We answer the most frequently asked questions about hormones
Vincent Carrié
In this article we share our answers to 9 of your most frequently asked questions about hormones.
We will cover what hormones are, what can cause a hormonal imbalance, the different types of hormones including sex and stress hormones, estrogen and testosterone, as well as touching on hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
What are hormones?
Traveling in your bloodstream to tissues or organs, hormones are the body's chemical messengers. Hormones affect many different processes, including:
- Growth and development
- Metabolism
- sexual function
- Reproduction
- mood
The endocrine system is made up of all the different hormones in the body. The main endocrine glands are the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas.
Additionally, men produce hormones in their testicles and women in their ovaries.
What causes hormonal imbalance?
Many factors can trigger a hormonal imbalance, including:
- Puberty
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
- chronic stress
- Steroids
- certain medications
- Autoimmune conditions, including Graves' disease, type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto's disease, polyglandular syndromes, and Addison's disease
- Endocrine gland injury caused by radiation therapy, infection, trauma, excessive blood loss, or damage from surgery
- Tumors, growths, or adenomas (non-cancerous tumors in the pituitary gland, parathyroid, or adrenal glands)
How do you know if you have a hormonal imbalance?
There are many signs and indicators that you may have a potential hormonal imbalance, which may include:
- Humor changes
- Heavy or painful menstrual periods
- Low sexual desire
- Insomnia or poor quality sleep
- Unexplained weight gain
- skin problems
- Fertility problems
- Headaches
- weak bones
- Vaginal dryness
In addition to a potential hormonal imbalance, these symptoms can be found in more serious medical conditions (e.g. PCOS), so it would be recommended to speak to your GP if you experience any of these signs.
Can hormonal imbalance cause depression?
Hormones and neurotransmitters share mutual pathways and receptor sites in mood-related areas of the brain.
Studies have suggested that there is a higher risk of major depressive disorder (MDD) in women compared to men; These risks appear to become more evident after puberty and continue throughout the reproductive life cycle.
Can hormonal imbalance cause dizziness?
Yes, hormonal imbalance can cause dizziness.
Is hormone replacement therapy safe?
Used to help with the symptoms of menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment that replaces the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This is because as you approach menopause, these hormones decline to low levels.
The effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) vary depending on a few factors. It may differ depending on the types of hormones used, whether they are given in pills, patches and gels, as well as the time of first use, for example around menopause or later.
The NHS states that the benefits of HRT often outweigh the risks. And recent evidence suggests that the risks of serious side effects from HRT are very low.
What are stress hormones?
Cortisol is widely known as the body's stress hormone. It is produced and released naturally by your adrenal glands. When you are stressed, increased cortisol is released into your bloodstream.
What are sex hormones?
Sex hormones are also known as sex steroids, gonadal steroids, and gonadocorticoids. Sex steroid hormones (SSHs) play various roles in regulating various processes in the cardiovascular, immune, muscular, and neural systems.
The main reproductive hormones are estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. These are fundamental in sexuality and fertility, responsible for pregnancy, puberty, menstruation, menopause, sexual desire, sperm production and more.
What is testosterone?
Testosterone is the main male hormone responsible for regulating sexual differentiation, producing male sexual characteristics, spermatogenesis (the process by which the production of sperm cells occurs) and fertility.
In men, it is believed to regulate:
- Sexual desire (libido)
- Bone mass
- Fat distribution
- muscle mass and strength
- Production of red blood cells and sperm
What is estrogen?
Estrogen is one of the main female sex hormones, produced predominantly by the ovaries.
In the female body, estrogen is necessary for:
- Puberty and breast development
- The menstrual cycle
- Fertility and pregnancy
- Bone strength
- Maintain normal cholesterol levels
- Estrogen also affects other parts of your body, such as your brain and heart. Estrogen also plays a role in bladder control and helps protect your skin from the effects of aging.
Conclusion
We hope this has clarified some of your questions about hormones. If you feel you may be experiencing a hormonal imbalance and would like some individual advice, we recommend speaking to your GP.
Sources
1. https://medlineplus.gov/hormones.html2. https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/abstract/2020/03000/taking_a_fresh_look_at_mood,_hormones,_and.16.aspx
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3079864
4. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22673-hormonal-imbalanc
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440795/
6. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qL0DBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA33&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q=hormone&f=false
7. https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/about-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/
8. https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/hrt-safe-use-menopause-what-science-says-0#:~:text=HRT%20can't%20be%20described,such%20as %20body%20mass%20index
9. https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/benefits-and-risks-of-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/
10. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/the-role-of-cortisol-in-the-body#:~:text=Cortisol%20is%20a%20hormone%20produced,cortisol%20is%20essential%20for %20health
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8523217/
12. https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/hormones-and-endocrine-function/reproductive-hormones
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526128/
14. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/understanding-how-testosterone-affects-men#:~:text=Testosterone%20is%20a%20sex%20hormone,estradiol%2C %20a%20form%20of%20estrogen
15. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/oestrogen#:~:text=Oestrogen%20is%20one%20of%20the,of%20blood%20clots%20and%20stroke
