How to Balance Hormones

Hormonal imbalance has been linked to numerous health conditions, from infertility and depression to loss of focus and loss muscle strength. Reproductive hormonal imbalance and systemic hormonal imbalance can both be sources of major concern. Here are a few ways, both natural and medical, to treat and balance your hormones. This can also help if you suffer from Hirsutism and/or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (which do go hand in hand).

Balancing Female Hormones

1. Understand how your hormones function. Each hormone is responsible for the completion of certain tasks in the female body. Knowing what each hormone does will help you determine which hormone is lacking based on which bodily functions are not working properly.

   
   

   

   • Estrogen: This is the primary female sex hormone. In women, it accelerates metabolism, increases fat stores, reduces muscle mass, helps form secondary sex characteristics, increases the sex drive, and promotes the increased growth and formation of the uterus.
     • Estrogen deficiency can cause irregular menstruation, lack of menstruation, mood swings, lack of sexual desire, an inability to become pregnant, and early menopause.
   • Progesterone: Commonly considered to be the "pregnancy hormone," it is responsible for preparing the uterus for implantation and decreasing the immune response so that the body can accept a pregnancy. A decrease in progesterone after pregnancy is thought to help trigger labor and milk production.
     • Progesterone deficiency is primarily identified by heavy, irregular periods and difficulty maintaining a pregnancy. Weight gain in the mid-section, severe premenstrual symptoms, and severe fatigue may also occur.
   • Testosterone: Known as the primary male sex hormone, it is also present in the female body. In women, it contributes to the libido and is responsible for many of the changes women go through during puberty, including acne, subtle changes to the vocal range, and the completion of the growth cycle.
     • Testosterone deficiency in women is most commonly identified by a lack of libido, physical inability to become aroused, abnormally dry skin, and increasingly brittle hair.
   • Prolactin: Though it has a wide range of effects, but it is the primary hormone responsible for stimulating the mammary glands in order to trigger lactation. The hormone also aids the development of the fetus when a woman is pregnant and counteracts and concludes arousal.
   • Prolactin deficiency is characterized by inadequate lactation, menstrual disorders, delayed puberty, hair loss, and fatigue. It is most commonly diagnosed after a woman gives birth, especially if excessive bleeding is noticed during delivery.
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