As I mentioned previously, I was a stressed-out mom. While feeling slightly stressed on different occasions is normal, having heightened levels of stress for extended periods of time is not normal, and it was detrimental to my health. It was disrupting my body’s natural hormone balance, causing insomnia and low energy. Once I started taking care of myself, consistently using hormone supplements and oils, my hormones became balanced, and my health improved. Here’s how to tell if you’ve reached that tipping point and what you can do about it.
Symptoms of Imbalanced Hormones
Many women know that mood swings, hot flashes, and weight gain are known to be symptoms of hormonal imbalance. But did you know that urinary incontinence, brain fog, and memory loss can also be symptoms? Other symptoms of hormonal imbalances include night sweats, leg cramps, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, and loss of interest in sex. Each symptom can have an effect on different aspects of life.
Causes of Hormone Imbalance
The most important step to treating hormone imbalance is to look for the root cause. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s stress. In our modern times, it can also be called overstimulation.
Stress can be caused by numerous ways including getting too much exercise (especially cardio), having too much sugar and flour in your diet, lack of sleep, drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, too much electronic stimulation or time on devices, or having toxic people in your life. Of women who experienced a hormonal imbalance, 36 was the average age that their first symptoms occurred. Typically, what we start seeing in the mid-30s are the PMS symptoms, irregular cycles, and heavier cramping, so birth control pills, antidepressants, and sleeping pills start to be prescribed at that age. But that is only addressing the symptom and not addressing the cause of those symptoms.
How Stress Creates an Imbalance
Your body naturally creates stress hormones. Produced by the endocrine system, these hormones — including cortisol and adrenaline — help you react to situations that require a quick increase of energy and attention. I, along with many Americans, experience this small surge of adrenaline from time to time. I have had the unfortunate experience of almost missing a flight, and I’ve needed to speak in front of crowds. Unfortunately, when stress hormones are released more frequently and remain in the bloodstream for sustained periods, we may experience a hormone imbalance. Without management, these “fight or flight” responses also can wreak havoc on your health.
Hormones and Overall Health
Stress hormones are only meant to be released by the body on occasion. Yet, in the modern world, feeling “stressed out” every day is increasingly common. Those who are chronically stressed are at a higher risk of health problems, including weight gain, high blood pressure, thyroid issues and higher risks for infection, fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety and gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and constipation. Too much stress also can cause an irregular menstrual cycle and infertility in women, as well as a decreased libido in both men and women. Because stress also triggers mood swings and irritability, a hormone imbalance can lead to personal problems. Overall, when stress creates a hormonal imbalance, it’s capable of negatively affecting your entire life.
Ways to Manage Stress
Becoming aware of when and why you’re feeling stressed is the first step to addressing a stress-induced hormone imbalance. By learning how to stay calm during tense situations, you’ll be able to better control your reactions to external stimuli. Here are a few great ideas for reducing stress and eliminating a hormone imbalance:
- Adopting a regular exercise routine
- Practicing daily meditation, mindfulness and/or deep breathing exercises
- Improving your sleep hygiene
- Minimizing your consumption of caffeine and alcohol
- Establishing and maintaining a healthy diet
- Evaluating and adjusting your life balance
- Seeking out emotional support from family and friends
- Enlisting the help of a therapist, psychologist or other mental health professional
It’s not always easy to figure out what’s going on inside your body. By paying attention to how you feel and your reactions to stressful situations, you may be able to identify and treat a potential hormone imbalance.
On my Facebook page “Freedom-n-Joy Essentials”, this week I am talking about what supplements and oils you can use to balance your hormones. Hop on over to my page to find out more info!
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