Can Hormonal Imbalances Cause Weight Gain?
Regardless of your gender, hormones are a natural part of everyone’s body. Your endocrine glands create and distribute them in order to send signals throughout your entire system as cues for your growth, metabolism, mood, and so on. But what happens when your hormones become imbalanced? The experts at Impact Medical Clearwater will teach you the causes and signs of hormonal imbalance and what you can do to help keep it in check.
The Causes of Hormone Imbalances
Since hormones affect your mood and metabolism, it makes sense as to why you may notice some sudden weight gain. Your metabolism is what converts food into energy, and so you tend to hang on to more fat when it’s not functioning properly. In combination with a lower metabolism, poor moods can cause you to eat more even when your body isn’t able to keep up. Here are a few causes of this vicious cycle:
- Hypothyroidism occurs when your body is lacking thyroid hormones which are meant to provide enough energy to keep your organs functioning.
- Cushing’s Syndrome happens when your body produces or takes in too much cortisol which can, in turn, affect your organs and body tissue.
- Menopause typically occurs in older women as their estrogen hormone level declines to the point where it completely halts the menstruation cycle.
- Aging in general can lead to hormonal imbalances and other troublesome symptoms.
Signs of a Hormonal Imbalance
How do you know when you’re experiencing a case of hormonal imbalance? There are many unpleasant symptoms that are hard to ignore, with weight gain being one of the most persistent. More importantly, hormone imbalances often come with a number of other related symptoms which can affect your overall weight. Some of these other symptoms that can cause you to gain weight include:
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Irregular periods
- Low performance
If you’re experiencing weight gain, it could very well be one (or few) of the many symptoms associated with hormone imbalance. Luckily, there are methods to regulating your hormone levels so you can get back into promoting a healthier body and lose a good amount of the weight you may have gained.
How Hormone Optimization Therapy Can Help
One of the safest ways to regulate your hormones is through hormone optimization therapy where a medical professional performs certain procedures to restore your levels to more ideal and manageable ranges. This can be done through the introduction of bio-identical hormones into the body to restore what may be missing. Since bio-identical hormones are practically identical to naturally-occuring hormones, your body will react to them in a safe manner. However, it’s crucial to have the procedure done by a trained, experienced, and licensed professional.
Visit a Hormone Optimization Specialist in Clearwater
At Impact Medical Clearwater, our staff has the knowledge and expertise to assist you with balancing out your hormones with the help of bio-identical hormones. Call our office today at (727) 292-0200 to schedule an appointment and get back to having a healthier body!