Common Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance in Women

By Jillian Foglesong Stabile

If you’ve experienced mood changes, unexplained fatigue, trouble with your sex drive, or even acne, you may be wondering what is happening with your body. Could your symptoms be the result of a hormone imbalance? This article will discuss the common symptoms of hormone imbalance in women.

What Is Hormone Imbalance?

Hormones produced by the endocrine system affect nearly all of the body’s organs and vital functions. This system requires a delicate balance to perform these functions. A hormone imbalance occurs when you have too much or too little of a specific hormone in your body.

Hormone imbalances don’t always have to be a bad thing. Hormone changes happen naturally throughout different life stages, such as during puberty, pregnancy, or menopause. While hormone imbalance doesn’t always cause symptoms, there are some commonly found symptoms in women.

Symptoms that Affect Your Mood and Energy

Some symptoms of hormone imbalance may affect mood and energy levels.

Memory Changes and Brain Fog

Memory changes and brain fog are frequent complaints of women undergoing menopause. A 2020 study in Neurobiology of Aging found that sex steroid hormones such as estrogen and progesterone play a role in memory during aging. In menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels drop, which may be one reason why women experiencing menopause often complain of these symptoms.

Thyroid hormone imbalance is another common reason for people to complain of brain fog. Brain fog is a combination of low energy, memory problems, and difficulty focusing. This condition is often described by people with hypothyroidism.

Fatigue

Fatigue is another common symptom associated with imbalances in hormones. Common hormone imbalances that may cause fatigue include menopause, thyroid disease, and high levels of cortisol.

Mood Changes

Many types of hormone imbalances can cause mood changes in women. Fluctuating levels of hormones during the menstrual cycle, at the onset of puberty, and during menopause are associated with mood swings and other mental health conditions.

Mood changes may also occur in thyroid hormone imbalance. Depression and anxiety are associated with both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, though anxiety is more likely to occur if the thyroid hormone levels are too high.

Symptoms Affecting Your Menstrual Cycle and Reproductive Health

Hormone imbalances may also cause symptoms that affect your menstrual cycles and reproductive health.

Irregular Periods

Irregular periods are associated with fluctuations and imbalances in reproductive hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, but can also be seen with thyroid hormone abnormalities. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an example of a condition that often leads to an imbalance between estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). This condition frequently causes irregular periods due to a lack of regular ovulation.

During perimenopause and menopause, changes in estrogen levels may initially lead to irregular periods before periods stop altogether.

Decreased Sex Drive

Decreased sex drive is often associated with the hormone fluctuations of menopause. Additionally, thinning of the vaginal lining (vaginal atrophy) and vaginal dryness often occur.

Infertility

The ability to ovulate and get pregnant requires a complex interaction between several hormones, including luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen, and progesterone. Imbalances in these hormones caused by conditions such as PCOS, primary ovarian insufficiency or prolactinemia (a benign tumor producing excess prolactin) may lead to difficulty with ovulation and infertility.

Symptoms that Affect Your Physical Appearance

Hormone imbalances can also affect your physical appearance.

Skin And Hair Changes

Changes to hair and nails are often associated with thyroid disease. Hypothyroidism may cause dry skin, coarse or brittle hair and pallor or jaundice. Hypothyroidism is also associated with hair loss.

Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone imbalances that are seen in conditions such as PCOS can lead to excess body and facial hair.

Acne

Acne is commonly seen in hormone fluctuations during puberty. The imbalance between testosterone and estrogen seen in PCOS may also result in acne on both the face and body.

Weight Changes

Weight gain may be seen in several hormone imbalances. Hypothyroidism is commonly associated with metabolic changes that can be associated with weight gain. Menopause is also associated with a slowing of metabolism that can lead to weight gain. These conditions are primarily driven by imbalances in estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormone.

Abnormalities in cortisol levels, such as Cushing’s syndrome, may also be associated with weight gain. This is usually seen in the face (“moon face”), belly, chest, and on the back of the neck/upper shoulders.

While too little thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) is associated with weight gain, too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) is often associated with weight loss. While this may seem like a good problem, hyperthyroidism can also lead to heart problems and weakening of the bones.

Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

Hot flashes and night sweats are frequently seen in hormone balances associated with menopause. Decreasing estrogen levels can lead to unpredictable dilation of blood vessels, which causes flushing and excessive sweating. These symptoms occur in up to 80% of women and people AFAB who are going through menopause.

What Can You Do About Hormone Imbalance?

If you suspect that hormone imbalances are contributing to your symptoms, there are steps you can take:

• Track your symptoms: Keep a journal or log of your symptoms, when you experience them, how severe they are, and any other features that you feel may be important. This information can help your healthcare provider as they work with you to figure out what the underlying cause of the symptoms may be.

• Consult with your healthcare provider: Your healthcare provider is trained to evaluate your symptoms and help guide you in determining what evaluation is necessary to better understand what is causing your health concerns.

• Consider hormone testing: You have many options for hormone testing, ranging from in-lab testing to tests you can do from the comfort of your home. Your healthcare provider may order these tests, but many labs offer the ability for you to order them yourself.

If you decide to do hormone testing, make sure to follow all of the instructions to get the most accurate results. Once you have your lab results, your healthcare provider can help you interpret your hormone test results.

Take Control of Your Hormone Health with Everlywell

Whether it’s mood changes, physical changes, or struggles with reproductive health, hormone imbalances can significantly impact your life. Hormone imbalances can mimic other conditions like depression, which can make them difficult to distinguish. Knowing more about your hormone levels may help you figure out how to improve your overall health and well-being.

Everlywell offers a wide range of at-home testing options, including options for testing for hormone imbalance. Consider our Women’s Hormone Test for females and people AFAB to learn about 10 key reproductive hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol.

Have more questions about hormones or other aspects of your health? Everlywell has you covered there, too. We offer virtual visits with certified healthcare providers to help guide your healthcare journey from the comfort of your home. At Everlywell, our flexible testing options, actionable results, and personalized care can help you go from wondering to doing.