Hormones are essential to body function, and they play a key role in controlling and coordinating activities throughout the body. Since hormones play such a big role in health, it should come as no surprise that a hormone imbalance can cause serious side effects.
Unfortunately, many people suffer from hormone imbalances. A 2019 study found that 47% of women ages 30-60 have experienced the symptoms of a hormone imbalance.
In this blog, Scott B. Callahan, PA-C, of Dolce Vida Med Spa explains how hormone imbalances can affect men and women and how these imbalances can be treated.
What is a hormone imbalance?
Hormones are chemicals that are produced by glands in the endocrine system. They travel via the bloodstream and deliver messages that tell your organs what they need to do. They play a big role in regulating many bodily processes. Consequently, if a hormone imbalance occurs — even a small one — this can throw your body into turmoil.
Men and women can both be impacted by imbalances in insulin, steroids, growth hormones, and adrenaline. Individually, women can experience symptoms from estrogen and progesterone imbalances, and men can experience symptoms from a testosterone imbalance.
Symptoms in men
In many cases, men and women experience similar symptoms when suffering from a hormone imbalance. However, there are certain symptoms that tend to affect men more than women, such as the following:
- Gynecomastia (development of breast tissue)
- Breast tenderness
- Erectile dysfunction
- Loss of libido
- Decrease in beard growth and body hair growth
- Loss of muscle mass
- Mood changes
- Difficulty concentrating
Other symptoms that can impact both sexes include weight gain, sudden weight loss, brain fog, fatigue, and thinning hair.
Symptoms in women
Women are more likely to experience the following symptoms from a hormone imbalance:
- Heavy or irregular periods
- Excessive hair on the face, chin, or other parts of the body
- Acne on the face, chest, or upper back
- Hair loss
- Vaginal dryness
- Pain during sex
- Night sweats
- Headaches
Many women experience hormone imbalances during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and symptoms usually fade after these processes are over.
Age and hormone imbalances
There are too many potential causes of hormone imbalances to list them all, and potential risk factors can range from cancer to stress. However, age is a common cause of hormone imbalances in both men and women.
Women experience a decline in estrogen levels with menopause, and many men see their testosterone levels drop over time. These changes often occur because hormone receptors become less sensitive.
Treating hormone imbalances
There are numerous options for treatment when it comes to hormone imbalances, but Scott B. Callahan, PA-C, recommends BioTEⓇ hormone replacement therapy. Bioidentical hormone pellets are created from plant sources, and they have the same chemical makeup as the hormones your body produces.
The pellets are placed just below the skin in the upper buttocks, and they release a steady stream of hormones over time. There’s no need to deal with patches or creams or schedules. You get the hormones you need, when you need them, day after day.
If you have a hormone imbalance and want treatment, or if you want to see if you have a hormone imbalance, book an appointment online or over the phone with Dolce Vida Med Spa today.
