Your lifestyle plays an important role in maintaining a healthy hormonal health. Hormones, also known
as chemical messengers, are responsible for regulating multiple processes in your body such as
metabolism, sleep cycle, reproduction, etc.
Your lifestyle choices can either balance your hormonal levels or turn them topsy-turvy.
“What lifestyle choices?”, you may ask.
Something as tiny a habit as an erratic sleep schedule can cause your hormones to react abnormally.And if you are someone who stresses a lot, your chemical messengers are most likely to go out of control.
Hormonal imbalance stems from either having elevated levels or lower levels of a hormone. Now, there are hormones that are present in everyone, for example: insulin. And there are hormones, which are gender-specific. Women may see an imbalance in estrogen or progesterone levels, whereas men may have an imbalance in their testosterone levels.
A human body begins to react when it produces hormones, more or less than the levels required. While some hormones fluctuate naturally due to aging, the levels of other hormones rise and fall due to poor lifestyle.
Your body drops hints in the form of tell-tale signs every time something is wrong with your hormones.It is important to listen to your body if you want to maintain the right chemical levels instead of putting them on a see-saw. Here are a few signs that your hormones have gones haywire:
Fatigue
We all feel tired once in a while, however with adequate rest, a balanced diet, and hydration, we recover. However, there are times when you feel exhausted everyday even though you have been taking good care of yourself. This is a sign that your hormones have gone for a toss. Adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism are two common hormonal conditions caused in this fast-paced society.
Anxiety
Women are at a higher risk of suffering from anxiety due to changes in estrogen during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, or menopause. According to a study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information on the effects of estrogen receptors in the brain, estrogen can calm fear responses and anxiety in both humans and rodents. Women with higher or normal levels of estrogen showed lesser fearful responses when exposed to fearsome scenarios. On the other hand, men with lower levels of testosterone have higher chances of developing anxiety.
Trouble Sleeping
Although there are multiple reasons why you might have trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep, hormonal imbalance also can be a reason why you cannot doze off easily. Insomnia can be associated with impaired Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal axis (your central stress response system), it’s where the endocrine system and the central nervous system interact. The HPA axis is also responsible for your sleep-awake cycle via hormones, cortisol and melatonin. Melatonin controls the circadian rhythm of a human body, facilitating better and longer sleep. Lower levels of melatonin can lead to insomnia. Similarly, higher levels of cortisols can lead to stress, and thus affect your sleep cycle.
Digestive Issues
A lot of people, when anxious, also feel a terrible pain in their stomach. Your gut has more neurotransmitters as compared to your brain, hence depression and anxiety are accompanied by digestive issues. Hormonal imbalance can affect the bacteria present in your gut, which leads to bloating, diarrhea, or nausea.
Acne
A sudden increase in breakouts and acne can be a significant sign of hormonal imbalance. Androgen, a chemical messenger in the human body is responsible for regulating the production of your skin’s sebum. Androgen is also known as male hormones, however it is found in men and women, both. When androgen levels go up, your body produces more and more sebum in your pores, leading to acne on the surface of your skin.
Hair Loss
The quality of your hair depends on your hormones. Hormonal issues like thyroid and PCOS may cause hair thinning, dry or oily hair and scalp, and brittle nails. If the quality of your hair is poor, there’s a higher possibility that you are suffering from an hormonal condition.
Statistics show that around 80% of women suffer from some or the other hormonal issue. Although hormonal imbalance in men is not overtly known or spoken about, higher or lower levels of any hormone in their bodies can too lead to serious health conditions such as anxiety, infertility, baldness, etc. Hence, it is imperative that you keep a check on your hormones for a healthy and stress-free life.
At Aspira Diagnostics, we are trying to bring pathology and family healthcare to your fingertips by enabling you to book lab tests online. We have a wide range of blood test packages that can be booked online, including hormonal blood test at home in Mumbai.