Because they regulate body processes and functions, hormones are important. Given that they affect body temperature and mood, sexual function, metabolism, and reproductive cycles, it’s time to see a doctor when they’re out of whack. Even your sleep cycle and appetite is controlled by hormones.

Continue reading for a quick list for how to know if you are suffering from hormonal imbalance.

Causes of Hormonal Imbalance

Hormone imbalance can be caused by too much or too little of a particular hormone in our bloodstream. For women, hormonal imbalances are quite common during menstruation, puberty, and pregnancy. They can still cause side effects in your body even if they are small.

Some hormones fluctuate as we age throughout our lifetime. To know if you are suffering from hormonal imbalance depends on what glands or hormones are not working properly. Riverwalk Women’s Health can help you get answers.

How To Know If You Are Suffering From Hormonal Imbalance

Signs and symptoms associated with common causes of hormonal imbalance include the following:

• Infertility
• Problems sleeping
• Increased thirst
• Changes in blood sugar, blood pressure, and heart rate
• Excessive sweating
• Long term fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss or gain
• Anxiety and irritability
• Rashes and very dry skin
• Decreased sex drive

Although women suffering from hormonal imbalance have many of the above symptoms, there are additional signs. For example, hot flashes, painful or irregular periods, acne before and during menstruation, deepening voice, breast tenderness, and the list goes on.

In some cases, women also experience hair growth on the chest, back, neck and face.

Treatment For Hormone Imbalance

At Riverwalk OBGYN, we offer hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatment to balance hormones in women after menopause. It is used for a specific period of time before discontinuing.

Other treatments include bioidentical hormones. These are man made hormones and are similar to those in our bodies such as testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. Although they are advertised as being safer than HRT, scientists and researchers state that the benefits and risks should be considered equal.