The experience of women going through multiple cycles throughout their lifetime is experienced by almost half the population. However, these experiences are unique to each one of us. Based on our lifestyle, genealogy, and several other factors, the key to our wellbeing lies in having balanced hormones.
One of the most elusive health challenges for women occurs while trying to keep our hormones regulated. This is because figurative and quite literally, our entire health is based on these chemical concoctions. When left unchecked, dysregulated hormonal levels can lead to several problems starting from mood swings to an inability in showing up productively.
To ensure that we all understand the body’s language, this blog will explain the telltale signs of hormonal imbalance and its reasons.
Signs of hormonal imbalance
- Irregular periods: Painful periods or dysmenorrhea, irregular cycles, or skipping a couple of menstrual cycles can be a key indicatorof having dysbalanced hormones. One of the best ways to track your cycles is by maintaining a calendar and noting down your mood changes or any specific experiences involved. Technology has made life easier for us all because today we have mobile apps and wearable devices that can track our cycles for us.
- Feeling lethargic all the time: Have you noticed a constant bout of lowered energy throughout the day? Maybe you’re sleeping irregularly or getting eight solid hours of rest, but the fatigue never seems to leave. This constant state of lethargy and sluggishness can also be attributed to adrenal fatigue, where your adrenal glands exhaust themselves by secreting too many stress hormones. It can also be an indicator that you’re under constant stress that you may not notice, leading to the inability of performing the bare minimum tasks in a given day,
- Lack of motivation: If you’ve noticed a cloud above your mindset with constant pessimism while feeling uninspired, this could also be caused due to dysregulated hormones. Dopamine, oxytocin, and adrenaline form a combination to create gratification or reward centers in our brain. This motivates us to get work done. But when there’s a lack of these hormones, your motivation to create and work feels low.
- Sudden mood swings: Mood swings as a symptom of PMS or menopause are widely talked about. Even pregnancy and post-partum mood swings are a subject of wide speculation among the medical and civilian community. However, if you have ever experienced extreme mood swings, it’s time to get your bloodwork assessed to get a clear picture of your hormones. This will also help medical practitioners prevent the onset of mood dysregulation disorders.
- Excessive odor while sweating: Did you know that being under stressful, unhappy, or anxiety-inducing scenarios can make your body sweat? Moreover, such sweat produced tends to emit a foul odor. It can not only be off-putting but also an embarrassing situation to be in. Rather than trying to mask your body odor with deodorants and roll-ons, try understanding the signs your body is sending you; it could be an insight into hormonal problems or another illness.
- Acne breakouts: Acne breakouts are one of the most detested experiences that teens go through, but can still rear their ugly heads well into adulthood. Women experience acne breakouts when their bodies have imbalanced hormones. It can be inconvenient and painful but is a clear indicator that your health needs some medical assessment.
Reasons for hormonal imbalance
- Stress: Being under constant or sudden stressful situations can slowly freeze your body into fight or flight mode, which can then affect your overall hormonal levels. Feeling drained due to your hormonal secretion glands being exhausted is a common effect of experiencing constant stress. This is why gentle exercises, yoga, and meditation are recommended to regulate your nervous system.
- Irregular sleep cycles: If you follow an unpredictable lifestyle that leads to irregular sleeping hours, your hormones will not be happy. As we grow, our body relies on routine and disciplined rest to replenish its energy. Problems like insomnia or just depriving yourself of sleep due to work and binge entertainment can quickly disbalance your circadian rhythm.
- Inadequate diet: What you eat matters a lot more than you think! Following crash diets and fad regimes while depriving yourself of certain nutrients can cause your hormones to become haywire. A lack of vitamin D, B complex, and other nutrients also play a major role in triggering mood regulation disorders.
Wrapping Up:
Now that you understand the nature of hormonal dysregulation and why it can occur, you can now pinpoint when your hormones may be out of sync. Use this blog as a guide to detect any irregularities and seek medical counsel when necessary.