Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
Hormones are chemical substances produced and secreted from endocrine glands located all over your body and coordinates different functions that have a substantial impact on your appetite, mood, weight, and physiological development. These glands are ductless, which means the hormones are secreted directly into your bloodstream and not by the way of ducts.
They work as messengers traveling through your bloodstream and have a significant impact on your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Your body produces these hormones in a microscopic amount and even a slight increase of the hormones can lead to health complications.
Thyroid, melatonin, estrogen, testosterone, and insulin are the five most essential hormones generated in your body, and this will go over them in depth.
Thyroid hormone
The thyroid gland, which is positioned in the front of your neck, produces thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones are in charge of controlling your metabolism- the process of transforming the food into energy.
The thyroid gland secretes the T4 and T3 hormones to control the metabolism by informing your cells about how much energy they should consume. Any abnormality in this process can cause thyroid disease.
Some symptoms of imbalanced thyroid hormone include:
- Sleep deprivation
- Anxiety, nervousness, and irritation
- Unintentional weight loss or weight gain
- Enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter)
- Experiencing muscle weakness
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Increase sensitivity or intolerance to hot and cold temperatures
- Gradual vision impairment
- Always feeling tired
- Inability to remember things
- Having dry or coarse hair
Melatonin hormone
Melatonin hormone is made in the pineal gland, located in the brain. These hormones are primarily responsible for regulating your circadian cycle. In other words, the pineal gland secretes melatonin at night to prepare you for sleep and then reduces it in the morning to remind you to wake up.
The function of melatonin can be disrupted by habits such as staying up late or lack of sleep and causing illnesses such as insomnia, dementia, or migraine.
Some of the symptoms and conditions indicative of imbalanced melatonin hormone include:
- High blood pressure
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Anxiety and sleep disturbances
- Depression and headaches
- Cardiovascular diseases and balding in men
Estrogen hormone
Estrogen is mainly a female sex hormone released by the ovaries. They are responsible for the development of physical features during puberty which includes the growth of breasts, growth of hair in private parts, and the start of the menstrual cycle.
Estrogen hormones are also present in men, but in very little quantity. It also aids in managing the cholesterol level, promotes bone health in both men and women, and also aids in the functioning of your brain.
If a woman has low levels of estrogen (commonly during menopause), she may experience:
- Mood swings
- Dry skin
- Low sexual desire
- Dryness & thinning of the vagina
- Hot flashes
- Low libido
- Trouble sleeping
Elevated levels of estrogen in women can cause experience:
- Weight gain and muscle build-up in the waist, hips, and thighs
- Light or heavy bleeding during the menstrual cycle
- Breast lumps (non-cancerous)
- Tumors in the uterus (non-cancerous)
- Fatigue, less sexual desire
- Persistent depression
Testosterone hormone
Testosterone is primarily a male hormone that is produced in the testicles. This hormone is responsible for the development of male features like body hair, deeper voice, sperm, muscle, and bone strength. If the testosterone levels in men are low, they may experience symptoms like:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Depression
- Reduced muscle strength
- Frequent irritation
- Extreme tiredness
- Low sexual desire
- Decreased or low body hair
- Less beard growth
- Decreased energy levels and physical strength
- Poor focus and difficulty in finding words to say
The testosterone levels may be increased by making lifestyle changes such as performing regular exercises and adding testosterone-boosting foods like milk, egg yolks, and beans to one’s diet.
Insulin hormone
The insulin hormone is produced and secreted by your pancreas that helps in absorbing the glucose from the food you eat and convert it into energy. The pancreas is a gland located behind your stomach. Insulin also aids in balancing your blood glucose levels by identifying the excess amount of glucose in your bloodstream and signaling your body to store the extra glucose in your liver.
In case the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, the conversion of glucose to energy gets hampered, resulting in a higher amount of glucose in the bloodstream which leads to diabetes.
If your insulin hormones are imbalanced, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Extreme thirst and increased appetite
- Frequent urination
- Tingling sensation in hands or feet
- Extreme fatigue
- Frequent infections and delayed recovery of wounds
Final thoughts
We understand how critical it is for your health to have balanced hormone levels, yet typical symptoms alone cannot determine whether you are deficient in hormones. However, if you’re experiencing these symptoms, we urge you to get a diagnostic test done as soon as possible to figure out hormonal imbalances. This will not only assist you in identifying the issue but will also enable you to take action in terms of treatment on time.
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