Do you feel tired? There is a chance this is happening because of a hormonal imbalance in the body. Hormones play a significant role in the overall body functioning. No matter if man or woman, the estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, serotonin and other hormones you may be even unaware of, are at this moment circling your body. When they do it in balance, our body functions the way it is supposed to.
Although women deal with hormonal problems more frequently, men are not immune of their influence to the looks and behavior either. We go through hormonal chance during our whole life, and as we get older, women go through menopause, while men go through andropause.
When there is a hormonal imbalance in the organism, the whole body and psych feel the consequences. Pay attention to the symptoms, and if you notice any – see your doctor.
- Sleeping problems
If you notice you have difficulties sleeping, especially if you sleep less than before, it is possible that this is happening because of a hormonal imbalance. Women experience it because of a lack of progesterone, and man because of a lower level of testosterone. Women can also have sleep problems because of hot flashes and nocturnal sweating, associated with menopause.
Less sleep than usual is mostly a result of hormonal changes in people older than 50. Of course, there are products than can regulate and increase the level of the necessary ingredients and solve this problem.
- Libido changes
Lack of a desire for sexual intercourse is usually a result of low level of hormones at both women and men. Men experience this because of a low level of testosterone, while for women it’s a result of low level of estrogen. Women in menopause can have this problem because of pain during intercourse and pain in the breasts which is a result of a low level of estrogen.
The good news is that this problem can be solved with a change in the diet which will lead to an increase in estrogen, or with medications. Men can increase the level of testosterone with increasing the muscle mass.
- Memory problems
You can’t remember where you left the car keys? Low level of estrogen can cause this. Foggy memory can also be caused by low levels of cortisol. Because of chronic tress, the adrenal glands cannot continue the production of cortisol. Although cortisol is produced because of stress, it is healthy for our organism but in small amounts. Chronic high level in a longer timeframe can disrupt the functioning of the adrenal glands and the production of hormones.
- Digestion problems
Syndrome of irritable colon can be caused by low levels of serotonin. Women notice the symptoms of this condition as they approach the monthly cycle, because of the oscillation of the hormonal levels of estrogen and progesterone. Discomfort in the intestines can also happen because of a low level of cortisol. Its level is naturally higher in the morning so you could easily wake up, but if because of your exhausted adrenal glands that produce it, the level of this hormone in your body is lower than usually, and then nervous intestines are a constant problem.
- Appetite change
Digestion problems are connected to body weight problems. If you don’t get enough sleep, the level of the appetite hormone ghrelin increases. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes us hungrier than usual, while leptin and oxyntomodulin suppress the feeling of hunger. If you are chronically tired, you can gain weight as a consequence of an increased feeling of hunger.
- Mood changes
If you feel like you are on emotional rollercoaster, this may be a result of the hormonal changes that are an introduction to menopause. Excess of estrogen can be a cause of mood changes, while anxiety and depression are a consequence of low level of progesterone and estrogen.
- Weight changes
Low level of progesterone, and excess of estrogen can lead to unexplainable weight gain for women. Excess of estrogen is guilty for men weight gain too, while weight loss is mostly a consequence of lack of testosterone.
Hormonal balance requires balanced diet and lifestyle changes, and in some cases even doctor’s intervention. Some herbs can help in hormonal production. Chinese traditional medicine uses epimedium for libido improement in both genders.
