Hormone imbalance is an imbalance in the amounts of different hormones in the body. Hormone imbalance can happen for a variety of reasons, including an unhealthy diet, disease or other medical conditions, stress, and for women, menopause, pregnancy or birth control.
Effects of Hormone Imbalance
Hormone imbalance can lead to health problems, such as loss of sex drive and weight loss or weight gain.Lab Tests Online: Endocrine System and Syndromes It can also lead to medical conditions such as cancer, thyroid diseases, diabetes or infertility.Lab Tests Online: Endocrine System and Syndromes A deficiency of growth hormone can lead to a slower growth rate and other medical conditions. Hormone.org: Growth Hormone Issues (pdf)
Impacts of Environmental Factors
The functions of the endocrine system can also be altered by environmental factors. For example, the functions of estrogen in the body can be altered by synthetic estrogenic chemicals, such as PCB, DDT, dioxins and furans.Medem.com: Endocrinology and Environmental Estrogens
Disclaimer
The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you suffer from hormonal imbalance, please consult your doctor.
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Humans have millions of hormones in the body
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Most known are human sex hormones
progesterone, estrogen and testosterone
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Fact:
Both men and women have all three sex hormones in the body, but to different amounts
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Fact:
Growth hormones, or GH, are produced in the pituitary gland of the brain
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Fact:
Imbalance of hormones can cause a variety of health problems or medical conditions
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Fact:
Imbalance can be due to diet, diseases or other medical conditions, stress, menopause, pregnancy, or birth control
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Fact:
Hormones are controlled by the endocrine system
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Fact:
Doctors specializing in the endocrine system are called endocrinologists
