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Have you ever felt like something is “off,“ but found yourself unable to put your finger on it? Hormones are powerful signals that control many of our body functions. When you have just a little too much or too little of just one hormone, it can throw your entire body out of sync. Small shifts can create a cascade of symptoms, making it hard to narrow down a root cause. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms below, this is your sign to have your hormone levels tested!
1. Hair loss
When thyroid hormone production is disrupted, it has a negative effect on the hair growth at the root. If you’ve noticed your hair thinning, or loss of hair in other places like your eyebrows, your thyroid gland may be to blame.
2. Excessive hair growth
Women, if you’ve noticed some coarse or dark hairs growing on your face, chest, or back, it can indicate an overproduction of androgens, such as testosterone. While shaving or other hair removal treatments can help mask the symptoms, getting to the root cause can help reverse the hair growth pattern more permanently.
3. Skin issues
When skin starts misbehaving, it can be a huge source of frustration. Some hormones play a direct role in stimulation of the oil glands that, when overactive, cause acne. Other hormones can cause excessive dryness, leading to skin conditions like rosacea and eczema. Even psoriasis can be a sign of hormonal imbalance.
4. Night sweats
Waking up in a pool of your own sweat during the night? Nighttime hot flashes are often associated with menopause, but can be a result of hormonal changes at any age.
5. Unexplained weight gain or loss
Hormones drive metabolism, which is why some people can stay slim without exercise, while others spend hours in the gym with no progress. If you’ve noticed an unexpected change in your weight, or if you’re making an effort to lose weight without success, there’s a good chance your hormones are off. The good news is that addressing hormonal imbalances can help you meet your goals with less resistance and maintain a healthy weight.
6. Difficulty sleeping
Sleep quality is one of the strongest indicators of overall quality of life. If you’re not sleeping well, it’s going to impact your entire day. Hormones play a huge role in regulating your circadian rhythm, impacting both sleep and energy levels throughout the day. Creating healthy habits around sleep can help, but identifying the source of your sleep woes is the surest way to get back to long stretches of uninterrupted sleep.
7. Anxiety, depression, or brain fog
Mood swings aren’t limited to stages of change, like puberty and menopause. If you find yourself easily frustrated or distracted, or having new feelings of anxiety or sadness, hormonal shifts may be to blame. Low testosterone and/or estrogen can limit production of serotonin, leading to depression, and excess thyroid hormones can cause heart racing and feelings of anxiety.
8. Irregular or absent periods
Low estrogen can cause periods to be longer or shorter than usual, more or less frequent than usual, and heavier or more painful than usual. If you’re experiencing severe pain during periods, excessive or prolonged bleeding, going more than 35 days without a period, or experiencing no bleeding for 3 or more consecutive cycles, it’s time to investigate.
9. Fatigue
If you think you’re getting enough rest and still find yourself exhausted during the day, needing to lie down often or long before bedtime, or losing interest in activities you used to enjoy such as jogging, biking, and walking, your hormones may be causing fatigue that no amount of sleep can remedy.
10. Sexual dysfunction
Primary sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen play a direct role in both sex drive and sexual satisfaction for both women and men. In women, sex hormone imbalances can cause vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse. For men, low testosterone can lead to difficulty getting and maintaining an erection.
If you’re interested in learning more about hormone testing and whether it’s right for you, we’re here to help. Our expert providers have over 39 years of combined hormone therapy experience and they continue to study and research the best options for serving you well.
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If you’re looking for a more natural way to manage your health, please contact us for a discovery call to see if our approach would be appropriate for your situation.
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