What Causes Hormonal Imbalance in Women?

As women it can sometimes feel like we are at the mercy of our hormones. These tiny chemical messengers travel through our body, influencing almost everything from our mood, energy, metabolism, and sex drive. So when they fall out of balance, even just a little, it can feel like our body is staging a full-scale mutiny.

The truth is, hormonal ups and downs are a natural part of life, especially for women. But if you’ve ever wondered what causes your hormones to fluctuate, then you’ve come to the right place. Here we explore what causes hormonal imbalance in women, and more importantly, what you can do about it. 

Common Causes of Hormonal Imbalance in Women

Here are some of the most common reasons your hormones might be out of balance. 

• Major life stages like puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause

• Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels

• Lack of quality sleep

• Hormonal contraceptives

• Endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Life’s big milestones

Puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause all bring about big hormonal shifts and are some of the most obvious causes of hormone imbalance in women. During puberty, estrogen and progesterone levels start to rise, kicking off the menstrual cycle. This is when PMS symptoms can first appear including bloating, mood swings, cramps, and breast tenderness, as the body. 

But for many women, these symptoms don’t just fade away after the teenage years. They continue well into adulthood and can actually worsen with age, with PMS being most common in women in their late 20s to early 40s. 

But supporting the body with the right balance of hormones can help ease your symptoms. At Hormones + You, our bioidentical progesterone cream is designed to gently increase progesterone levels, bringing hormones back into balance and alleviating those oh so annoying PMS symptoms in the lead up to your period. 

And just when it seems like we might finally catch a break, perimenopause and menopause arrive. This gradually lowers estrogen and testosterone production, leading to symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, disrupted sleep and a loss of sex drive. If you’re experiencing a dip in libido, our libido-boosting testosterone cream can help restore balance and support your sexual wellbeing.

Stress and cortisol

Stress is another major factor behind hormonal imbalance in women. With impossible beauty standards, the constant juggling act between career and family, (not to mention Henry Cavill getting taken off the market), it’s no wonder our stress levels are through the roof.

When you feel stressed, your body produces the hormone cortisol. And when cortisol levels stay too high, it can become a real problem for your hormones.

Elevated cortisol lowers progesterone and testosterone, disrupts your thyroid function, and even interferes with your insulin levels. Over time, chronic stress can lead to what is called cortisol addiction, a cycle where your body gets stuck in cortisol overdrive with your hormones paying the price.

Lack of sleep

Sleep, or the lack of it, is a major disruptor of hormonal health. Research suggests that women not only need more sleep than men, around 11 minutes more a night, but also struggle more with insomnia. Go figure. 

When you don’t get enough quality sleep, cortisol, your stress hormone, stays elevated while melatonin, the hormone that helps you go to sleep, falls out of sync. This combination can make it feel almost impossible to drift off, no matter how tired you are.

Over time, sleep deprivation messes with your hormone production, particularly testosterone and progesterone. The result? A frustrating cycle of hormonal imbalance that keeps you lying awake night after night.

If you are struggling with your sleep, then find out more about our pharmaceutical-grade melatonin capsules that not only help you fall asleep quicker but also improve the quality of your sleep too.  So you can wake up feeling truly refreshed.

Hormonal contraceptives

Hormonal contraceptives are designed to change your natural hormone levels to prevent pregnancy, but for some women, that also means side effects like low libido, mood swings, weight gain, or irregular bleeding.

Most birth control pills rely on synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone (progestins). While effective for contraception, these synthetic hormones can disrupt your body’s natural hormone balance over time. 

Synthetic progestins, in particular, can suppress your progesterone production. This may trigger symptoms like bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and mood changes.

And while a readily available male contraceptive is still some way off, it’s women who are expected to stay on birth control for much of their lives, even if it means dealing with the hormonal fallout along the way.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals 

Lastly, let’s not forget about environmental factors. Many everyday products from plastic containers to certain cosmetics, contain chemicals that are known endocrine disruptors. 

Substances like BPA and phthalates that can be found in many everyday items mimic estrogen and interfere with hormone regulation, potentially creating long-term hormonal imbalance in women. 

While it’s impossible to avoid all toxins, choosing glass storage containers, cleaner beauty products, and fewer synthetic fragrances can help reduce your exposure to this chemical and keep your hormones happier.  

So, what can you do about it? 

Hormonal balance is about understanding your body and making sure it's working the best it can. Our bodies are temples, after all, so we should be treating them as such.

While some hormone fluctuations are an inevitable part of life, if you’re noticing symptoms like low energy, trouble sleeping, persistent PMS, or a dwindling sex drive, it’s worth looking into what might be causing the problem.

A healthy diet, exercise, and sound night's sleep can all help but sometimes they’re not enough, and a more targeted approach is what’s needed.  

At Hormones + You, we offer smart hormone solutions for a range of hormonal imbalances in women, from our bioidentical testosterone cream to improve your libido to our DHEA capsules to combat low energy and support better hormone regulation. Our doctor-developed treatments are designed to help women restore balance to their bodies and are formulated using only the highest quality ingredients. 

If you want to take control of your hormones, then start an online consultation now and get your personalised hormone prescription delivered to your door.