Signs You May Have a Hormone Imbalance

Our hormones are very efficient messengers. They constantly communicate information to every area of our body while responding and adapting to changing needs. Hormones are produced in the endocrine glands: thyroid, adrenals, pancreas, and ovaries or testes. They perform essential functions, relay warnings, and continually communicate. Hormones ensure that everything else is functioning smoothly. But what happens when your hormones are out of balance? What if their functioning is out of whack?

Many factors can throw hormone levels and function out of balance, such as:

• Environmental factors
• Disease
• Prescription drugs
• Diet
• Stress
• Changes in health
• Age

Frequently, a person with symptoms will attribute those signs to stress or an overly busy life. Chronic stress can actually cause your hormones to become imbalanced, so those symptoms may be a result of the imbalance rather than the stress. This hormone imbalance is the underlying cause of many symptoms and often will need proper testing, evaluation, and treatment to restore normal levels.

Identifying and correcting hormone levels early helps maintain health, energy, and longevity, and prevents the onset of chronic disease.

Top 5 most common symptoms of hormonal imbalances

Skin and hair changes

The quality and vitality of your skin and hair are directly related to your hormones. Your hormones must work synergistically in order to have a glowing complexion. When even one is off-balance, you can begin developing skin problems such as dryness, acne, fine lines, wrinkles, and rosacea. Thyroid abnormalities, for example, may cause dry hair or skin, thinning hair, hair loss, and brittle nails.