Your hormones are pretty powerful.
They’re the chemical messengers of your body, telling you when to eat, when to sleep and how to reproduce, amongst other things; all totally essential for your general wellbeing and daily functions. Naturally, our hormone levels fluctuate, for example throughout different types of our menstrual cycle. However, for some, these fluctuations can be substantial and impact your ability to function normally.
If you’ve been experiencing some unexplained symptoms and are trying to get to the bottom of it, here are some of the major symptoms of hormone imbalance so that you know what to look for.
Weight gain
We all gain weight here and then but it’s easily explained away – 5 lbs around Christmas, 10 lbs after an all-you-can-eat cruise, you get the idea. But what happens if you gain weight randomly and can’t pinpoint the reason why?
The reason might be your hormones. Weight gain is one of the most common symptoms of hormone imbalance, and it can be due to a number of different hormones. The most likely culprit is thyroid hormones. If you have low levels of thyroid hormones, also known as hypothyroidism, your metabolic rate declines and you store more calories and thus – gain weight.
Estrogen is another hormone that can cause weight gain. When levels of estrogen are too high, it can cause insulin resistance and high blood glucose levels as it interferes with the body’s natural ability to release insulin to regulate your blood sugar and over time, leads to weight gain and risk of type II diabetes.
Acne
Unfortunately, acne isn’t just something that happens in prepubescent teens. We’re all at risk of developing acne, especially women with fluctuating hormones. This is referred to as ‘hormonal acne’, a type of acne characterized by cysts that form deep under the skin, predominantly in the lower part of the face.
High levels of androgens like testosterone are mainly responsible for hormonal acne as they increase sebum production, clogging pores and causing acne.
When your levels of estrogen and progesterone fall just before your period, testosterone becomes the dominant hormone, which results in more breakouts. For those with naturally high testosterone levels or imbalances in estrogen/progesterone, hormonal acne can last throughout the month, not just around the period.
Increased sensitivity to cold or heat
Body temperature changes is another key sign your body may be struggling through hormonal fluctuations. When the levels of thyroid are too high, hyperthyroidism occurs, which increases your basal metabolic rate and thermogenesis, one of the side effects being an elevated body temperature.
This is also a common symptom related to the female menstrual cycle. When levels of estrogen drop, many women experience an increased sensitivity to hot or cold, which is in part why menopause is associated with hot flashes.
Impaired adrenal function can also interfere with your temperature regulation, this includes hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline.
Fatigue
If you feel like you could sleep at any given moment in the day, your hormones might be to blame. Progesterone can impact your energy levels and cause fatigue – when progesterone is too high it makes you sleepy, and when it’s too low, it can prevent you from sleeping well, further increasing your risk of being tired during the day.
Speaking of sleeping well, melatonin and cortisol are two other hormones that can impact your sleep quality. If melatonin isn’t produced properly, you may struggle to feel tired in the evenings. If your cortisol levels are unbalanced or depleted, you may feel energized at night and tired in the morning.
Another key hormone connected to your energy levels is your thyroid hormones, specifically thyroid levels.
Digestive Issues
Bloating, constipation, stomach pain, abnormally frequent bowel movements are all signs that something is off in your gut. Your gut is called your second brain for a reason, it has more neurotransmitters than your brain and produces 95 percent of the body’s serotonin! What’s more, many hormones are actually produced in the gut. All the hormones in the body are significantly impacted by the gut microbiome, signalling to the glands which hormones should be released and when.
The main hormones influenced by the gut are:
- Thyroid hormones
- Estrogen
- Melatonin
- Stress hormones
If your gut health is compromised, it will have a negative impact on the above hormones, throwing them off balance. This manifests as digestive issues as your body struggles to regulate.
Mood swings
Happy one minute and crying the next? This is a common symptom of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) due to estrogen fluctuations and can affect up to 75 percent of women at certain points in their cycle. But if you constantly feel like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster, a number of other hormones aside from estrogen may be to blame.
Interestingly, gonadal hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) impact brain chemistry and circuitry, so have a significant impact on your emotions, mood and behaviors. For example, low testosterone levels in women can affect your mood, specifically your energy levels, self confidence and sex drive.
Estrogen directly impacts dopamine and serotonin, two neurotransmitters associated with happiness and contentment. So when estrogen levels are too low or high, this can impact your brain’s ability to produce dopamine or serotonin, resulting in low mood, depression and feelings of disconnectedness. In fact, a study found that administering estrogen to patients with depression can alleviate the symptoms.
As well as imbalances in the gonadal hormones, high cortisol levels are also associated with mood fluctuations, specifically feelings of agitation, anxiety, insomnia and depression. Elevated cortisol levels over time causes levels of serotonin in the brain to decrease which can have long term impacts on your mood.
Aside from what we’ve covered, here are other symptoms indicative of hormone imbalance:
- Low sex drive
- Vaginal dryness
- Puffy face
- Dry skin
- Muscle weakness
- Frequent urination
- Increased thirst
- Thinning or brittle hair or nails
- Excessive sweating
If you constantly feel like you’re struggling to make it through the day but can’t pinpoint why, you may have a hormone imbalance. Get your hormones checked so you can know how to move forward. Check out our other blogs to see some of the remedies for rebalancing hormones naturally.
Meet Emilina
Emilina is a clinically trained nutritionist turned health writer who has worked with top health and wellness brands including the National Football League (NFL), Muscle & Strength, Breaking Muscle as well as manages written content for many professional athletes. She currently lives in Orange County, California.
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