How Can I Balance my Hormones?

Hormone imbalances occur when you have either too much or not enough of a hormone in your body. Hormone imbalances can cause many different types of problems in your body because hormones play an essential role throughout the entire body. There are many potential causes for hormone imbalances, including issues with your body’s glands, puberty, menstruation, menopause, and many different conditions such as diabetes, Turner Syndrome, and certain cancers. Additionally, issues with your reproductive tract and pelvic organs may also contribute to hormone imbalances. If you are suffering from hormone imbalances or are in need of a pelvic exam in Queens, reach out to Women for Women Obstetrics and Gynecology to get the help you need!

Symptoms of Hormone Imbalances

Hormone Imbalances can cause a large variety of symptoms, but depending on which hormone or gland is affected and causing the imbalances, some symptoms are more common than others. Among the most common symptoms of hormone imbalances are:

• Difficulty sleeping.
• Unexplained sweating or changes in weight.
• Changes in blood pressure or heart rate.
• Depression or anxiety.
• Changes in appetite or thirst.
• Fatigue or headaches.
• Changes in sex drive.
• Infertility.
• Tenderness in the breast.
• Many more.

While these are possible symptoms of any hormonal imbalance, there are specific hormonal imbalance disorders that are more likely to occur in women than in men. Some of these disorders include polycystic ovary syndrome, ovarian cancer, early menopause, and primary ovarian insufficiency. If you think you may be suffering from one of these disorders and are in need of a pelvic exam in Queens, contact us at Women for Women Obstetrics and Gynecology to get help today! These disorders can also lead to hormonal imbalance symptoms that are specific to women such as:

• Abnormal periods.
• Hot flashes.
• Vaginal dryness.
• Abnormal uterine bleeding.
• Abnormal hair growth.
• Deepening of the voice.
• Clitoral enlargement.

How to Balance Hormones

While there are many different factors that can affect the balance of your hormones, there are things you can do to help return balance to your hormones. Examples of things you can try to get your hormones back on track include:

• Proper sleep cycles – The quality and amount of sleep you get can have a large impact on your hormonal levels and balance. Your hormones can rise and fall throughout the day depending on your sleep. Getting a complete and undisturbed sleep at night can be very beneficial in regulating your body’s hormone levels.
• Reduce stress – Your stress, endocrine system, and hormone levels are all connected. When you are stressed, you have higher adrenaline and cortisol levels, which can throw off the overall balance of your hormones. This is why it is important to find ways to reduce your stress regularly.
• Avoid blue light at night – Blue light, such as that from phone screens and computer screens, tricks the body into thinking it is exposed to sunlight. Since your body doesn’t think it is night time, it may suppress melatonin production, which can negatively affect many functions in your body, including hormone balance.
• Avoid refined sugars – Consuming large amounts of refined sugar can affect the production of insulin, a hormone that allows your body to use sugar from carbohydrates in food for energy or to store glucose for later use. When insulin production is affected, it can have adverse effects on many parts of your body.
• Get sufficient protein – An optimized meal for hormone regulation may contain up to 20-30 grams of protein. Proteins have many essential amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own that are used in producing many different hormones in your body. Without an adequate amount of protein, your body may struggle to regulate hormones.
• Consume dairy sparingly – Eating dairy products has been shown to reduce levels of certain hormones, especially in women.

There are several specific treatment options available for women with hormonal imbalances. While every person is different and may require different treatments, here are a few of the treatments often utilized for regulating hormonal imbalances in women:

• Hormone control or birth control – Estrogen and progesterone present in these medications can help regulate menstrual cycles and symptoms as well as regulate the production of certain hormones.
• Anti-androgen medications – These medications help block male-related hormones in women. When these hormones are imbalanced, it can cause severe acne or irregular loss or growth of hair.
• Hormone replacement medications – These medications are often used to treat symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes. The work by helping to regulate some of the hormonal imbalances caused by menopause.

Contact us For A Pelvic Exam in Queens

There are several different causes of hormonal imbalances that can result in a wide variety of symptoms and complications. If you are a woman dealing with hormonal imbalances, your pelvic organs or reproductive tract may be one of the causes of your issues. If you are in need of a pelvic exam in Queens in relation to your hormone issues, contact us at Women for Women Obstetrics and Gynecology to discover how we can help you today!