Hormone Imbalance Symptoms: Signs, Causes, and Natural Ways to Restore Balance

Let's decode the mystery of hormone imbalance and find natural alternatives to balance your hormones.

• What Are Hormones?
• Symptoms Of Hormone Imbalance
• Causes Of Hormonal Imbalance
• Natural Ways To Restore Hormonal Balance
• Wrapping Up

What Are Hormones?

Hormones are tiny chemical messengers that travel through your body and instruct you on how to function. They are produced by various glands in our body, like the endocrine and thyroid glands. Too much and too little of your hormones can change your body's actions, both mental and physical.

Here are the main hormones, their imbalance symptoms, and how to overcome them.

Hormones In The Body

There are more than 50 hormones in the body. Lifestyle changes and stress have brought about an increase in hormonal imbalance. Let's look at some of the hormones that have been increasingly affected in recent years.

• Oestrogen and progesterone: These are the hormones responsible for reproductive health in women.
• Testosterone: Testosterone affects sexual function and energy levels in men.
• Thyroid hormones (T3 and T4): Your thyroid hormones have many functions, such as weight regulation, metabolism, and temperature and energy maintenance.
• Insulin: This hormone controls blood sugar levels.
• Cortisol: The stress hormone which regulates your response to stress and anxiety.
• DHEA: DHEA is primarily involved in the production of sex hormones.

When these hormones are out of balance in your body, it can disrupt normal body functions and lead to various symptoms.

Let's look at some commonly observed changes due to the excess or reduction of these hormones in your body.

Symptoms Of Hormone Imbalance

Hormone imbalances can cause a variety of symptoms in your body, and here are a few common symptoms that have been observed.

1. Irregular Periods

Symptoms To Look For

• Menstrual cycles are shorter or longer than usual.
• Heavy bleeding or spotting between periods.
• Absence of periods for several months.

2. Weight Gain

Do you feel that you can gain weight just by looking at a doughnut? Absolutely no. This is because hormones have a major role in your weight changes. Hormones like insulin, thyroid hormones, and cortisol in your body influence your body's ability to store fat. They help regulate your body's metabolism.

Symptoms To Look For

• You may gain weight, especially around the abdomen or thighs.
• Difficulty losing weight despite diet and exercise.
• Increased cravings for sugary or salty foods.

3. Low Energy

You have completed a whole night's sleep and still feel groggy and disoriented. A lack of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism), cortisol, or testosterone in your body can leave you feeling fatigued.

Symptoms To Look For

• You feel tired or sluggish even after a full night of sleep.
• Difficulty in staying awake during the day.
• Despite adequate rest, you have low energy.

4. Mood Swings

Symptoms To Look For:

• You may experience sudden mood swings or irritability.
• Increased feelings of anxiety or nervousness.
• Low mood or depression, especially during certain times of the month.

5. Sleep Issues

Is your sleep ghosting you? Do you still count sheep to sleep?

Sleep disturbances, such as insomnia or difficulty falling asleep, are often linked to imbalances in hormones like melatonin, cortisol, and estrogen. Due to changing hormone levels, women may also experience disrupted sleep during perimenopause or menopause.

Symptoms To Look For

• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
• Waking up feeling unrefreshed.
• Frequent night sweats or hot flashes.

6. Decreased Sexual Drive

Is your sexual drive AWOL? That may be because your hormones, oestrogen, testosterone, progesterone or DHEA are on vacation too. In both men and women, low levels of these hormones can lead to a decrease in sexual desire.

Symptoms To Look For:

• Lack of interest in sex.
• You have vaginal dryness and discomfort during intercourse.
• Inability to get or maintain an erection ( erectile dysfunction).
• Feeling emotionally disconnected from your partner.

7. Skin Changes And Acne

Acne seems to be living rent-free on your face. Hormonal fluctuations, especially with testosterone, estrogen and DHEA, can lead to changes in the skin.

Symptoms To Look For

• Acne outbreaks, particularly around your chin or jawline.
• Oily skin or skin that feels drier than usual.
• Development of age spots or skin discolouration.

Hair Loss Or Thinning

Hair today, gone tomorrow? Unlike your belly fat and acne, which seem to love you, your hair is eager to fall. Hormonal imbalances in testosterone and thyroid hormones can lead to hair thinning or hair loss. The hair loss is noticeable on the scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of the body.

Symptoms To Look For:

• Thinning hair or noticeable hair loss.
• Receding hairline or patchy hair loss.
• You observe increased shedding of hair.

Causes Of Hormonal Imbalance

Hormone imbalance occurs when you have too little or too much of any hormone. The common causes of hormonal imbalance include;

• Hormone Therapy
• Certain Medications-Eg. Steroids, Birth Control Pills
• Cancer Treatments Such As Chemotherapy
• Tumours (Both Cancerous And Benign)
• Any Trauma Or Injury
• Autoimmune Conditions, Including Graves' Disease And Addison's Disease

Hormone imbalance is seen naturally in these phases of a woman's life:

• Puberty.
• Pregnancy
• Menopause

In addition, the following lifestyle and environmental factors contribute to hormonal imbalance:

• Poor Diet and Nutrition: This impacts hormonal production.
• Environmental Toxins: Environmental toxins like heavy metals and pesticides can cause endocrine disruption, affecting your hormone levels.
• Chronic Stress: Chronic stress elevates cortisol levels, and increased cortisol disrupts levels of other hormones.

Natural Ways To Restore Hormonal Balance

Fix Your Hormones, Fix Your Life!

1. Eat For Hormone Balance

Poor diet and nutrition contribute to hormonal imbalances. Hence, a balanced, nutritious diet can help you regulate your hormonal levels. Here are some healthy alternatives to add to your diet:

• Healthy Fats: Opt for healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and coconut oil.
• Fibre-Rich Foods: Fibre-rich foods like leafy greens and flaxseeds help detox excess estrogen.
• Protein Power: Adding lentils, eggs, and fish to your diet can steady your insulin levels.

3. Move Your Body

A lack of exercise causes diseases like obesity, which disrupts your hormonal balance. Exercise keeps your organs healthy, and they, in turn, produce balanced and regulated hormones.

Exercise is not one size fits all. The key to exercise is to find the one that works best for you. Here are some exercises with their benefits.

• Resistance Training: helps boost testosterone levels.

Example: Push-ups, squats, pull-ups.

• Yoga: Reduces your stress hormone.

If you are already stressed, high-intensity training can further increase your stress hormones; hence, calmer practices like Yoga and mindfulness may be more beneficial for you.

Want to know more about Yoga poses for stress relief? Leave us a message in the comments.

• Walking: A study in 2019 shows that walking can help reduce your cortisol levels and balance your thyroid hormones.
• Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercises: A 2013 study indicates that both aerobic exercises (exercises that increase your endurance- e.g. cardio) and anaerobic exercises ( exercises to increase your strength and power- e.g. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)) help reduce your oestrogen levels.

4. Prioritise Sleep

A proper sleep routine helps to reduce cortisol levels. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep. Practices like meditation or Yoga Nidra before sleep can help improve the quality of your sleep.

Want to learn Yoga Nidra for deep relaxation? Visit Nirva page on Yoga Nidra.

5. Stress Less, Live More

Stress increases your cortisol levels, which in turn causes an imbalance of other hormones. Meditation & breathwork lower cortisol naturally. Laughter boosts oxytocin and serotonin (your happy hormones).

6. Detox Your Beauty Routine

Environmental toxins can affect your health. Hence, a healthy skin-care routine with natural remedies will help avoid hormonal imbalances in the future. Switch to natural herbs like aloe vera, neem and turmeric instead of chemical products.

Use glass containers instead of plastic to reduce environmental toxins.

7. Herbal & Natural Support

Natural herbs can help to balance hormones naturally. Here are a few hormone-balancing natural herbs:

• Ashwagandha: Reduces stress & cortisol.
• Maca Root: Boosts your energy & balances estrogen.
• Vitex (Chasteberry): Regulates menstrual cycles.

Wrapping Up

Understanding the causes of hormonal imbalance and taking steps to avoid them are the first steps to taking back control of hormones. Adjusting your diet, managing stress, improving sleep, and using natural remedies can restore your balance and feel your best.

Are you experiencing a hormone imbalance? How are you managing it? Drop your experiences in the comments—we'd love to hear from you!

Stay Informed, Stay Empowered!