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Do I have a hormone imbalance?
Author:Dr.Irena Mehandjiska Shumanska
Do I have a hormone imbalance?
Over and over again, we ask ourselves the same question :
What exactly is controlling our emotions?
What is the exact substance that makes us feel happy or sad, angry or depressed, anxious or scared?
The answer is very simple. All our emotions are controlled by substances in our body known as hormones. Besides emotions,
hormones are regulating a variety of chemical reactions and processes in the body. The word “hormone” comes from the Greek word “ormoni,” which means - setting in motion. These regulatory substances are produced in the organism from different cells in different organs.
Their main role is to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action.
The organs that can produce hormones are the endocrine glands like the pituitary gland, pineal gland, thymus, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and pancreas. In addition, men produce sex hormones in their testes, and women produce them in their ovaries.
The processes affected by hormones are metabolism, sexual function, growth and development, mood, reproduction, stress, and sleep. After being produced in the glands, the hormones are released into the bloodstream, from where they target the specific organ that they need to stimulate. The higher the amount of the hormone in the blood, the greater the effects will be in the targeted organs and tissues.
Different hormones and their effects on the body
The hormones are responsible for the body’s natural chemistry.
Every hormone has a different effect on different organs and cells.
The hormones responsible for the metabolism are insulin, thyroid hormones, glucagon, adrenalin, and glucocorticoids. They stimulate processes like converting food to energy, converting food to proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, and eliminating metabolic wastes. Sexual function and reproduction are leaded by estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone.
The growth hormone known as somatotropin is responsible for the growth and development of the organism and is excreted from the pituitary gland. Your daily mood and sleep-wake cycles are controlled by different hormones like melatonin, cortisol, oxytocin, adrenalin, endorphins, and dopamine.
What is hormone imbalance?
Hormone imbalance is a condition when the levels of some hormones in the body are elevated or lowered. Hypothyroidism is an example of hormone imbalance where the levels of the hormones from the thyroid and pituitary gland are not balanced(some of them are low, and some are high). Because of that, you might have symptoms like fatigue, sleepiness, low energy, and gaining weight.
Another example of hormone imbalance is PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome ), when testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and prolactin are raised. There is a resistance to insulin (a hormone produced in the pancreas). The symptoms are irregular periods, weight gain, excessive hair growth or hair loss, and acne.
What are the general signs and symptoms, and when to visit a doctor?
General signs and symptoms are fatigue, insomnia, headaches, depression, low sex drive, weight gain, weight loss, and hair loss.
Most of the hormone levels can be checked with specific blood tests that will show the hormone imbalance. The most important is finding the cause of the hormone imbalance to avoid heart problems, diabetes, depression, and unsatisfactory sex life.
Suppose you have some of the symptoms of hormone imbalance, you should visit a doctor to make specific tests and checkups and try to make changes in your lifestyle. For example, changes in your diet, have a good rest and sleep and consume food reach in natural bio hormones.
References:
-http://zdravstvo.gov.mk/endokrinologija_update/
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