Bad habits affect our health and cause disease or irregularities in our body even if we don’t realize it. This happens very often with women, as certain habits cause hormonal imbalances that we ignore and, in the long run, could seriously compromise our health.
To talk about hormonal imbalances, we must first know that hormones are little messengers that they travel through our body through the bloodstream regulating vital processes in every fabric. Among the most common hormones we have:
- Thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3): Produced by the thyroid gland. In childhood and adolescence they promote the growth and maturation of the central nervous system and during adulthood they regulate metabolism together with insulin.
- Insulin: Its main function is to regulate blood glucose levels.counteracting the action of hormones that generate hyperglycemia.
- Progesterone, testosterone and estrogen: these are sex hormones responsible for fertility and physical changes in both females and males.
- Adrenaline and Cortisol: Known as stress hormones. They are produced in moments of danger to our bodygenerating tachycardia, flying thoughts and actions, giving us in turn a feeling of energy.
- Serotonin and endorphins: known as “the hormones of happiness”, they bring us well-being. The first gives us the feeling of feeling important and protects us from depression, which is the leading global cause of disability according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In the case of endorphins, they improve socialization and pain tolerance in the face of painful stimuli. Exercise helps us produce them naturally.
- Melatonin: Also called the “sleep hormone”, it is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light. It is related to the functions of our body during the day and night. This hormone is said to control our biological clock.
Excess or decreased production of these and other hormones it can cause unpleasant symptoms and signs that alert us that something is wrong with our body. Below we list some causes of these hormonal imbalances:
1. Stress as a trigger for hormonal imbalances
Prolonged stress can suppress adrenal gland function, thereby lowering cortisol levels. This causes a feeling of weakness and tiredness in the early hours of the daylack of concentration, difficulty making decisions and even depression.
High levels of stress also cause anxiety and this, along with depression, requires psychiatric treatment to cure. Added to this, stress could decrease your appetite. Consequentially, our body does not receive the necessary daily nutrients and hormonal imbalances appear.
2. Oral contraceptives and hormonal drugs
Contraceptives and other hormonal drugs are used to treat some ailments. The problem is that they can cause changes in the body due to the induced increase in the normal levels of some specific hormones, depending on the intake.
If these drugs are consumed in excess of the recommended dose, hormonal problems will be triggered. As It is very important that they are indicated exclusively by a specialist to keep a monthly check of what happens to your body during treatment.
3. After childbirth
Immediately after giving birth, the woman undergoes important hormonal changes. There is a decrease in the levels of placental hormones, estrogen and progesterone. This leads to an increase in prolactin, the hormone responsible for breastfeeding.
These changes in the endocrine system can also cause intense emotional changes.. The best known of these is postpartum depression. For this reason, some specialists indicate a specific treatment to cure or prevent the appearance of these changes.
4. Menopause
Hormonal imbalance is very common at this stage of a woman’s life.. The reason for this is that the levels of sex hormones fluctuate in such a way that the body has to adapt to their new change.
This adaptation occurs, many times, with the help of hormones indicated by the doctor. The goal of treatment is to relieve the symptoms or discomfort of menopause to make it more bearable.
5. External factors
Prolonged exposure to radiation from equipment such as computers, cell phones, and televisions affects the production of specific hormones, causing changes in the body. A poor diet and few hours of sleep a day also play a role.
the consumption of some substances harmful to health could also cause hormonal imbalances. These substances are, for the most part, drugs, tobacco and alcohol.
Although women are the group with the highest incidence of hormonal problems, it should be noted that men can also suffer from a hormonal imbalance. This happens to them during the period of andropause, the counterpart of menopause in women. In adulthood, their testosterone levels begin to decline and this is reflected in:
- decreased sexual desire
- Poor sperm production
- Loss of muscle and bone mass
- Increased body fat
- Lack of concentration
- Insomnia
- Depression
Although not everyone is affected by symptoms, it is important to consult a specialist doctor when changes in our body and mood occur for no apparent reason. Sometimes we are unable to notice them ourselves and have to listen when a family member or friend makes a comment about them.
We can lead a full life during all of its phases, as long as we seek the help of qualified people when we need it.
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