What Are The Longer
Overall, the longer-term outlook for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome should be regarded as good, particularly if sufferers are diagnosed fairly soon after the onset of their symptoms, and are treated appropriately. However, it must be recognised that there is no quick-fix for this condition and treatment may need to last for many months. Response does vary depending on the severity of the condition and a full recovery is less likely in somebody with very severe symptoms, but the majority of people with mild to moderate symptoms will improve and many will return to relatively normal health. This will, however, require significant lifestyle change, often reducing the levels of physical activity for a period of time, including reducing intense work patterns, which can have implications both financially and academically.
Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome do sometimes experience setbacks in their condition, when their symptoms increase after a period of time. It is not always clear what the cause of a relapse is. Individuals should work with their doctor to find a suitable treatment regime that works for them.
What Birth Control Methods Are We Talking About
Fatigue is listed as a potential side effect of birth control pills, vaginal rings, and the subdermal implant, says Irobunda.
Side effects, including fatigue, are in part due to the hormones in contraception, explains Dr. Idries Abdur-Rahman, a board certified OB-GYN in Chicago, Illinois.
So birth control that is either nonhormonal or low in hormones can be associated with less fatigue.
That means contraception with higher hormone doses is more likely to cause side effects, he says.
Higher dose birth control pills and Depo-Provera are the most likely culprits because they are associated with higher blood hormone levels.
Hormonal Imbalance In Women
Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance
Bloating, fatigue, irritability, hair loss, palpitations, mood swings, problems with blood sugar, trouble concentrating, infertility — these are just a few symptoms of hormone imbalance. These compounds affect every cell and system in the body. Hormone imbalance can debilitate you. Some hormonal shifts are normal, like monthly fluctuations of sex hormones responsible for menstruation and ovulation or the changes that occur during pregnancy. Menopause is another time for a normal hormonal shift in a woman’s life. Many women may experience weight gain, mood swings, night sweats, and diminished sex drive during this time. Other times these fluctuations may be due to a medication or a medical condition.
Balance Your Cortisol
Cortisol is an important hormone that may become imbalanced with stress or illness. Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands that lie on top of the kidneys. Low intensity exercise can help lower elevated cortisol levels. Stress impacts adrenal function and hormone levels. Get acquainted with hormone imbalance symptoms and signs so you can notice when things in your body and mind don’t seem right.
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Why Is Fatigue A Common Symptom Of Menopause
As you enter the perimenopausal period, your hormone levels rise and fall in unpredictable ways. Eventually, your female hormone levels will decrease until your body stops making them completely.
The same hormonal changes that cause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats can also affect your mood and energy levels, leading to fatigue. Those hormone variations can also make it harder for you to sleep at night, which can leave you feeling tired during the day.
Even if youre in your 40s or 50s, fatigue isnt necessarily due to perimenopause or menopause. All of the following can cause fatigue:
- alcohol and drug use
What Can You Do To Help Manage It
Sometimes, a birth control side effect will go away by itself.
It may take a few weeks or even a few months and then improve as your body gets used to your method, Irobunda notes.
While your body is adjusting, make sure that you are getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and staying hydrated, she adds.
Jamil advises taking supplements of vitamins B-5, B-6, B-12, and C, as well as magnesium.
Any time you start feeling different, you should track your symptoms and how they affect your day-to-day life.
When it comes to fatigue, book a doctors appointment if the tiredness persists.
Show them your symptom diary and be honest about your lifestyle and previous health history.
If you think your fatigue is related to birth control, tell your doctor.
Theyll take this into account and test for any other issues that could be causing you to feel tired.
This may involve discussions about your dietary and exercise habits, as well as blood tests to check for the likes of deficiencies.
Medication may be recommended for thyroid or mental health conditions, and nutritional supplements may be advised if youre lacking in a particular area.
If you and your doctor are struggling to find the cause of your tiredness, Consider switching to a different form of birth control to see if your fatigue improves, Irobunda says.
Changing your contraceptive may help, and it may not.
Always consult with your doctor before making any birth control-related decision.
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How Is Low Estrogen Diagnosed
Diagnosis and treatment of low estrogen can help prevent many health issues.
If youre experiencing symptoms of low estrogen, talk with your doctor. They can assess your symptoms and make a diagnosis if needed. Early diagnosis may help prevent further complications.
During your appointment, your doctor will discuss your family health history and assess your symptoms. Theyll also perform a physical exam. Blood tests will likely be needed to measure your hormone levels.
Your follicle stimulating hormone levels may also be tested to determine whether your estrogen is low if youre experiencing:
- hot flashes
- insomnia
- frequently missed periods
Appetite And Weight Gain
You may gain weight during hormonal shifts, such as menopause. But hormone changes donât directly affect your weight. Instead, it likely happens because of other factors, like aging or lifestyle. For example, when youâre feeling blue or irritated, as you can be when your estrogen levels drop, you may want to eat more. It can also impact your bodyâs levels of leptin, a hunger-revving hormone.
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A Healthy Lifestyle Can Help Reduce The Risk Of Hormone Issues
While there’s no sure-fire way to prevent low testosterone, making healthier choices can support healthy testosterone levels, the doctors said.
Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, not smoking, and avoiding excessive alcohol use can help prevent factors like inflammation that may interfere with your hormones and overall health, according to Mirkin.
“Diet is incredibly important,” he said. “Your diet should be loaded with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, with limited meat, sugar, and fried foods.”
If a test determines you have low testosterone, doctors will look for underlying causes, such as other illnesses, Brett said. Treatment can include testosterone replacement via gel, injections, pills, or a patch.
It’s important to work with doctors on the proper dose and timing, since therapies can sometimes inhibit your body’s ability to produce its own testosterone.
“The longer you take it the more likely you are to be dependent,” Brett said.
Warning Signs You May Have A Hormonal Imbalance
No-one wants to be a slave to their hormones but how do you know if they are out of sync and what can you do to restore the balance?
Hormonal imbalances may be to blame for a range of unwanted symptoms from fatigue or weight gain to itchy skin or low mood.
Hormones are chemicals produced by glands in the endocrine system and released into the bloodstream. An imbalance occurs when there is too much or too little of a hormone.
Your hormones are important for regulating many different processes in the body including appetite and metabolism, sleep cycles, reproductive cycles and sexual function, body temperature and mood.
No surprise then that even the slightest imbalance may have a noticeable effect on your overall health and wellbeing.
Levels of hormones naturally fluctuate at various life stages, most noticeably during puberty and in women during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and the menopause. They can also be affected by lifestyle and certain medical conditions.
What is important is to notice any symptoms and get them checked out by a qualified health professional so that you receive appropriate treatment, whether that involves using medication or complementary therapies, or making lifestyle changes, to restore the balance and your good health.
Here are 10 signs of hormonal imbalance to look out for and what you can do about them:
8. Headaches: Many women suffer headaches due to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or menopause.
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Hormones That Can Cause Your Fatigue Weight Gain And Mood Changes
Something we know for sure is this we all have hormones. These chemical messengers in your body are sent to your organs and tissues to perform a certain function. The communication that happens between your hormones and organs control major metabolic processes within your body, such as mood, energy, weight, temperature regulation and even digestion. An imbalance in these little guys are often what causes us to look at our health a little more closely, because its only until they are not working optimally that we remember we even have them.
Well discuss some of the most common hormone imbalances we see in our patients. Sometimes when you identify one hormone imbalance, you may find that it could be linked to another hormone imbalance, giving you the pieces of the puzzle you have been looking for!
1. Thyroid:
What you may experience with suboptimal thyroid:
- Feeling tired and exhausted
- Feelings of coldness in hands and feet
- Insomnia
- Thin/scanty eyebrows
- Thinning, dry and brittle hair
- Scattered brain
2. Cortisol:
What you may experience with an imbalance in cortisol:
- Poor stress response
3. Insulin:
What you may experience when insulin resistance is present:
- Blurred vision
The Link Between A Hormone Imbalance And Fatigue
Hormones are tiny but powerful chemicals. Made by your endocrine glands, these chemicals direct many vital body functions. Though your body only needs a small amount of hormones to make things happen, any slight change in production can send your body into disarray.
Though an imbalance in hormone levels may cause a wide range of symptoms, you may find fatigue one of the most troublesome.
At Central Clinic in Spring Hill, Florida, our family medicine expert, Dr. Poonam Malhotra, specializes in diagnosing and treating fatigue. Though fatigue is a symptom of many health problems, a hormone imbalance is one of the most common causes.
Here, we want to share with you the link between hormone imbalance and fatigue.
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Why Do I Always Feel Fatigued Common Causes Of Constant Fatigue
Do you feel tired all the time? Do you drift through most days in a sluggish state even if you had a full nights sleep? Unfortunately, because fatigue has a multitude of different causes, it can be hard to track down the culprit. To help understand why you might be feeling constantly fatigued even after that full night of sleep here are some common causes of fatigue.
Sleep Quality
Lets start with the most obvious source, sleep. It is estimated that 60 million Americans persistently suffer from sleep deprivation. Even if you do get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep each night, various factors such as your hormone levels can affect sleep quality, which means you are not as well rested as you should be.
The two key hormones involved in your sleep cycle are melatonin and cortisol. The levels of these two hormones fluctuate throughout the day and are a determining factor in your bodys alternating cycle of sleeping and waking.
Melatonin regulates the bodys internal biological clock, and it is most active in the body in the evening and at night that is, unless its production is disrupted. Factors such as too much light, working night shifts, or jet lag can disrupt melatonin production in the body, which in turn disrupts your sleep cycle.
Irregular levels of either hormone could be the culprit for poor sleep. You should consider testing your melatonin and cortisol levels if you:
Stress
- Feel tired but wired
- Are constantly stressed out
Diet
Anemia
Thyroid Problems
Leptin Resistance Can Cause A Whole Host Of Health Issues That Mimic Symptoms Of Depression
Leptin, aka the “feeling-full” hormone, is the main player in your hunger cues and metabolism, and sends signals to your body when you need to store or burn extra fat. If the hormone is not being secreted correctly due to anything from chronic emotional distress to chemical imbalances in your hypothalamus, you could form leptin resistance: a disorder that prevents you from producing the hormone, and leaves you feeling sick, fatigued, and hungry 24/7, despite how much you eat or sleep. Basically, without healthy production of this hormone, you can easily get caught in a vicious cycle of mental health issues that trigger physical issues, and vice versa. Simple ways to improve leptin production include upping your veggie intake, or making an effort to be active a little bit each day, according to HuffPost.
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The Solution To Crashing Fatigue In 3 Steps
If youre experiencing crashing fatigue, you want to interrupt that pattern and reestablish your normal sleep-wake cycle. Careful attention to hormones can restore their natural rise-and-fall patterns, and allow them to interact in a healthy way.
1. Let your hormones send the right messages to your body.
Crashing fatigue is linked tightly to fluctuating estrogen levels, especially when the changes are severe or rapid. The correct balance between naturally-declining estrogen and other hormones smooths out the hormonal spikes and crashes that drain energy and disturb sleep. Women in menopause are more vulnerable to the effects of stress and adrenal hormone responses. That means remembering to pace yourself during the day, and allowing for more time-outs as needed.
You can help your body coax its hormones back into balance using herbal extracts. The best formulas contain combinations of phyto-ingredients that have adaptogenic qualities that allow them to continually adjust as necessary. Look for red clover, ashwagandha, and especially black cohosh these shift naturally to the changing hormonal needs of your body, and they function well together.
2. Take snacking seriously.
Eating regularly is important to fuel energy and prevent crashing fatigue. If youre a meal skipper, youll need to change your ways, at least for a while. Eat every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day and keep snacks super simple, healthy and fast but not junky.
Have snacks ready if you can, and choose:
How To Regain Your Energy
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How Is Low Estrogen Treated
Women who have low levels of estrogen may benefit from hormonal treatment. Hormonal treatment is the standard for low estrogen. There are non-hormonal options to help relieve symptoms. Non-hormonal options are preferred for women at high risk for breast cancer, blood clots, stroke, or liver disease.
Avoiding Stimulants And Alcohol
It is tempting to rely on stimulants such as caffeine when energy levels are low. However, too much caffeine may disrupt sleep . This may mean a person feels more tired during the day.
Similarly, while alcohol can help people feel drowsy when they are having difficulty sleeping, it lowers sleep quality overall. For some, it is also a hot flash trigger.
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Thyroid Hormones And Energy
Your thyroid gland produces hormones that help control your metabolism. If you dont make enough of these hormones its called an underactive thyroid . If you make too much of these hormones its called an overactive thyroid .
If your thyroid is underactive your bodily processes start to slow down and you might feel tired, have memory problems, and feel depressed. While if your thyroid is overactive you might feel restless, anxious, and have trouble switching off causing sleep problems.
You can measure your thyroid function by using a home blood test or through your GP.
How Hormones Affect Dizziness And Balance
Episodes of dizziness can be disconcerting, especially when the cause is not fully understood. For many women going through menopause, however, their experiences are most likely triggered by the hormonal imbalance the life transition occasions. Read on to discover the direct and indirect influences hormones have on dizziness in addition to other causes and recommendations.
Hormones have direct and indirect influences on a menopausal woman’s equilibrium in the following ways:
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