6 Telltale Warning Signs Your Hormones Are Messing With You

Have you been feeling tired recently?

Moody? Irritable? Or just plain down or depressed?

Like most women, chances are you’ve already waived these feelings away as nothing more than the modern side-effect of having to juggle a million things at any given time.

You’re overworked, underslept, and struggling to keep up. Why wouldn’t you feel this way, right?

The truth is, there’s more at play here than just having too much on your already full plate.

Chances are, your hormones are playing tricks on you, and they’re not the kind of party tricks everyone can have a good chuckle over. Your hormones are messing with your health and wellbeing, and they need to be put in their place.

6 Telltale Signs of Hormone Imbalance

So how can you tell if what you’re feeling is more than just a sign you need a little more sleep? Take a moment out of your day to look a little closer, and keep an eye out for these signs:

1. The little things keep getting on your nerves

We all have little niggles than can get on our nerves.

People talking too loudly on their phones is one. A co-worker taking your food from the work fridge? Who doesn’t grumble at that.

Or what about all those people that *shudder* chew with their mouths open? (It just so happens that this one is an actual, diagnosed phobia. Who’d have thought it?).

Thankfully, most of us can swallow our rage, let bygones be bygones, and get on with our days.

They keyword here is ‘most’. If you find that these little things continue to gnaw away at your patience, there may be more to it than one too many late nights. In fact, symptoms like these could point to an underlying hormonal imbalance that needs to be addressed.

The good news is, this isn’t your fault. It’s your body’s! Cold comfort, I know, but it’s a start.

You see, the venn diagram of mood swings and hormonal imbalance isn’t two, overlapping circles so much as it’s just the one, massive circle.

So when you notice that you’re not quite able to shake those everyday irritations like you once could, it might be time to take the lead and address the health of your hormones, namely estrogen and progesterone.

At the same time, don’t let your irritability stand in the way of your relationships, or your enjoyment of everyday life. Your body will thank you for it (and, more than likely, so will your friends and family!).

Check out the list of symptoms that suggest you might be suffering from an estrogen dominance or deficiency.

2. Your excess weight just signed a lease

We could all stand to…well, stand up, get out, and get a little more exercise under our belts (in the hopes of having said belts fit a little better).

But if you find that no amount of time on the treadmill is able to shift those stubborn pounds there’s a good chance that an underlying hormonal imbalance or thyroid issue could be undermining all of your hard work. How dare it!

That’s right: there’s a distinct link between low or imbalanced hormone levels, and your body’s ability – or willingness – to shed those pounds.

You see, if your endocrine system finds itself under stress, it’ll produce less of some hormones, and more of others.

When your thyroid levels drop below a healthy level as a result, your metabolism slows, which in turn makes it that much more difficult to burn fat. In fact, it’s almost impossible to lose weight when you’re suffering from low thyroid levels.

If you’re desperate for a quick fix you might take up appetite supplements, suppressants, and fad diets, but they’re all temporary bandaids taped over a much larger – pardon the pun – problem.

Instead of throwing your money away in search of a fix that doesn’t exist, have your doctor or local GP check your thyroid levels, and devise a long-term plan that will address your issues once and for all.

While you’re at it, give your body the best shot at success by supporting these treatments with hormone-healthy foods which will ensure you won’t put the weight back on once your hormones have returned to a healthy level.

Check out the signs your thyroid might be sluggish and what you can do about it.

3. You’re feeling too busy to *wink wink* get busy

Did you know that your sex drive begins to naturally fall around the age of 30?

It’s around this time that several hormones – including estrogen, progesterone, and yes, even testosterone – begin to decrease.

As it so happens, your reproductive system is far more dependant on hormones than you might think, which is why the smallest increase in estrogen or decrease in testosterone can see your libido go MIA and have you throwing up ‘Have You Seen’ posters in search of your sex drive.

Combine these feelings with your irritable mood and lack of energy, and the bedroom will soon become a sleep only zone.

Avoiding toxins or other environmental no-no’s is a good first step to regaining a happy, healthy sex life. This includes artificial hormones found in foods like chicken or beef, certain medications, as well as mundane things like cleaning chemicals.

You may also consider addressing these issues with natural bioidentical treatments to supplement your own waning hormones.

4. You’re down in the dumps

The dark cloud of depression isn’t picky. It can affect anyone, at any time, for any number of reasons. Happy exteriors can often hide a world of turmoil, mixed emotions, and just downright depressing days.

We’ve all been there. You’re not alone.

What you need to understand is that depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses aren’t just a case of feeling lazy, uninspired, or not trying hard enough.

They’re caused by a physical change in the makeup of your brain, which is just not as easy to spot as a limp or a broken arm. But it’s there.

More than that, the cause of said changes can be difficult to pin down. Antidepressants and other medications are an effective treatment method for many, but it’s important to dig a little deeper and identify the cause, and not just the symptoms.

While many factors can underline clinical depression, hormone imbalance is certainly a place to look into. Moreover, a baseline of strong hormone health at the very least can help support treatment, if not also addressing some of the symptoms.

5. You’re craving food like you’re expecting

Raise your hand if you’ve always thought cravings were just a sign you’re expecting.

If you raised your hand, you’re not alone. In fact, I’d be raising my hands right now if it didn’t make writing this sentence incredibly difficult.

It just so happens that a craving for a given food – beyond the usual rainy day, cold night, movie-watching munchies – could point to a deficiency in a certain food-specific nutrient, but it could also point to a much deeper problem with your hormones.

Read the relationship between low blood sugar and food cravings.

6. You’re struggling to make it through the night

It’s said that as much as 10% of the population of the United States suffers from insomnia.

Chances are if you don’t currently suffer from it, you know someone who does.

As you’ve probably guessed from the causes of the other symptoms in this list, troublesome hormones can mess with your circadian rhythm – which regulates energy levels throughout the day, and tells you when it’s time to rest your weary head – which can lead to a troubled sleep, and that dreaded ‘I’ word: Insomnia.

If you suffer from insomnia, check out 5HTP, wich can help improve mood, sugar craving, insomnia and PMS.

Do you have any of these 6 telltale signs of hormone imbalance? Please share your experience. We’d love to hear from you.

This article was written by Jamie Dalzell.

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