“But how do I know if I have hormonal symptoms?”
Even if you’re not diagnosed with a hormonal condition like PMOS (formally PCOS), endometriosis, thyroid conditions, or more, your hormones might be out of balance.
On the other hand, it can be confusing when you feel “off”, but you don’t have a diagnosis or your bloodwork comes back as “in range”.
You may start to wonder if you have hormonal symptoms or if it’s all in your head.
But, don’t gaslight yourself! Your symptoms are whispers from your body that something needs a little TLC under the surface.
Here are the top 10 signs I commonly see that signal your hormones might be out of balance.
PMS
PMS is connected to the rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone. When these are off balance or their ratio to each other is off, you may experience PMS. Your happiness hormone, serotonin, is also impacted by these fluctuations and can cause more low moods.
Though PMS is common – and commonly joked about – it is not normal. It is also often dismissed because it only happens for a short period of the month and then forgotten the rest of the month.
Painful Periods
Painful periods are another hormonal symptom that’s often brushed off or forgotten about because it happens for several days a month and then is gone.
Your painful periods are also connected to an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone, as well as high prostaglandins (the hormone that causes the uterus to contract to shed her lining).
I always say it, but your period is a receipt from your body. Though we all complain about our periods (especially if you struggle with painful periods), we are lucky to have a direct report card to our health and our hormones through our period.
Acne
Acne can be caused by an underlying condition, like PMOS / PCOS. The biggest trigger to your acne is from higher androgens. Androgens are your male hormones, like testosterone. As your estrogen decreases, your testosterone levels may have an imbalance, causing more oil production and leading to worsened acne.
Your skin is also a reflection of your body’s detoxification. If your body isn’t detoxing properly, it will show up on your skin. Your body’s detoxification systems also get rid of waste. If your detox systems are off, it can lead to acne as a sign of hormonal imbalances underneath the skin.
Fatigue
A common thing I hear is that everyone is tired, everyone has fatigue, and it’s just part of getting older and being busy. Right?
Wrong. Fatigue is connected to several hormonal conditions and imbalances like thyroid issues, estrogen and progesterone imbalances, blood sugar irregularity, and funky cortisol.
It’s also a sign that your sleep-wake cycle is off, your blood sugar may be off, and your metabolism isn’t functioning optimally, meaning it will be much more difficult to see physique changes (like lose weight, get toned, or build strength).
Weight Gain
Your hormones are messengers that control your metabolism, your hunger and fullness cues, and how fat is distributed in your body. When you have chronic stress, blood sugar imbalances or insulin resistance, imbalances with testosterone and estrogen, and your thyroid is working in overdrive, your body will store your weight as fat to help re-regulate your hormones.
This leads to weight gain, as well as an inability to lose weight easily. That stubborn weight? That’s a hormonal issue, not a laziness problem.
Low Libido
Similar to PMS and period pain, most women write off low libido as “it’s just something that happens as we get older”. And that’s simply not true. Though you may not have the raging libido of a teen or early 20 year old or you may experience changes during perimenopause and post menopause, a low libido is still a sign of changing hormones and or hormonal imbalances.
If there’s an imbalance in testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone, your sexual desire, arousal, and need for intimacy will decrease. Cortisol also directly impacts your libido, as does an overactive or under active thyroid.
Mood Changes
Serotonin and dopamine are your mood stabilizing hormones that are regulated by your hormones and brain chemistry. When struggling with anxiety, irritability, and sadness, there is a chemical and hormonal imbalance.
Mood shifts can be triggered by your menstrual cycle, pregnancy and postpartum, perimenopause and post menopause, and thyroid irregularities and cortisol levels.
Sleep Issues
Your hormones directly affect your body’s circadian rhythm, your body’s core temperature, and your stress responses. Whether you struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or to wake up (or wake up feeling very drowsy), they are all connected to your hormones.
Estrogen regulates your body temperature and gets you into REM sleep. Progesterone calms your body. Cortisol wakes you in the morning and is low at night to help you sleep. Melatonin is in charge of your sleep and wake cycle. And your blood sugar levels will impact if you sleep through the night.
Headaches
Headaches are a sign of hormonal changes. A few days before your period starts, more often during perimenopause, during pregnancy and postpartum, women can experience more headaches as their hormones fluctuate. Birth control can also trigger hormonal headaches and migraines.
Estrogen acts as a natural pain receptor by regulating how your brain perceives pain. During changes of life or with your cycle, your headaches may be triggered as your estrogen falls.
Irregular Cycles
Irregular cycles could be connected to perimenopause, but they can also be a sign of something deeper. Having a consistent period is less about the period and more about ovulation. Ovulation is the main event. Without ovulation, progesterone isn’t being produced and will cause long cycles or missed periods.
High cortisol and androgen levels and an imbalance in TSH or prolactin hormone levels can also impact your cycle.
In Conclusion…
Just because something is considered “common” doesn’t mean it’s normal. Ignoring your symptoms can cause larger problems.
That doesn’t mean you need to live in fear of your hormones though! Using your nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle, you can optimize your hormones, decrease your symptoms, and feel amazing in your skin.
Curious if your hormonal symptoms are impacting you? Take the Free Hormone Symptom Analyzer!
