For Women: Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance

For Women: There are a few ways to find out if your symptoms are being caused by an imbalance in your sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone).

If you’re menstruating, you’ll realize there’s a cyclic component to your symptoms. For many women, symptoms get worse during the week or two before their period and then improve (though often just marginally) after their period. The list of symptoms that can occur with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is vast.

Possible imbalance symptoms while you’re menstruating can include: breast tenderness, mood swings, depression, irregular periods, food cravings, skin changes, monthly weight fluctuation, bloating, headaches (including migraines), fluid retention, backaches, frequent colds, low stress tolerance, fatigue, low sex drive, yeast infections, breast cysts, uterine fibroids. In fact, virtually any symptom with a cyclic component is likely hormonal.

Possible imbalance symptoms during your pre-menopause years and beyond: brain fog (poor memory and low concentration), fatigue, weight gain (especially around the tummy), vaginal dryness, low sex drive, depression, anxiety, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, joint pain, dry skin and hair, facial hair, and palpitations.

Post Menopausal women's symptoms include decreased Estrogen, which may lead to Hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. 

For all women, there is also testosterone. You might think of testosterone as more of a male hormone, but it’s vital for women as well. Low testosterone generally occurs during the pre-menopause years and is responsible for low energy and low sex drive. High testosterone appears as part of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and can cause menstrual irregularities, weight gain, facial hair, abnormal sugar metabolism, and susceptibility to acne.

Thrown into the mix are two additional hormones: 

• Thyroid (usually unde-ractive), with symptoms including fatigue, weight gain, dry skin and hair, brain fog, intolerance to cold, and cold hands and feet.

• Adrenal (usually fatigued, as a consequence of unchecked stress), causing fatigue, “crashing” in the afternoon, weight changes, brain fog, salt craving, low blood pressure, lightheadedness, palpitations.