Hormone Balance

The hormone changes that occur in the years leading up to and following menopause can cause negative side effects like weight gain, sleep disruptions, and mood swings. The team at Austin Medical Group in Austin, Texas, offer a variety of personalized services for women, including help with hormone balance. If you’re experiencing a hormone imbalance, call Austin Medical Group or book an appointment online.

Hormone Balance Q & A

What are hormones?

Glands in your endocrine system are responsible for producing hormones. The endocrine system regulates all of your body systems, such as your growth and development, sexual function and reproduction, metabolism, sleep, and mood.

The glands in the endocrine system include:

  • Thyroid
  • Pituitary
  • Pancreas
  • Testicles
  • Ovaries

After the endocrine system creates the hormones, those hormones move throughout your body as chemical messengers to other tissues and organs. For example, the estrogen produced in a woman’s ovaries regulates her menstrual cycle, reproduction, and the growth of breasts and underarm hair.

What causes hormone imbalance?

Several factors can cause hormone imbalance, including:

  • Stress
  • Infection
  • Diabetes
  • Thyroid disorders

As men and women age, they naturally experience a decrease in the production of sex hormones. Hormone imbalance is an especially common problem for women, often beginning around age 40 as their estrogen and progesterone levels decrease leading up to menopause and continuing through their postmenopausal years.

What are the symptoms of hormone imbalance?

Hormone imbalance can come with a wide range of symptoms for both men and women. Men may feel as though they’ve “lost their edge.” Women often suffer from hot flashes, vaginal dryness, painful breasts, and acne.

Additional symptoms associated with hormone imbalance include:

  • Depression and mood swings
  • Brain fog or memory loss
  • Loss of muscle mass and weight gain
  • Osteopenia or osteoporosis
  • Insomnia or sleeping problems
  • Lack of motivation or fatigue

Many men and women with hormone imbalance also experience sexual dysfunction, including a decreased interest in sex, reduced libido, or painful sexual intercourse.

How do you balance hormones?

To restore your hormone balance, your doctor at Austin Medical Group provides a complete physical examination, evaluates your symptoms, and performs a full laboratory screening to review your hormone levels.

Levels your doctor might measure include:

  • DHEA
  • Estradiol
  • Progesterone
  • Testosterone

Once your results are received, your doctor outlines a personalized approach to restore hormone balance and return you to your best health. This might include hormone or holistic therapies as well as exercise and diet counseling to ease your symptoms.

To learn more about hormone balance, call or book an appointment online.