you can see, this list of signs and symptoms is broad. Having these symptoms doesn’t automatically mean you have a hormonal imbalance, and not having these symptoms doesn’t mean you don’t have one. That is why there is no one test that a doctor can perform for hormone imbalance. Knowing your body helps you easily recognize symptoms that can lead to a diagnosis.
Conditions that Lead to Hormonal Imbalance
However, once you have discussed these symptoms with your doctor, they will review your health records to determine if there may cause a hormonal imbalance.
Some conditions that can lead to hormonal imbalance are:
- Diabetes
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Thyroiditis
- Cushing syndrome
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Conditions Specific to Women That Lead to Hormonal Imbalance
- Birth control pills
- Menopause
- Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
- PCOS
How Hormonal Imbalance is Diagnosed
Knowing your body is the first step to getting a diagnosis. Being able to describe what you are feeling to your doctor goes a long way in advocating for your health.
Your doctor will ask about your medical history
Some of those questions may be: What helps relieve your symptoms? How often are your symptoms? Have you gained or lost weight recently? When was your last period? Do you have trouble maintaining an erection? Do you have vaginal dryness or pain when you have sex?
Your doctor will order a battery of blood tests
The blood test will check certain levels of hormones in your blood, such as:
- Thyroid
- Estrogen
- Testosterone
- Cortisol
- Glucose tolerance
Other tests and exams that your doctor will take
- Biopsy
- Pelvic exam
- Ultrasound Test
- urine
- X-ray
- Thyroid scan
- MRI
- Sperm count test
Treatment for Hormone Imbalance
Together, your medical history and the results from your blood work will confirm your diagnosis for your doctor. When looking at the optimal solution for you, there are multiple ways that your doctor may recommend treating your hormonal imbalance. Some of those may be:
1. Make lifestyle changes Lifestyle changes can benefit your overall health and, specifically, your hormonal imbalance. Lifestyle changes include increasing your physical activity, improving your diet, and losing weight.
2. Surgery If your hormonal imbalance is related to endometriosis, fibroids, or a tumor, your doctor may suggest that you have surgery to remove it.
3. Medication There are medications to help control the symptoms of hormonal imbalance, including hormonal replacement therapies..
4. Fertility Treatment If your hormonal imbalance is resulting in infertility, your doctor may suggest treatment through a fertility specialist. That includes in vitro fertilization and other reproductive options for couples.
Conclusion
As you have read, having a hormonal imbalance will leave you feeling like crap. You know you feel off-balance but cannot pinpoint exactly what is wrong. If you are ready to change your life by changing how you feel, ready for holistic treatment and optimized care, call us at 205-352-9141.
