Have you ever wondered why some days you feel starving hungry and others you only pick at your food? Or why one morning you wake up raring to go and the next you can barely drag yourself out of bed?
The answer may lie in your hormones.
Hormones are essentially your body’s chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream to your tissues and organs and affect many different processes within your body, including:
Your growth and development
Your mood
Your metabolism
Your reproductive system
Your sexual function
When they are regulated, hormones work to ensure your body and mind thrive. However, if you suffer with a hormonal imbalance, this can lead to a significant impact on the systems within your body.
Let’s take a closer look.
Plus, discover the signs to look out for that could indicate you have a hormone imbalance.
Hormones can affect our stress levels
Everybody experiences stress at some point. Whether that’s when you are studying for an exam, preparing for a meeting at work, or dealing with a personal problem. Stress in small amounts is good for you and can help to improve your brain performance. However, too much stress can have a seriously detrimental effect on your body.
The main stress hormones in your body are cortisol and adrenaline, and when you are in a high-pressure situation, your body releases more of these hormones. Too much of the stress hormones can cause a number of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
If you are struggling with your mental health or you think you are suffering with depression, it can be beneficial to find out about teenage depression treatment and how it can help you to overcome your mental health issues.
Hormones can affect our blood sugar levels.
Another important hormone is insulin. Insulin helps to guard and regulate the amount of glucose in your blood, and your muscles, liver, and fat all rely on it for energy. If the insulin hormone fails to regulate your energy levels, then you can experience either high or low blood sugar. Having high blood sugar can lead to the damage of your pancreas and a hardening of your blood vessels. Whereas low blood sugar can lead to drowsiness, blurred vision, and difficulty concentrating.
Hormones can affect our metabolism
The thyroid is a small gland that can be found at the base of your neck, and it produces two hormones: T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (the thyroid-stimulating hormone). This gland helps to regulate cell activity, your metabolism, your mood, and your overall sensitivity to other hormones like cortisol.
If you experience a thyroid hormone imbalance, you may experience extreme tiredness, depression, insomnia, irritability, and poor memory. Furthermore, depending on whether you have an underactive thyroid or an overactive thyroid, you can experience either sudden weight gain or weight loss.
Signs you may have a hormone imbalance
If you are worried that you may have a hormone imbalance, there are several symptoms that you should look out for. This include:
Sudden weight gain or weight loss
Fatigue
Increased sensitivity to cold or heat
Constipation or more frequent bowel movements
Dry skin
Puffy face
Muscle weakness
Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Pain in your joints
Increased hunger
Thinning hair
Depression
Anxiety
