Hormonal Imbalance in Women

There are many ways in which a woman's hormones can be affected, causing an imbalance. When we talk about women's hormones, we are usually referring to the delicate balance between estrogen and progesterone. However, there are other hormones that come into consideration. Thyroid hormones, out of balance, can affect women's hormones.

Significance

• When a woman's hormones are out of balance, she at risk for serious health problems and has difficulty with conception. These imbalances should not be left unchecked because they can be symptoms and causes for serious ailments such as cancer, endometriosis, heart disease and auto immune disorders.

Symptoms

• It is not always easy to determine what is causing health problems, but you can start by looking at contributing factors for these imbalances. Age plays a big role when determining whether your problems are hormone imbalances. Here are some symptoms to consider, and keep in mind it is usually a combination of symptoms that helps us and our health care professionals determine underlying causes.
  Continual fatigue
  Irregular or severe periods
  Perimenopausal
  Suffer from depression
  Hot and cold flashes
  Insomnia
  Severe mood swings
  Weight gain or loss
  Retain too much water
  Facial hair growth
  Hair loss
  Loss of sex drive
  Ovarian cysts

Misconceptions

• Which came first: the problem or the hormone imbalance? How many times have you heard, "Oh, she's just PMS-ing"? Probably more than you care to, and that diminishes the issue. Be careful not to buy into stereotypes that underestimate the situation. Lack of sleep, poor diet and stress all impact your hormones. It is worth your time to find out whether a imbalance is causing your reactions or whether your reactions are causing the imbalance.

Caution

• Be wary of any advertising that boasts it can correct hormone imbalances through a single approach. Read labels, consult medical professionals, pharmaceuticals, homeopathic remedies and nutritionists. Hormone levels can and should be checked by a medical physician.

Getting Back in Balance

• When consulting with your doctor, be sure to have her check your thyroid hormones to ensure they are the root cause of other hormone imbalances.
  There are pharmaceutical and natural remedies for restoring hormone imbalances and coping with them. Research as much as you can before deciding on a course of action.
  Get fit. Be more physically active, go outside into the sunlight (moonlight doesn't hurt either), mediate, avoid missing sleep and learn to say no. Cutting back on stress and taking care of yourself will help you cope while you sort out the physical imbalances.