Hormonal Disorders
What is a Hormonal Disorder?
Hormonal Disorders are conditions relating to changes to the female hormone system causing hormonal imbalance.
Hormonal Imbalances In Women
Women naturally experience several periods of hormonal change in their lifetime, primarily during
- puberty,
- menstruation,
- pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and
- perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.
Causes of Hormonal Imbalance
Women are also at risk of developing different types of hormonal imbalance disorders than men because they have different endocrine organs and cycles.
Medical conditions causing irregular hormonal imbalances in women include:
- polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS),
- early menopause
- primary ovarian insufficiency (POI)
- hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
- thyroid disorders
- pituitary gland tumours
Hormonal imbalances occur when there is too much or too little hormone in the bloodstream. Hormones are essential to normal bodily function; even small imbalances can have significant consequences.
These conditions can often be associated with metabolic changes and affect your ability to conceive.
What Are Hormones?
Hormones are chemicals that are produced by glands in the endocrine system. Hormones travel through the bloodstream to the tissues and organs, delivering messages that tell the organs what to do and when to do it.
What Do Your Hormones Do?
Hormones help regulate many bodily processes, and a hormonal imbalance can affect a wide range of bodily functions, these include:
- metabolism and appetite
- heart rate
- sleep cycles
- reproductive cycles, sexual function and fertility
- general growth and development
- mood and stress levels
- body temperature
Women can be affected by imbalances in insulin, steroids, growth hormones, adrenaline, oestrogen and progesterone.
What Disorders Are Caused by Hormonal Imbalances?
Dozens of medical conditions are caused by hormone issues. Some of the most common hormone-related conditions include:
- Irregular menstruation (periods): A normal menstrual cycle involves several hormones working on a particular order and pattern. Because of this, an imbalance in any one or several of those hormones can cause irregular periods. Specific hormone-related conditions that cause irregular periods include polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
- Infertility: Hormonal imbalances are the leading cause of infertility in females. Hormone-related conditions such as PCOS can cause infertility. Males can also experience hormonal imbalances that affect fertility, such as low testosterone levels (hypogonadism).
- Acne: Acne is primarily caused by clogged pores. While many factors contribute to the development of acne, hormone fluctuations, especially during puberty, are significant. Oil glands, including those in the skin on your face, get stimulated when hormones become active during puberty. Acne is also common during pregnancy, menopause and for people taking testosterone therapy.
- Diabetes: This is the most common endocrine (hormone-related) condition. In diabetes, your pancreas doesn’t make any or enough of the hormone insulin for your body's requirements, or your body doesn’t use it properly. There are several different kinds of diabetes. The most common are Type 2 diabetes, Type 1 diabetes and gestational diabetes.
- Thyroid disease: The two main groups of thyroid disease are hypothyroidism (not enough thyroid hormone) and hyperthyroidism (too much thyroid hormone levels). Each condition has multiple possible causes. Thyroid disease requires treatment.
- Obesity: Many hormones can affect how your body signals that you need food and how your body uses energy, so an imbalance of certain hormones can result in weight gain in the form of fat storage. For example, excess cortisol (a hormone) and low thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) can contribute to obesity.
Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance
Most women experience times when they have some hormonal imbalance. These periods of hormonal imbalance can also occur when the endocrine glands are not functioning properly.
The symptoms of a hormonal imbalance depend on which glands and hormones are affected. Some symptoms associated with the more common causes of hormonal imbalances include:
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Fatigue
- Trouble sleeping
- Mood swings
- Low libido
- Night sweats or hot flushes
- Unexplained hair loss or hair thinning
- Infertility
- Changes in skin texture or complexion
- Abnormal menstrual cycles
- Decreased muscle mass
- Decreased bone density
- Increased cholesterol levels
- Anxiety or depression
- Memory issues
Causes of Hormone Imbalance
Women's hormones fluctuate throughout their menstrual cycle and can be affected by various factors, including stress, diet, lifestyle, and health conditions. Some of the most common causes of hormonal imbalance in women include:
- Stress: Stress can cause hormones to become out of balance. Stress-related hormones, such as cortisol, can interfere with the body's ability to regulate its other hormones, such as oestrogen and progesterone. Stress can also lead to changes in appetite and metabolism, leading to weight gain or loss.
- Diet: Poor diet and nutrition can also contribute to hormonal imbalances. Eating a diet high in processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats can affect the body's ability to produce and regulate hormones. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help maintain hormone levels.
- Age: As women age, their hormonal levels naturally decline. This can lead to a decrease in sex hormones, such as oestrogen and progesterone. This can result in symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats.
- Lifestyle: Women who lead a sedentary lifestyle or don't get enough exercise may experience hormonal imbalances due to a lack of physical activity. Women who smoke or drink alcohol may also be more prone to hormone imbalances.
- Health Conditions: Women who suffer from certain health conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, thyroid disorders, or diabetes, may experience changes in their hormone levels.
Endocrine Glands
Hormonal imbalance or hormonal fluctuations are not uncommon, but hormonal imbalances caused by poorly functioning endocrine glands can be significant.
Endocrine glands specialise in producing, storing, and releasing hormones into the blood. There are several endocrine glands located throughout the body that control different organs, including the:
- adrenal glands
- gonads (testis and ovaries)
- pineal gland
- pituitary gland
- hypothalamus gland
- thyroid and parathyroid glands
- Pancreas
Several medical conditions impact the endocrine system can be affected by lifestyle habits and environmental factors:
- poor diet and nutrition
- being overweight
- chronic or extreme stress
- severe allergic reactions or infections
- exposure to toxins, pollutants, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including plasticisers, pesticides and herbicides
Treatment for Women with Hormone Imbalance
The treatment for hormone imbalances in women will depend on the specific type of hormone imbalance and the symptoms the woman is experiencing. Some common treatments include:
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) involves taking oestrogen and progesterone (or sometimes just oestrogen) to replace the hormones the body is not producing enough of. HRT is used to treat early menopause and POI. When used to treat symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness, it is called Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).
- Oral contraceptives (birth control pills): These can be used to regulate various reproductive hormonal imbalances including for management of periods, for improvement in pelvic pain, and to manage symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
- Medications to regulate insulin levels: Women with PCOS may have high levels of insulin in their blood, which can be treated with medications such as metformin.
- Thyroid hormone replacement therapy: Women with hypothyroidism can take thyroxine to replace the thyroid hormone that the body is not producing enough of.
- Surgery: in some cases, surgery may be used to remove growths such as ovarian cysts.
Your Next Step
If you are experiencing any of the above long-term symptoms, particularly those that result in pain, discomfort, or hinder your daily routine, we recommend that you visit your primary care physician and request a referral to see Dr Crawford.