Hormonal Imbalance Health Feed

Weight management concerns itself with the type of foods that you eat and the daily exercises that you perform. However, you may find it interesting to learn that the hormones have a far greater role to play where your weight and the kinds of foods that you enjoy are concerned. In the following article, you can find more information on the same. Insulin is a hormone that is related to your weight. If the blood-sugar levels are heightened, then insulin is released from the pancreas. Then, the hormone causes a fall in the blood-sugar levels by facilitating the absorption of the sugars by the tissues. If you consume a carbohydrate-rich diet, your body releases more insulin. Now, if you do not utilize the sugars that are stored in the tissues, your body starts to amass what actually, should be converted into energy. Hence, you can conclude that insulin is antilipolytic in nature, which means that it disrupts the fat breakdown process. As a result, you should consider reducing your intake of carbohydrates for losing weight. Additionally, thyroid hormones affect your metabolism. An underactive thyroid gland releases lesser quantities of the thyroid-related hormones.

Consequently, your metabolism rate falls and you feel fatigued as well. A lack of thyroid hormones can make you feel sluggish, slow down the digestion rate, and give birth to bowel-related problems such as constipation. A reduction in the metabolism rate causes weight gain and a rise in the cholesterol levels. Therefore, you should take measures to treat thyroid-linked issues and increase the consumption of thyroid-healthy foods for an efficient metabolism rate.

Moreover, if you are stressed or have high blood insulin levels, the adrenal glands release the cortisol hormone. This hormone is responsible for the breakdown of muscle-related tissues into sugar via the liver. Also, the chemical causes a rush of glucose in the body. As a consequence, the body releases higher insulin amounts; consequently, you become resistant to insulin. Meanwhile, cortisol also causes fat storage by making the body think that they will be needed. The abdominal fat cells have more cortisol receptors and can result in greater fat storage in the portion.

You can also suffer from obesity if there are less of leptin hormones in the body. This is because the leptin hormone, which is released by the fat cells, informs the body when full and signals it to not eat anymore. In the event of a fall in the leptin levels, you will not know when to stop eating. Furthermore, you can become resistant to the hormone if you forcefully feed yourself after your appetite is satiated.

Likewise, the serotonin hormone also transmits messages to the brain when you are full. The hormone is a neurotransmitter that contains amino acids and is found in protein sources. As a result of low serotonin levels, you can suffer from lethargy, weight gain, depression and your tendency to gorge on carbohydrate-rich foods may heighten. Also, your brain gets the message to eat more because of starvation and you tend to eat more and put on weight.

You should also bear in mind that an imbalance between the estrogen and progesterone levels can give rise to an imbalance in the hormonal levels. Consequently, your body stores more fat and you gain more weight.

Therefore, the consumption of foods that bring about a healthy balance between these 2 hormones is recommended. Wheat-based and soy-based foods are beneficial to incorporate into the diet for the desired results.
In the above-mentioned text, you can see how hormones can affect your weight and metabolism. Only by adding healthier food options in your diet, you can have a healthy balance between the hormonal levels and improve your overall health.

The human body includes countless hormones. Most of these hormones control the internal physical functions of the body when they are in the perfect balancing state. When any infection affects the balancing state of the hormones, the body cannot function properly. Infertility happens due to hormone imbalance as well as due to the ovarian disease, Polycystic Ovarian Disorder (PCOD). However, there are different ways to treat the hormonal imbalance in PCOD patients.

Ways to treat the hormonal imbalance when a person is suffering from PCOD

Although there are several ways to treat the hormonal imbalance in PCOD patients, some of the most common ways include:

• Creating some lifestyle changes
• Medicines
• Surgery

How can a lifestyle change treat the hormonal imbalance?

1. Maintaining a healthy weight - Any obese PCOD woman will prone to hormonal imbalance. Losing the surplus weight will allow the woman to overturn the imbalance in her hormones effectively. Even a 5% decrease in weight will show a way to a considerable improvement in her hormonal balance effort. Moreover, healthy weight means maintaining the body mass index between the ranges 18.5 to 24.9.
2. Following a healthy diet - Following a healthy balanced diet will aid a PCOD patient greatly in maintaining her hormonal balance in an effective way. Food items, which are high in protein and low in carbohydrates, will allow the patient to keep up a healthy weight. These foods will help her in keeping her hormones in a perfect balancing level, as well.
3. Exercise regularly - It is essential for a PCOD patient to maintain a regular workout regimen. This will not only allow her to lose the extra pounds, but also avoids the hormonal imbalance problem.

Role of medications in treating the hormonal balance in a PCOD patient

There are many medicines out there, which allow a PCOD patient to treat hormonal imbalance effectively. However, the medicine, Clomifene is considered the primary medicine to treat the hormonal imbalance in PCOD patients. It is always recommended to consult a specialist before taking any medicine. 

What type of Surgery can treat PCOD?

When a PCOD woman is incapable to treat her hormonal imbalance through lifestyle changes and medicines, then a surgery is the only feasible solution. An infertile woman can opt for the LOD or the laparoscopic ovarian drilling surgery to treat the disorder successfully. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Does Hormonal Imbalance Hint the Risk of Diabetes?

Hormones are chemical substances that regulate a vast range of important functions in the body. They are secreted by various glands and organs and can affect important body functions like growth, immunity, blood pressure and glucose levels among several others. Several disorders can arise due to an imbalance of your hormones, particularly Diabetes.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder, which is mostly chronic or long lasting in nature. It interferes with the body’s ability to use glucose and chiefly pertains to the hormone called insulin, although other hormones can also be related.

Any imbalance for the following hormones that can lead to diabetes:

1. Insulin

Insulin is a hormone, which is secreted by the pancreas. Diabetes can occur when this hormone is not secreted in adequate amounts or in when it is used inefficiently. During digestion, food gets broken down to glucose, which provides energy to the body. Insulin facilitates the function of moving the glucose from the bloodstream to the cells. In case of diabetes, the glucose remains in the bloodstream due to insulin issues.

2. Cortisol

The adrenal gland is responsible for producing the hormone cortisol, which regulates blood pressure, stress and glucose production. The production of cortisol is controlled by another hormone called ACTH, which is secreted by the pituitary gland in the brain. Excess quantities of glucose in the body disrupt the function of insulin and trigger the liver to produce glucose, thereby leading to diabetes.

3. Growth hormone

The pituitary gland is responsible for producing certain hormones including the growth hormone. Growth and development of the muscles, bones and other organs of the body fall within the functions of the growth hormone. Overproduction of this hormone can lead to a disease called acromegaly in adults. Excess secretion leads to increase in the glucose levels in the blood, which can subsequently cause diabetes.

Irregular ovulation or anovulation (a condition where a woman does not ovulate at all) can be quite agonizing, triggering a host of health problems, including difficulty in conceiving. The irregular ovulation could be an amalgamation of many factors including obesity, thyroid disorders, PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, uncontrolled intake of caffeinated and alcoholic drinks, to name a few. With the advancement of medical science, the problem is no longer a big deal. In this article, we will discuss the role of ovulation induction and follicular monitoring in dealing with irregular ovulation cycles and the related complications.

What is Ovulation Induction?

Ovulation induction comes as a blessing for women who don't ovulate regularly (there is a deviation from the usual pattern of ovulation that takes place before every menstrual cycle). The procedure aims at regularizing the ovulation process. The medications (often hormones are used in the treatment) play a pivotal role in stimulating the follicular development of the ovaries so that healthy eggs are produced, developed, matured and finally released during ovulation. The procedure also benefits women get their menstrual cycles sans the ovulation (Anovulatory Menstrual Cycles). The problem mainly surfaces due to a drop in the progesterone level (a hormone responsible for the uterine lining thickening).

Steps involved

1. The ovulation induction is an important process that requires a thorough examination and evaluation of the patient to understand their ovulation process, hormonal balance (or imbalance) and all the factors that could be a possible trigger resulting in the ovulation problem.
2. In the next step, the physician carries out the stimulation of the ovulation process. For this purpose, selected hormones are given to the affected individual either orally or in the form of injections.
3. The hormones work towards restoring the balance along with follicular development. This stimulation contributes significantly towards maturing an egg and ensuring its release for ovulation to take place.
4. Through a series of regular pelvic ultrasounds, doctors are able to carefully monitor the development of the follicles along with how well the lining of the uterus thickens, following the ovulation induction.
5. For those planning to conceive, ovulation induction, with proper monitoring, goes a long way to ensure at least one healthy egg will be available for the fertilization to take place.

Some women can also opt for Intrauterine Insemination, a pathbreaking procedure whereby, the sperm (collected and stored earlier) is injected into the vagina to facilitate the fertilization process.

Downside of the Ovulation Induction
The ovulation induction requires precision and accuracy and should be performed by experienced professionals who know their skill well.

1. Even a small mistake in the ovulation induction can trigger many complications including Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome. The condition can swell up the ovaries with abdominal pain, vomiting, breathing problems (shortness of breath), sudden and rapid weight gain. The ovaries also appear tender with some pain.
2. Ovulation induction increases the risk of gestational diabetes, hypertension, nausea, to name a few.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Every woman likes to look into the mirror and find not an extra strand of hair on her face, be it the upper lip or near the ears. While it is not uncommon for women to have hair on these and other areas, most women resort to multiple ways to get rid of this. The pattern of this unnecessary hair growth is very similar to the pattern seen in males normally.

This condition of excessive hair growth is known as hirsutism and can be caused by multiple causes, as listed below.

1. Genetic or racial: While the European women have a more clean face that is free of hair, the Mediterranean and Indian women are highly likely to have more facial hair growth. There is also a strong family history relation, and it is hereditary.
2. Androgens (testosterone): This is a male hormone, essential for the development of male sexual characters. Though it is present in very minute amounts in all women, in some, there could be higher than these minimal levels, leading to minor masculine characters, facial hair being one of them.
3. Hormonal imbalances: There are multiple hormonal issues which can manifest as increased facial hair growth. The two most common ones include polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and adrenal conditions including tumours, Cushing's syndrome, and hyperplasia. In all these cases, there is increased amount of androgens, leading to excessive facial hair.
4. Medication side effect: Some medications like testosterone, cyclosporine, anabolic steroids, and Minoxidil also lead to increased amounts of facial hair in women. Some other medications used to treat migraines, seizures, schizophrenia, and hypertension can also cause hirsutism. This is indirectly due to increased levels of male hormones in the system, producing these effects.
5. Birth control pills: These also affect the hormone levels and lead to increased facial hair.
6. Obesity: Most women with facial hair are also on the heavier side, and most people have a reduction in hair once weight is managed.

Treatment: The underlying cause should be treated for controlling hair growth. If there is an inducing medication, an alternative should be looked at. While hormone levels can be altered, in most cases, not much can be done. These need to be dealt with using one of the following methods - depilatory creams, waxing, plucking, shaving, laser reduction, electrolysis, and weight loss.

When reading through the above, it is obvious that a lot of causes for hirsutism point towards hormones. This also helps identify hormonal abnormalities in the earlier stages. This helps to identify hormonal disorders in their earlier stages, which are managed with lesser complications. The next time you feel there is more hair on your chin or cheeks, get your hormone levels checked. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!​