Hormone Imbalance in Men
Once upon a time, hormonal imbalance was a problem of aging men.
Today many younger men are complaining of the same symptoms.
Hormone imbalance is like a vicious cycle because it usually results in serious mood swings and depression.
However, stress in the workplace or at home can actually lead to low testosterone symptoms even for younger men.
How does hormone imbalance occur in men occur? Testosterone is the predominant male sex hormone.
It is recognized as the hormone of puberty as it makes muscles for boys and turns them into sexually functional men.
However, as men age, the male body begins to produce less testosterone.
The normal range of testosterone is reported as 350 - 1200ng/dl.
Year by year, this level decreases by about 10%.
By the time a man reaches the age of 80, his testosterone levels would have gone down to 250 ng/dl.
Low testosterone wouldn't have been so much of a problem in men if their hormone levels where kept at a balance.
Unfortunately, as testosterone decline, estrogen hormones remain at a steady level.
When estrogen levels are excessive as compared to testosterone, this condition is known as estrogen dominance or hormonal imbalance.
Estrogen dominance in men can be caused either by the excessive production of estrogen or insufficient production of testosterone hormones.
In this modern day and time, we live in an environment filled with estrogen substances.
Pesticides, plastic, industrial waste products, meat soap, furniture, carpeting, all have estrogenic elements that are absorbed by the skin upon contact.
These environmental factors contribute widely to the unusual increase of estrogen levels, which can cause hormone imbalance in men.
Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance Breast Enlargement Breast enlargement is one of the more noticeable symptoms of hormone imbalance.
This occurs mostly in men who have excess weight around the stomach because they produce more of an enzyme called aromatase.
Aromatase is the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone into estrogens.
Too much estrogen in the body can lead to breast enlargement.
Erectile Dysfunction Another symptom of hormone imbalance in men is erectile dysfunction.
Testosterone is one of the hormones controlling libido in human beings.
When testosterone levels are too low, erection becomes difficult low levels of testosterone impact sexual interest and natural performance.
Muscle/Bone Loss Since testosterone is responsible for bone and muscle buildup, a reduction in testosterone levels can cause distress to both muscle and bone mass.
The most common bone disease that occurs due to hormonal imbalance is osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is mainly characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone structure.
It can be a very silent disease, as it doesn't become apparent until a fracture occurs.
It can, however, be effectively reversed when hormone imbalance is treated.
Loss of lean body and muscle mass correlates with testosterone levels.
Testosterones promote the enlargement of skeletal muscle cells.
The absence or lack of sufficient testosterone in the body can cause the decrease in muscle mass.
Weight Gain One common symptom of hormone imbalance is weight gain.
High levels of cortisol are responsible for this gain in weight.
When too much estrogen is produced in comparison to testosterone does not only cause breast enlargement but also gain weight.
Too much fat in the body, on the other hand, can cause testosterone levels to decline further.
This endless cycle is the usual cause of obesity in men.
If hormone imbalance is not repaired, a likelihood of excessive weight gain is bound to happen.