What Happens When Your Hormones Are Unbalanced?

Your body’s endocrine system controls your hormones, which perform a variety of critical functions in your body. Hormones are, at least in part, responsible for your metabolism, libido, weight gain or loss, bowel movements, joint function, mood, and many other bodily processes.

It’s normal for hormones to fluctuate, but sometimes you may have too much of a particular hormone or not enough of one consistently -- and that leads to trouble.

Consider the fight-or-flight response

You’ve probably heard of the fight-or-flight response -- when your body prepares to either run or take a stand. It’s a stress reaction, and it happens without you thinking about it. The fight or flight response is a hormonal reaction to stress.

Sometimes the fight or flight response is necessary, and it can lead to life-saving actions and moments. But it’s also possible to get stuck in that mode, and that’s been associated with chronically high blood pressure, obesity, insomnia, and a host of other health issues.

When you live with chronic stress, you’re experiencing a hormone imbalance.

Other symptoms of hormone imbalance

There are some hormonal imbalances that occur in both men and women, and others that are specific to one sex or the other. Symptoms of hormonal imbalances that anyone can experience include:

• Unexplained weight gain or loss
• Fatigue
• Significant change in bowel movements
• Dry skin
• Joint pain
• Constant thirst
• Thinning hair
• Muscle pain
• Depression
• Decreased sex drive
• Anxiety
• Sweating
• Infertility

Women experience hormonal imbalances more often than men. Some common causes of female hormonal imbalance include:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• Menopause

Men may experience a lower-than-optimal level of testosterone, which leads to specific symptoms, such as:

• The development of breast tissue
• Erectile dysfunction
• Lowered libido
• Loss of muscle mass
• Decrease in facial and body hair

Treatments are available

Dr. Spiegel offers a variety of treatments for hormone balancing and determines what will be most appropriate for you based on your individual situation. Because there are so many different hormones performing such a wide variety of functions in your body, treating hormone imbalance must be individually tailored to meet your specific needs.

All of Dr. Spiegel’s treatment plans are integrated and take into account your overall health, your lifestyle, and your health goals. He may recommend dietary changes, supplements, exercise, administering bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, stress management, or other techniques.

If you feel like you’re not quite operating at full capacity, and you can’t figure out why, it could well be a hormone imbalance. Book an appointment today, online or by phone, at Osteopathic Center for Healing in Rockville, Maryland, to find out more.