Did you know that your reproductive hormones affect more than your fertility? Did you know that they can cause balding, abnormal hair growth, mood swings, and more?
If you're experiencing odd symptoms like these, you may need to get a reproductive hormone lab test to test the levels of your reproductive hormones. Getting tests for reproductive hormones can help you determine if you need to go on hormone replacement. Even if you aren't looking to conceive anytime soon, it's important to make sure that you have the right balance of hormones in your body.
To learn more about reproductive hormones and how they affect your body, keep reading. It may be time for you to get a reproductive hormone test.
What Is a Reproductive Hormone Imbalance?
Reproductive hormone imbalance sounds exactly what it's like. It's an imbalance of the reproductive hormones in your body. These include estrogen, testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and more.
There are many different kinds of reproductive hormone imbalances, and each condition causes different symptoms with different outcomes. However, there are four main kinds of reproductive hormone imbalances that we'll focus on for now:
- Ovarian insufficiency
- Menopausal symptoms
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Low testosterone in men
Hormone imbalances can happen in men and women.
What Are the Risk Factors for a Reproductive Hormone Imbalance?
Since physicians don't know much about the causes of hormone imbalances, it's hard to say what kind of things put people at a greater risk for developing them. However, researchers have noticed a few trends in the population of those with hormone imbalances.
Here are some of the commonalities researchers and physicians found in those with hormone imbalances:
- Older ages
- Higher weights
- Poor diets
- Little to no exercise
- High stress
- Presence of toxins in their diets
We should note that these risk factors do not determine whether someone has a hormone imbalance. These are simply trends in the patient population. So, if you believe that you may have a hormone imbalance, you should talk to your doctor even if these qualities don't describe you.
What Causes a Reproductive Hormone Imbalance?
Since there are different kinds of reproductive hormone imbalances, each kind of imbalance comes about differently. Although, every imbalance starts with the endocrine system. And most causes are unknown.
Some researchers believe that hormone imbalances are autoimmune in nature, while others think that diet and environment affect hormones.
With the current research on the subject, it's hard to pinpoint a specific cause.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Reproductive Hormone Imbalance?
There is a multitude of symptoms that can come from a hormone imbalance. Because the imbalance could lead to too much or too little of a hormone, patients are sitting at both ends of the spectrum when it comes to symptoms.
This means that some patients may have chills while others have hot flashes. Some could be hungry all the time, while others are never hungry. It depends on the condition that they have.
Ovarian insufficiency happens when the ovaries don't develop properly. This could be because of an autoimmune problem or a lack of proper endocrine signaling. Because of the fertility problems that come with this, this condition is also known as premature menopause.
The ovaries can also become damaged due to chemotherapy or radiation. This is why many women who go through this kind of cancer cannot have children after they receive treatments.
The damaged ovaries can cause an imbalance of progesterone and estrogen in the system. This leads to a myriad of symptoms like night sweats, vaginal dryness, and hot flashes.
Menopause is another kind of hormonal imbalance, although it's completely normal to go through this kind of hormonal imbalance. During this time, the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body are low.
However, hormone replacement therapy may help some women avoid the symptoms that come with menopause.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal imbalance that refers to high testosterone production in the female body. The introduction of too many male hormones can cause irregular periods, fatigue, mood swings, abnormal hair growth, and more.
Furthermore, the condition can lead to insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Some people believe that PCOS is an autoimmune condition of the endocrine system. However, this has not been proven.
Lastly, low testosterone in men may affect fertility, strength, energy, and metabolism. Over time, the imbalance can lead to low bone density then osteoporosis.
Like hormone imbalances in women, hormone imbalances in men should be caught and treated as soon as possible.
What Are the Lab Tests to Diagnose a Reproductive Hormone Imbalance?
To determine whether or not you have a hormone imbalance, you have to do some lab work. Luckily, our team here at Ulta Lab Tests offers a wide variety of lab tests to determine whether or not you have enough of each reproductive hormone.
Our reproductive hormone tests look at estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and more. By measuring the levels of each, we can help you determine whether or not you have a hormone imbalance.
If you determine that you do have a hormone imbalance, you can start talking to your doctor about a treatment plan that's right for you. If your lab tests come back normal, you may need to discuss your symptoms with your physician to see if something else is going on.
Testing Your Reproductive Hormones
What are you waiting for? If you're showing signs of unbalanced reproductive hormones, you need to act fast. If left untreated, your hormone levels will only get worse.
Ulta Lab Tests offers tests that are highly accurate and reliable so you can make informed decisions about your health. Here are a few great things to love about Ulta Lab Tests:
- You'll get secure and confidential results
- You don't need health insurance
- You don't need a physician's referral
- You'll get affordable pricing
- We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee
Order your hormone lab tests today and your results will be provided to you securely and confidentially online in 24 to 48 hours for most tests.
Take control with Ulta Lab Tests today!
