Hormones are essential chemicals the body produces to influence different functions. They affect your mood, appetite, physical growth, mental health, and more. Men can also have hormonal imbalances, they don’t only affect women. If you have an imbalance, it can lead to health problems, affecting your everyday life.
In men, the primary sex hormones are follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone, which are all essential for reproduction. Hormones are also important in bone mass, muscle strength, and production of red blood cells.
Men can experience a hormonal imbalance at various stages of their life. It’s important to understand the possible causes of such changes in hormones to know how to deal with them properly.
Let’s take a look at some of them.
Puberty
A mass of physical changes to a male’s body happens during puberty. Your voice cracks and becomes deeper, your shoulders get broader, you have body hair growth, and more. At this stage, you may experience an acne breakout, which is due to higher levels of androgen hormones.
Aging
As you age, the levels of your hormones change-some increase, some decrease, some remain at the typical level as you were younger. Your body produces less testosterone as you get older, reducing your sex drive and libido.
Growth hormones also decline over time, so you may notice a decrease in muscle mass and strength. You may also find changes in your sleep cycle as your body’s melatonin production also declines.
Stress
When you’re subjected to chronic stress, it weakens your adrenal glands, affecting the production of cortisol. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that influences the body’s ability to respond to and recover from stress-inducing situations.
Chronic stress can lead to adrenal fatigue, so you may notice difficulty in concentrating and getting out of bed. It also makes you feel tired constantly.
Unhealthy Lifestyle
Poor nutrition, lack of exercise, drinking alcohol, and smoking are unhealthy lifestyle habits that can lead to hormonal imbalances. For instance, a diet that’s high in sugar can result in fluctuating and persistently elevated insulin levels. Some foods can also affect your metabolism and appetite, making you gain weight.
Some habits prevent you from getting enough sleep, which makes you feel stressed. Stress hormones then kick in, and your immune system has to work harder to protect your body.
Hypogonadism
Hypogonadism occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough testosterone. It can happen during fetal development, puberty, or adulthood. It can hamper the normal development of your body during puberty, such as hair growth, muscle mass, and voice deepening.
In adulthood, low testosterone can lead to low energy, decreased sex drive, and depression. It can also cause gynecomastia where you develop excessive breast tissue due to too much estrogen.
Andropause
Men experience an equivalent of women’s menopause, and that’s andropause. At this stage, your body’s testosterone production declines, which can result in significant changes in your life. The symptoms include decreased libido and sexual function, weakness, depression, mood swings, and sleep disturbances.
What You Can Do About Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal balance can be restored, and that’s important to stay healthy and free from diseases. So, it pays to know the signs and symptoms and the probable causes to begin getting the right intervention.
Some of the common symptoms and consequences of hormonal imbalance in men that you should be aware of are the following:
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Diabetes
- Prostate cancer
- Eating disorders
- Loss of strength
- Erectile dysfunction
- Osteoporosis
- Hair loss
- Excessive weight gain
- Fatigue
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
If you experience these symptoms more regularly, see your doctor for a proper diagnosis. The process normally includes a blood test, pelvic exam, and ultrasound. Other tests your doctor may perform are x-ray, biopsy, MRI, thyroid scan, and sperm count.
Depending on your conditions, the treatment may include the following:
- Anti-androgen medications
- Testosterone therapy
- Thyroid hormone therapy
- Metformin
- Levothyroxine
Other than medications and conventional therapies, natural remedies can also help restore the balance of hormones in your body. You must change your unhealthy lifestyle habits and make sure that you eat a balanced and nutritious diet. Don’t forget to stay physically active, too, by regularly exercising.
Hormones are crucial in different processes that the body performs every day, even when you sleep. Proper diagnosis and early detection of any hormonal imbalance will allow you to restore your health and live normally.
