How to Diagnose and Test for Hormonal Imbalances?

What is a Hormonal Imbalance?

Hormonal imbalance happens when you have too much or too little hormones in your bloodstream. Hormones are chemicals that coordinate various bodily functions by carrying signals through the blood to the organs, muscles, and tissues. 

These signals prompt your body on what to do and when. They play a crucial role in your overall health and wellness because they regulate:

• Metabolism
• Blood sugar
• Growth and development, especially during puberty
• Blood pressure
• Menstrual cycle
• Libido
• Mood and stress

Signs of Hormonal Imbalances

Before taking a hormonal imbalance test, know the numerous signs of hormonal imbalances. Below, you'll find some of the most common symptoms and what you can do to deal with them.

1. Mood swings

Oestrogen, the female sex hormone, affects the brain's neurotransmitters like serotonin, which helps boost mood. Once there's an oestrogen imbalance, it can lead to premenstrual syndrome, depression during perimenopause, and menopause.

So, what can you do about it? If you’re feeling down and anxious, you must make necessary dietary and lifestyle changes. For example, you can exercise, reduce alcoholic drinks, and quit smoking. 

Another is to take herbal remedies like St. John’s Wort or talk to your doctor about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) if you’re perimenopausal or menopausal. These can effectively improve your mood.

Also, keep a symptom diary to jot down the hormonal changes you’ve been experiencing. You can share this with your doctor, who will help identify your condition and provide appropriate treatments.

2. Heavy or painful menstruation

Having heavy or painful periods isn't normal. If you experience it with other symptoms like frequent need to urinate, abdominal and lower back pains, constipation, and painful intercourse, chances are you have fibroids. 

These non-cancerous growths develop in or around the uterus. Though their cause is unknown, many believe oestrogen is their culprit. Having a family history of fibroids also increases your risk of having them.

Consult your doctor the moment you experience the symptoms. This way, you can receive appropriate medication to shrink the fibroids. Surgery may also be needed for severe cases to remove them.

3. Low libido

Women in their perimenopause or menopause experience poor sex drive because of their declining oestrogen and progesterone levels. Other symptoms like mood swings, fatigue, night sweats, hot flashes, and anxiety can impact their sex life.

Perimenopause and menopause are part of life. You may consult your doctor about HRT to remedy the symptoms and improve your sex drive and energy levels. 

4. Insomnia 

Oestrogen and progesterone promote sleep, and since they tend to decrease during perimenopause and menopause, many women have poor sleep quality or insomnia. Further, fluctuating oestrogen levels cause night sweats, which disrupts sleep, making you feel tired the next day. 

It's best if you get an accurate diagnosis before taking medication. HRT is one of the best options if you have perimenopause or menopause. It helps restore oestrogen and progesterone levels. 

Aside from that, you can also try other ways to make yourself comfortable during bedtime, like wearing cotton clothes and using cotton sheets. Improve your bedroom's atmosphere by keeping it cool and dark. Also, be sure to exercise and avoid alcohol and caffeine.

5. Unexplained weight gain

It's common for women to have unexplained weight gain due to hormone-related conditions, including polycystic syndrome (PCOS), wherein small cysts develop in the ovaries. Having an underactive thyroid and menopause can also lead to weight gain.  

Once this happens despite no change in diet or exercise, you can consult your doctor, who will recommend some tests to check for thyroid or ovarian cyst problems. Again, if it’s due to menopause, you can ask your doctor about HRT.

6. Skin problems

Low oestrogen, progesterone, and high androgen hormone levels indicate chronic adult acne. Pregnancy and menopause also make the skin dry and itchy. They could be symptoms of thyroid problems, too.

If you have skin problems due to hormonal imbalance, consult your doctor to diagnose and treat your condition.

7. Fertility Problems

According to the British Fertility Society, female fertility declines in the mid-thirties, with lower fertility after age 35. It will continue to do so yearly as the number of quality eggs decreases. 

Hormonal imbalance can cause female infertility, especially when there are high follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and low levels of luteinising hormone (LH). 

High FSH reduces one’s chances of getting pregnant, while low LH prevents ovaries from releasing an egg and producing progesterone. PCOS, early menopause, and other hormone-related health problems can also affect fertility.

Your doctor will recommend checking your FSH and LH levels through a blood test if you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a year but failed or are already over 35.

8. Headaches

Hormonal changes trigger headaches, especially during menstruation, menopause, or pregnancy. 

Again, this is where keeping a symptom diary can help. Writing down what triggers your headaches can help your doctor identify the problem. Meanwhile, you can improve your lifestyle by getting enough sleep and eating well. Some doctors may recommend taking anti-migraine medicines or HRT.

9. Weak bones

Hormonal imbalance can cause bone loss. This is why it's a good idea to improve your bone health as you start middle age. Some ways to do this include weight-bearing exercises, dancing, and running. You can also eat food rich in calcium and vitamin D. 

10. Vaginal dryness

As oestrogen levels fall, many women start having vaginal dryness. It's common among those who are in their perimenopause or menopause. Also, it can be caused by taking contraceptives and antidepressants.

Vaginal dryness can lead to painful intercourse. You can minimise the symptoms by washing with unscented soaps or using water-based lubricants during sex. If your doctor confirms it's caused by menopause, HRT can help boost oestrogen levels.

Causes of Hormonal Imbalance

There are many causes of hormonal imbalances, such as your lifestyle or a medical condition. Everybody will experience it at some point in their lives. However, the most common cause is improper functioning of the endocrine glands.

The endocrine glands produce, store, and release hormones into the bloodstream. There are many of these glands throughout the body that control various organs, such as:

• Adrenal glands
• Gonads (testes and ovaries)
• Pineal gland
• Pituitary gland
• Hypothalamus gland
• Thyroid and parathyroid glands
• Pancreatic islets

Various medical conditions and lifestyle habits affect these endocrine glands, leading to hormonal imbalances.

Medical conditions that cause hormonal imbalances are:

• Diabetes – the body fails to produce sufficient insulin hormone
• Hyperthyroidism – overactive thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone
• Hypothyroidism – underactive thyroid produces not enough thyroid hormone
• Addison’s disease – the adrenal glands fail to produce enough hormones
• Cushing’s syndrome – adrenal glands overproduce corticosteroids
• Hyperglycaemia – having too high blood glucose
• Hypoglycaemia – low level of glucose in the blood
• Solitary thyroid nodules
• Pituitary tumours
• Benign cysts and tumours affecting the endocrine glands
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia – having low cortisol levels
• Cancers affecting the endocrine glands
• Radiation therapy and chemotherapy
• Goitre or iron deficiency
• Hereditary pancreatitis
• Prader-Willi syndrome
• Anorexia 
• Bleeding injury in the pituitary gland
• Chronic stress
• Poor diet and nutrition
• Obesity
• Birth control medications
• Exposure to pollutants, toxins, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals

When left untreated, long-term hormonal imbalances can increase your risk of cardiovascular and kidney disease, diabetes, infertility, depression, osteoporosis, and cancer. This is why taking a hormonal imbalance test is necessary.

Cortisol (Stress) Test

Check if your body is under stress or over-training.

£59.00

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Thyroid Function Test

Assess thyroid function and indicate abnormal thyroid activity.

£59.00

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Male Fertility (Sex Hormones) Test

Check male sex hormones and assess infertility risk.

£79.00

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Female Fertility (Sex Hormones) Test

Check female sex hormones and assess infertility risk.

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How to Check Hormonal Imbalances through a Hormonal Imbalance Test

Do you have the signs or symptoms of a hormonal imbalance? If yes, you can check using a hormonal imbalance blood test.

There are many home blood test kits you can use nowadays that can help confirm specific health problems. After all, most hormones are detected in the blood. Look at some of the most reliable and accurate hormone blood test kits from Vitall below:

Vitall’s Female Fertility (Sex Hormones) Home Test Kit

This Female Fertility (Sex Hormones) test effectively checks your female sex hormones and evaluates your risk of infertility by measuring biomarkers such as Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinising Hormone (LH), Oestrogen (Estradiol) (E2), and Prolactin (PRL).

Female hormones quickly fluctuate. As such, this test must be taken on the third day of the menstrual cycle. Using the test kit once your period has returned to its regular cycle is highly recommended, especially after stopping contraception or hormone replacement. 

Vitall’s Anti-Mullerian Hormone Home Test Kit

This test measures your Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) to analyse your ovarian reserve. It's recommended for those currently pregnant and planning or wishing to have a baby.

Abnormal AMH results could indicate potential fertility problems. 

Vitall’s tests include a finger-prick blood home test kit you can use at home or through a clinic or nurse visit to collect your sample. Once you order your kit, it’ll be posted for free. It also comes with a free 24-hour tracked sample return to send your sample to the lab without the hassles.

Your results will be published on your online dashboard within 24 hours. It can be accessed using your mobile phone, computer, or tablet.

Once your doctor has your results, additional tests may be requested to check for other underlying problems, such as a smear test for your cervix or an ultrasound scan to assess your ovaries.

How Your Doctor Diagnoses Hormonal Imbalances

It's essential to consult your doctor once you experience the signs of a hormonal imbalance. Though a hormonal imbalance test is valid, talking to your doctor is crucial, especially if you already have other health conditions. 

Your doctor will conduct a physical exam. During this, you can describe the symptoms you're experiencing and when they happen. Keeping a symptom diary will come in handy. Inform your doctor about the medications and supplements you're taking, too.

During the physical exam, your doctor may ask the following questions:

• How often do you experience the symptoms?
• Have you taken something to relieve the symptoms?
• Have you recently lost or gained weight?
• Do you feel more stressed than before?
• When was your last menstruation?
• Are you planning to have a baby?
• Do you experience pain during sex due to vaginal dryness?

Your doctor may suggest additional diagnostic testing for your symptoms, such as an ultrasound, to obtain images of the ovaries, uterus, thyroid, and pituitary gland. Other tests like MRI, X-ray, biopsy, and thyroid scan may also be requested.

How to Treat Hormonal Imbalances

A hormonal imbalance test can help determine if you have more or less hormones than necessary. Once you've confirmed you have a hormonal imbalance, it's time to talk to your doctor about possible treatments based on your symptoms and medical condition. 

Treatment is often based on the causes of your imbalanced hormones. Here are some of the commonly used treatments for women.

1. Hormone or birth control – If you have imbalanced hormones and don’t want to get pregnant, taking a hormone or birth control medication is your best option. They contain oestrogen and progesterone that help regulate irregular periods. As for birth control, pills come in shots, patches, rings, or intrauterine devices.

2. Vaginal oestrogen – abnormal oestrogen levels can lead to vaginal dryness. You can treat it by applying a vaginal cream directly to your vaginal tissues to ease the symptoms and prevent painful intercourse. Other options are oestrogen tablets and rings.

3. Hormone replacement medications are ideal for those suffering from menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

4. Anti-androgen medications help prevent severe acne and excessive hair loss or growth.

5. Clomiphene (Clomid) and letrozole (Femara) are used to stimulate ovulation to improve the chances of getting pregnant among women with PCOS. 

6. Assisted reproductive technology or in vitro fertilisation (IVF) – these are recommended for those with PCOS and having difficulties getting pregnant.

Natural Ways to Help Balance Your Hormones

Once you have confirmed your condition through a hormonal imbalance test, you can go to your doctor for treatments. But did you know there are natural ways to help you balance your hormones? Here are some of them:

1. Get enough sleep – getting quality sleep can help regulate hormone levels

2. Avoid exposure to blue light at night – blue light like those emitted by your phone or computer screen can disrupt sleep. 

3. Manage stress – stress increases adrenaline and cortisol, which leads to obesity, mood swings, and heart problems.

4. Exercise – Regular exercise prevents overeating and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.

5. Avoid sugar – too much sugar in your diet leads to metabolic disorders and insulin resistance.

6. Eat healthy fats – they maintain balanced hormones and keep you feeling full.

7. Eat fibre – it helps regulate hormones like insulin and maintain a healthy weight.

8. Eat fatty fish – fatty fish positively affects your heart health, digestion, brain, and central nervous system.

9. Drink green tea – it contains oxidants and compounds that promote better metabolism.

10. Quit smoking – smoking can negatively affect thyroid hormone levels, steroid hormones like 

Taking a hormonal imbalance test when you start experiencing the symptoms is the best way to avoid severe health problems. Consult with your doctor immediately to get the treatments you need.