Causes, Symptoms and Effects of Hormonal Imbalance in Women

What is hormonal balance?
In women, the body produces two important types of hormones, progesterone and estrogen, among others. In the first half of the menstrual cycle, the body produces high levels of estrogen. In the second half, due to ovulation, the body begins to produce high levels of progesterone. This balances out the estrogen produced earlier. When the body maintains balance between these hormones throughout the changes occurring in the menstrual cycle, hormonal balance is achieved.

What is hormonal imbalance?
In perimenopausal women, there may be months when ovulation does not take place. However, ovulation is the event that triggers the production of progesterone. In the absence of progesterone, the surplus of estrogen does not get balanced out. This is an instance of unbalanced hormones in the body.

What are its causes?
Age is the primary factor. As women cross their mid-thirties, they actually enter the perimenopausal stage. In this stage, while normal amounts of estrogen are produced, progesterone is unavailable. This leads to a condition call estrogen dominance. This is the most common kind of hormonal inequality in women.

Low levels of estrogen, as seen in menopausal women, also leads to hormonal imbalance. This is also a direct result of the aging process because the body is unable to produce sufficient amounts of estrogen as the years pile up.

Another cause is the current lifestyle. Environmental poisons enter the body through food and pollutants. Animal products that contain artificially pumped hormones are also responsible for introducing high levels of hormones into the body. This, in turn, disturbs hormonal level in the body.

It may also be triggered by the intake of certain medication. The pill is one common culprit. Other factors like the use of certain cosmetics, sedentary lifestyle and excess stress may also lead to unbalanced hormones.

What are the effects of hormonal imbalance?
Hormones are pretty powerful entities within the body. That is why they) can cause a number of serious problems. For instance, estrogen dominance can trigger breast cancer, growth of fibroids in the uterus, hair loss, cysts or fibrous growth in the breasts, cancer in the uterus, loss of memory, low sex drive, aging, bloating, unexplained weight gain, thyroid problems and mood swings, to name a few. Low levels of estrogen also have severe impact on the mind and body. It can lead to early aging, hot flashes, depression and mood swings.

It is important to understand that unbalanced hormones may not produce all or any of these symptoms in all women. Symptoms may be more dominant in some women, while there may be no symptoms in others.

In case of severe symptoms, it is recommended that patients undergo Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). This supplies hormones to the body and establishes hormonal balance once again, which helps sufferers lead normal lives.