Some days we wake up and feel like we can take on the world; we have the energy that we need to keep moving, the will to tackle our to-do list, and the focus to take on those mental tasks as well. Other days, we’re lucky if we feel like getting out of bed. We struggle through the day, trying to complete everyday tasks.
If the latter describes you, it could mean that your hormones are out of balance. While there’s many other symptoms that you can experience in addition to the ones listed above, the symptoms are not the thing that needs to be treated. There’s usually an underlying cause for all of the symptoms that are experienced. Here’s some causes of hormone imbalance.
Stress
Stress is hard to get away from, but it is also one of the things that can create the most problems for your body, beginning with a hormone imbalance. Whether the stress is from problems in relationships, work, school, lack of sleep, a bad diet, or physical stressors, it can lead to an increase in cortisol. High cortisol levels can impair progesterone activity. In the end, your brain sends signals to try to fix the problem, but they end up being blocked by the cortisol. For most people, stress is the number one factor in hormone imbalance.
Digestion
Digestion can also be a symptom of hormone imbalance, as well as a cause. It’s one of the reasons why it is so important to eat healthy. Some issues you might experience are constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and reflux. These are signs of inflammation and an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in your stomach, which of course puts physical stress on your body, thus increasing cortisol and triggering a hormone imbalance.
The inflammation also suppresses signals from the parts of the brain that send out and produce the sex, adrenal, and thyroid hormones that your body needs to function properly. Typically, you end up with excess progesterone and estrogen that isn’t being metabolized properly.
Thyroid Function
The thyroid in your body is responsible for keeping the various hormones in balance, as well as, controlling your metabolism and other essential functions of your body. When your thyroid isn’t functioning right, it can also lead to lower production of progesterone. When you have symptoms like trouble losing or gaining weight, one of the first things that doctors will test for is thyroid function. However, they usually only test for the thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH, which is not the full picture. People can have a normal TSH level, but low T3 hormone and high reverse T3 hormones. When this is the case, most experience the same hormone imbalances.
Insulin and Leptin Resistance
Besides thyroid, digestion, and general stress, insulin and leptin resistance are among some of the most common causes of hormone imbalance. In some cases, things like poor diet, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, or other bad habits are the cause of this. Genetics can also cause the same issue. When we have this resistance, it puts stress on the body leading to higher cortisol levels which contribute to the hormone imbalance, but this isn’t the only symptom we might have. Insulin surges can also increase the production of an enzyme that in turn increases testosterone levels.
If you are experiencing some of these issues and want to get your hormone levels checked, Premier Age Management and Weight Loss Clinic offers a free consultation and would love to work with you to get you to a place of healthy living that you need and want.
For more information, visit their website, call them at 615-649-9600, or visit their locations in Brentwood or Hendersonville.
