Hormonal Imbalance: Treatment Options to Help Balance Your Hormones

The word “hormones” may make you think of moody teenagers or even sexual arousal. In truth, hormones are powerful chemicals in the body that do play a part in these factors. However, hormones travel throughout your entire body and have multiple other functions.

The endocrine glands produce many kinds of hormonal chemicals, which are excreted into the bloodstream. Different types of hormones affect different tissues and organs throughout the body, essentially telling them to perform certain functions. For example, some hormones make your muscles tense, improve digestion, and even affect fertility.

Hormones do a variety of things. Therefore, an imbalance of hormones can have a variety of effects on the human body. Too much or too little of a certain hormone can throw off your body’s balance and have a series of strange effects, including weight gain, depression, anxiety, infertility, thinning hair, or even acne. Thankfully, hormonal imbalance can be treatable.

What Causes Hormonal Imbalance?

Just as there are many types of hormones with many functions, a hormonal imbalance has many causes. Certain medications, stress, mental disorders, injuries, or even tumors can lead to hormonal imbalance. Unfortunately, because the body depends on a precise balance of hormones to function properly, certain hormonal imbalance conditions, like diabetes and hyperthyroidism, can throw off the balance of other hormones as well.

Treating Imbalance with Medications

Treatments for hormonal imbalance are often specific to the type of hormone in question and its related effects. Doctors use medications to treat imbalance because there are a variety of medications that can either stimulate or even replace hormonal chemicals in the body. These treatments are often referred to as hormone therapy.

Medications to balance female hormones, like estrogen and progestin, can alleviate symptoms like hot flashes and even increase fertility. Women with high androgen, a male hormone, can take medication to suppress high levels. Meanwhile, testosterone supplements can help men experience relief from fatigue, muscle loss, and other symptoms of “Low T”. Medications can even stimulate puberty in teenagers with delayed puberty.

There are a variety of other medications used to relieve other hormone imbalances, including insulin to treat Type I and Type II diabetes. Hormone therapy medications are available in pill, patch, injection, and topical cream form, depending on the treatment you need.

Surgical Treatments

In some cases, medication therapies may not be effective enough and you may need surgery to treat hormonal imbalance. Surgery can remove tumors and alleviate other problems with the endocrine system that may be at the root of a hormone condition.

Healthy Lifestyle

Taking steps to live a healthier lifestyle can treat hormonal imbalance. Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Exercise regularly but not too much, as this can make hormone imbalance worse for some women. Finally, pursue activities that you enjoy to relieve stress and anxiety symptoms. However, it’s best to get recommendations from a doctor, who will understand which hormones in your body are imbalanced and how to balance them safely.

A Word of Caution

Be careful when seeking out hormone imbalance treatments, especially self-medicating cures. Try to avoid using unregulated “natural cure” products like essential oils that may not do you any good. Self-medicating with hormone therapies can increase your risk of heart attacks, stroke, and other serious medical conditions. When it comes to something as serious as hormonal imbalance, there’s no substitute for actual, experienced medical care.

For the best Bay area medical care, visit BASS Medical Group. Our team of physicians can help you achieve hormonal balance, treat your symptoms, and live a healthier life. Call us today at (925) 350-4044 to schedule a consultation and find relief from imbalanced hormones.

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