Understanding Hormone Imbalance: Symptoms & Causes

Hormones play vital roles in fertility, emotional well-being and keeping bones strong and skin moist, among other functions. Hormone imbalance affects every woman when she reaches menopause, and sometimes earlier due to hysterectomy, poor diet or heredity.

Signs &Symptoms

• Common symptoms associated with hormone imbalance include night sweats, hot flashes, dry skin, weight gain, changes in urinary frequency or volume, headaches, heart palpitations, insomnia and fatigue.

Reproductive Symptoms

• Hormone imbalance can cause irregular or absent menstrual periods, heavy bleeding and vaginal dryness.

Emotional Symptoms

• Common mental and emotional symptoms of hormone imbalance include poor memory, difficulty concentrating, depression, lack of interest in sex, mood swings and irritability.

Prevention/Treatment

• In addition to hormone drugs, there are also many natural methods for balancing hormones, including the herbs black cohosh, wild yam and red clover, as well as soy isoflavones.

Warning

• According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, hormone replacement therapy drugs can increase the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke.