Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance in Women

Hormonal imbalances occur when there is too much or too little of a particular hormone in the bloodstream. It is important to note that hormonal imbalances are multifactorial disorders, meaning they are caused by a combination of factors — such as your diet, medical history, genetics, stress levels, and exposure to toxins from your environment.

In the health of a woman, hormones play a vital role, and fluctuations in their levels, especially estrogen and progesterone, often have a negative impact on her mood, sexual desire, ovulation, and even fertility among other things.

Some of the symptoms of hormonal imbalances in women are;

Mood swings: Estrogen affects serotonin, a chemical that affects mood, so fluctuations in estrogen can cause premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and depression during perimenopause.

Unexplained Fatigue: Long-lasting fatigue (unrelated to pregnancy) can be a sign your hormones are out of balance. The common culprits are elevated progesterone (especially fatigue around ovulation), an imbalance in thyroid hormones, and adrenal exhaustion. Low testosterone is another cause of fatigue for women.

Hot flashes and night sweats: For those experiencing random hot flashes throughout the day, or waking up covered in sweat, it is a major red flag for hormone imbalance and it is most likely due to a drop in estrogen levels.

Premenstrual, Premenopausal and Menopausal Migraines: Hormone fluctuations tend to trigger and worsen migraines for many women and the common culprits include sensitivity to decreases in either estrogen or progesterone levels during the menstrual cycle. The fluctuation in estrogen levels in perimenopause may cause migraines to increase but many women tend to see them stop once menopause is reached. However, some women will continue to have migraines even during menopause.

Persistent weight gain: Unexplained weight gain around the middle, buttocks, hips, and thighs that is difficult to get rid of can be a sign of hormonal imbalances.

Breast tenderness and swelling, fibrocystic breasts: If you have breast swelling (not related to puberty or pregnancy) that increases your bra size by a cup or more, your hormones could be out of balance.

Vaginal dryness/Low libido: Vaginal dryness and low libido are tied to hormone changes and this is more pronounced during perimenopause but also regularly occur after childbirth or during breastfeeding.

Insomnia: Both estrogen and progesterone regulate sleep cycles, so fluctuations of these hormones can cause low-quality sleep, and hence fatigue, lack of energy, and mood swings.

Irregular Periods: Most women’s periods come every 21 to 35 days. If yours doesn’t arrive around the same time every month, or you skip some months, it might mean that your hormones are out of balance.

Skin problems: If you have ever experienced the dreaded “period breakout” right before your menstrual cycle, then you probably already know that hormones can have a major impact on your skin. Hormonal fluctuations can cause different skin concerns during your period, pregnancy, and menopause ranging acne to dry and itchy skin among others.

Fertility issues: High levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), low levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), menopause, and PCOS can make it difficult for a woman to conceive.

Head hair loss/Facial and body hair growth: This is often times tied to genetics but hormone imbalance plays a role with common culprits being excess testosterone, PCOS, hormone changes after childbirth (falling hair), adrenal problems, and hormone-containing drugs.

Written by: Paul Orishaba
The writer is an ethnobotanist and a member of the National Christian Students Association. (NCSA Youth).