Hormonal imbalance is one of the leading causes of female infertility.

Balancing your hormones for reproduction is very important. Your menstrual cycle is a sensitive process and even small changes can effect there functioning.

A body normally produces the precise amount of each hormone needed for various processes to keep you healthy.

A hormone is a chemical message that runs through the body, controlling our metabolism, reproduction, mood and other central functions. Your body makes over 50 different hormones. You can experience multiple symptoms depending on which hormonal imbalance you have.⁠

A hormone imbalance is when your body is producing too little/much of a given hormone.

Here are a few signs of hormonal imbalances to look out for and what you can do about them

1. Mood swings

The female sex hormone estrogen has an effect on neurotransmitters in the brain including serotonin (a chemical that boosts mood).

What to do: If feeling low or anxious in your day-to-day life, then dietary and lifestyle changes may be an important factor to reassess. We all have periods of time that can be more stressful than others but it's important to learn what you can control to help reduce your stress. Maybe taking up exercise, drinking less alcohol or even keeping a symptom diary to talk to a doctor to help identify what could be to blame.

2. Low libido

Libdio is your sex drive. Without the drive you are going to find it harder to get to your desired destination. Having a low libido is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors of your life. 

What to do: It is a good idea to talk to your doctor. This can help you identify what is affecting your libido. 

3. Heavy or painful periods 

Symptoms such as abdominal pain, a frequent need to urinate, lower back pain, constipation and painful intercourse, then you may have fibroids. Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb.

What to do: If you are suffering symptoms, consult a qualified health professional who may prescribe medication to shrink the fibroids.

4. Unexplained weight gain 

A number of hormone-related conditions can cause weight gain including an under-active thyroid, when your thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones which regulate metabolism, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) a hormone-related problem causing small cysts on the ovaries.

What to do: If you are experiencing unexplained weight gain, with no change in diet or exercise levels, you may wish to consult an expert in women’s health to check for conditions such as thyroid problems or ovarian cysts.

5. Skin problems

Chronic adult acne can be a sign of low levels of estrogen and progesterone and high levels of androgen hormones and can also indicate polycystic ovary syndrome.

What to do: If you believe a persistent skin problem is caused by a hormonal balance, you could consult a health expert to diagnose and treat the underlying problem.

Diets and lifestyle choices affect how your hormones are reproduced. So for a healthy hormone balance comes a healthy lifestyle. 

In good news, many of these factors we have some control over. Here are the main tips for small changes you can make to balance your hormones to improve your fertility.

How can I prevent hormone imbalance?

• Maintaining a healthy weight.

• Eating a balanced, healthy diet.

• Exercising regularly.

• Managing your stress.

• Getting enough quality sleep.

• Managing your chronic health conditions well (if applicable).

• Quitting smoking or using tobacco products, if you smoke.

• Drinking less alcohol.

Hormones are very powerful and when they imbalance it can cause certain symptoms to make you feel like you’re not in control of your body.

If you can't get on-top of what's causing these symptoms we encourage you to talk to your doctor. Hormone levels can be checked with a simple blood draw. The sooner you reach out for help and treatment, the sooner you’ll be able to feel like yourself again.