Estrogen and Progesterone are generally regarded as the female sex hormones, although women also have testosterone, but it is in lower amounts than men (except in PCOS). When your sex hormones are out of balance, they are rarely alone. In fact, your hormonal imbalance symptoms may stem from issues with your adrenals, thyroid, gut, liver, diet or lifestyle factors.
Because of this, I rarely, if ever, address only female sex hormones when seeking to restore balance.
Common Hormonal Imbalance Symptoms Include:
- Weight gain
- Hair loss
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Anxiety,
- Fibrocystic breast
- PMS
- Cold intolerance
- Painful menses
- Insomnia
- Joint pain/ Muscle aches
- Easily stressed
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Low libido
As you can imagine, balancing your sex hormones requires a multi-system approach that considers you as a whole person. I'd also add that it requires listening to what the body is telling you, which is why I feel my patient's experience is so valuable.
Sex Hormone Imbalance Symptoms Include:
High Estrogen
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Weight gain
- Heavy or irregular menses
- Headache
- Mood swings
- Breast tenderness
- Irritability
Low Estrogen
- Night sweats
- Depression
- Vaginal dryness
- Insomnia
- Incontinence
- Hair loss
High Progesterone
- Easy to cry
- Breast tenderness
- Irritability
- Headache
- Fatigue
Low Progesterone
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Mid-cycle spotting
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Menstrual cramps
- Heavy or irregular menses
If you found yourself identifying with some (or maybe a lot) of the symptoms above, you likely have a hormonal imbalance. The key to healthy sex hormones is to support the whole body with special attention to the ovaries, adrenals and thyroid, with the adrenal glands being the most common starting point.
I talk even more about this connection in my Hormone Starter Kit and Meal Plan. If you haven't grabbed your free copy yet, you can get it HERE.