Hormonal Imbalance: What Role Does Stress Play?

Published about a month ago • 4 min read

Hormonal Imbalance: What Role Does Stress Play?

Does stress cause hormonal imbalance? Yes, absolutely. Stress is one of the major factors affecting women’s health as well as men’s. Stress has no gender; everyone endures it from time to time. You are not alone in this journey, and we are here to help you fix it by overcoming the stress.

While all of us experience stress at some point in time, chronic stress can harm our bodies. One way in which it can affect women’s health is hormone imbalance. Those tiny hormones in our bodies play a big role in keeping our bodies running smoothly.

The hormone imbalance occurs when there is an increase or decrease in the body's hormonal levels. To regulate the various bodily functions, you must have a proper balance of your hormones. The imbalance can disrupt the body and affect its normal functions. It can cause obesity, low energy, insomnia, increased glucose, and decreased sex drive.

Your body can naturally produce stress hormones. When you are under stress, the hypothalamus gland in your brain signals the adrenal glands to release the stress hormones, especially the primary two hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, or epinephrine.

This alerts your body to the danger that requires attention. By giving the body energy and limiting unnecessary actions, cortisol helps the body get ready for a "fight or flight" response. Chronic stress, however, can increase cortisol levels, which can negatively impact the body.

Yes, in more ways than you are aware of. Many hormone imbalance symptoms go unnoticed by women. It’s essential to have a basic knowledge about hormone changes and to know how they affect women’s health.

Estrogen and Progesterone: The increase and decrease of estrogen and progesterone can cause menstrual irregularities, endometriosis, and fertility issues.

Cortisol: Chronic stress can lead to excessive production of cortisol, causing hormonal imbalance. High cortisol levels can cause high blood pressure, obesity (excess weight), low libido, and mood changes.

Testosterone: Low testosterone in the body can cause decreased energy levels, muscle mass, and sexual function.

Other things that can cause changes in hormones are:

Excessive exercise (especially cardio)

Sugary products/flour

Intake of alcohol and caffeine

Lack of sleep

Use of gadgets/devices for a longer period

Toxic environment/people

Different hormone changes can cause different issues; overall hormonal imbalance symptoms are mentioned below:

Mood: Anxiety, depression, irritability, and mood swings

Weight gain/loss

Fatigue

Changes in appetite

Sleep disturbance

Hair loss/thinning

Changes in skin

Decreased libido

Menstrual irregularities

Infertility

Gastrointestinal issues

Vaginal dryness

Each hormone causes a different side effect; to know what’s causing the symptoms you have, consult a medical professional and get the right treatment on time.

Hormone imbalance can be the result of various factors. A woman's reproductive life cycle can involve short-term fluctuations as a natural aspect of pregnancy, breastfeeding, early menopause, and menopause.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, ovarian insufficiency, and the use of birth control pills can also cause hormonal imbalances. To fix it, follow a certain routine and maintain a healthy lifestyle. To do so, you can imbibe the following practices into your daily routine.

Create an exercise plan and follow it.

Practice mindfulness and meditate to relax your body.

Practice deep breathing techniques.

Set goals and focus on achieving them.

Spend time with your loved ones.

Work alone in a quiet setting.

Focus on the process rather than results.

Get enough sleep and eat a healthy diet.

Lessen caffeine and sugar intake.

Enjoy some me time without distractions.

Laugh more and openly.

Take therapy.

If you follow even some of these practices, you will be able to manage your stress and prevent hormonal fluctuations. Women’s health is of utmost importance, and it should be taken care of.

Raising awareness about how stress can lead to hormone imbalance is one of the first steps in overcoming it. Most of the time, women aren’t aware that they are going through this phase and ignore the symptoms leading to long-term health issues.

In a survey conducted in 2019 by the American Psychological Association in the U.S., women aged 30 to 60 are most prone to hormone imbalance, but 72% are unaware of the symptoms.

When you start managing your stress, your body automatically gets back to its normal functioning. Your hormones are balanced and your health isn’t compromised anymore.

If hormonal fluctuation is affecting your health, get hold of your stress first. If needed, you can take help from a medical professional, who can provide you supplements to balance your hormones.

Maintaining hormonal balance is essential for your overall health and fitness. The disruption can cause various mental and physical issues. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of imbalanced hormones enables you to take steps toward restoring hormonal balance.