Hormonal imbalances are becoming more and more common in younger women. But doctors still aren’t sure how to handle these changes and are often reticent to label them hormonal imbalances. Doctors generally focus on symptoms rather than causes and this can often get in the way of resolving problems that present themselves through hormonal shifts. Without hormonal testing many women deal with symptoms and misdiagnoses that leave the condition unresolved and risk their overall health. This could lead to heart problems, weight problems, infertility and the risk of death from conditions such as Polycystic ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers.

What Causes Hormonal Imbalance?

Hormone Level Imbalance Saliva Test Kit

1. Stress: This can be everyday stresses but it can also be more extreme stress such as emotional or physical abuse. Stress raises cortisol levels in the body which in turn makes the body produce excess amounts of other hormones to cancel out the cortisol. This is a common cause of the memory issues associated with hormonal imbalance.

2. Diet: Eating too many of the wrong foods can affect the way your body produces hormones, certain foods help encourage the production of progesterone and others decrease it. If you don’t eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and lean protein like chicken there’s a good chance it will affect your hormonal levels. Processed foods are especially negative to the system. By the same turn if you do not eat enough you can do just as much damage. Conditions like anorexia are especially harmful to the body.

3. Cancer: Certain cancers such as breast, ovarian and uterine cancers feed off of hormones and therefore cause an imbalance in the body’s hormones as they grow.

4. Exercise: You need to find a healthy balance when exercising. If you don’t get enough your body doesn’t produce enough hormones to regulate your body’s function. On the other hand, if you get too much you are likely to be reducing hormonal production by as lack of cholesterol to make the right steroidal hormones.

5. PCOS: Polycystic Ovarian syndrome is a condition that causes the ovaries to produce too much androgen in the body. This means that the woman may exhibits symptoms like weight gain, excess hair on the face and body, irregular periods and infertility.

6. Hormonal Supplements: Taking a birth control pill or other forms of hormonal supplementation can throw the balance of your body off.

7. Environmental Toxins: Pesticides and contaminants found in food can alter the way your body produces hormones. Petrochemicals can cause bind to the receptors in your body that detect estrogen and thereby alter the way your body produces estrogen and its balance with other hormones in the body.

Hormonal testing is important to determine if you have a hormonal imbalance. If you feel that you may be experiencing the effects of a hormonal imbalance it is best to talk to your doctor and establish if you exhibit symptoms. From there your doctor should be able to recommend a good endocrinologist who can better evaluate your symptoms and conduct testing to establish a cause.

Posted under Health & Wellness
Tags: birth control, cancers, Cholesterol, Fertility, health, heart problems, Hormones, infertility, steroid, Stress.