Are you Hormonally Challenged

Are you hormonally challenged?  I was once a teenager and now I am in my forties.  We all know teenagers have raging hormones.  Hormones can wreck havoc years later, well into our 40’s.

Are you hormonally challenged?

Obviously, both these age groups can have issues with imbalances.  Hormones surge and you start noticing that you don’t feel right or you start seeing physical issues that you never had before.  If this is you, you might be wondering if You are hormonally challenged?  So, are you hormonally challenged?  Let’s find out.

Hormone imbalance in Teenagers

Everyone goes through puberty and it’s during this time that you might see a hormone imbalance in your teenager.  The body is changing and it can be a very sensitive period for the best of teens.  Mood swings are very common but are also hard to deal with.

Part of the problem is environmental.  Much of the food easily available to teens is processed so it is full of chemicals.  Even our produce, if not organic, has pesticides on it.  This can have a huge effect on mood.

Another problem is stress.  There’s a lot of pressure on kids and some can handle it better than others.  It’s important to note that kids will handle the stress in different ways and they just need to learn an effective way to do so.  We never want them to feel like they aren’t developing properly or that they aren’t able to cope.  They need to learn how to cope and manage stress.  Plus, knowing that they have your support will be key.

5 Common Symptoms of hormone imbalance in Teenagers

Here is a list of some of the most common symptoms:

1. Irritability
2. Acne
3. Depression and Anxiety
4. Headaches, including migraines
5. Suicidal thoughts

This isn’t an exhaustive list but these are the most common ones and to me, the most troublesome.  We want our teens to feel good about themselves but if they are constantly irritable, depressed and anxious, then we start seeing the physical symptoms of acne, headaches and migraines.  This can lead to suicidal thoughts.  Later this year, I’ll be talking more about Suicide since September is Suicide Prevention Month – so stay tuned.

Hormone imbalance in women in their forties

Are you hormonally challenged in your forties?  After we make it through our teenage years, hormones can level out and we can see dramatic improvements.  Thankfully!  But, then we hit our 40’s and it can start all over again.

It’s very frustrating but the body is starting to change again and you start wondering if you’re crazy and if your dry itchy skin is a symptom of menopause.  First, you aren’t crazy and second, yes, dry itchy skin could be a symptom of menopause.

Hormone symptom checklist

• Brain fog hormone imbalance
• Itchy skin at night and menopause
• Weight gain (ugh!)
• Headaches / Migraines (do you see a pattern?)
• Mood swings (so annoying)
• Acne (we thought we were finished with acne, only to see them rear their ugly “heads” again!)
• Sleep disturbances

These are all signs you may need hormone replacement therapy of some sort.

Things to try:

First and foremost, be patient.  This is the hardest part.  You feel like you are losing control but know that it’s normal and you’re fine.  Going to see your doctor is a good idea.  In the meantime, here are a few things you can try.

1. Multivitamin – great for overall health, especially if you don’t get enough vitamins and minerals from your diet.
2. Calcium and magnesium – for bone health.
3. Valerian root tea – a helpful, relaxing tea.

I’ve seen several people talk about B vitamins and hormones.  If you take a multi-vitamin, this should cover you here.  What about apple cider vinegar to balance hormones?  Or, cinnamon and hormones?  These could have benefits, although they are controversial as it relates to those of us who are hormonally challenged.  This is why you should see your doctor.  They would be able to tell you their recommendation.  From there, you can make your own decisions.

This is what I did.  I didn’t want to start a hormone replacement therapy without speaking to my doctor first.  My preference was natural hormone replacement therapy so I worked with her to find the right kind for me.  So if you’re hormonally challenged these days, consider talking to your doctor about your options.