How Hormones Affect Fatigue
Balanced hormones is a crucial component in health energy production in a female body. So it’s no surprise that one of the most common symptoms of out-of-balance hormones in women is chronic fatigue. Fatigue can be also aggravated by hot flashes, insomnia, depression and other factors.
Do you often feel crushing mental and physical fatigue? It is a very common symptom amongst women in menopausal transition and is caused by compromised hormone levels.
Those of us who have experienced chronic fatigue know that it is a serious and sometimes debilitating issue. But why is it happening to you? The answer lies in your hormones. Estrogen, progesterone, thyroid and testosterone are all involved in regulation of cellular energy in the body and when these hormones are out of whack, it leads to fatigue. Additional contributing factors are symptoms such as hot flashes (night sweats) and insomnia, which are also hormone-related. Here is how that process works: as you wake up at night from a hot flash (caused by unbalanced estrogen and progesterone), you may find it difficult to fall asleep due to high levels of anxiety (also caused by unfavorable changes in hormones like progesterone and testosterone), as a result, you wake up already tired. Then, on top of that, your reduced hormone levels and associated problems such as anxiety, depression, excess weight and lower metabolism are not letting you recuperate. You may easily find yourself in a vicious circle, which can only be fully broken by bringing your hormone levels back to balance.
Testosterone plays a key role in energy production in a male body. So it’s no surprise that one of the most common symptoms of low testosterone in men is fatigue, specifically the kind that that doesn't improve even after rest. Some of the other factors that may contribute to your fatigue are insomnia, low metabolism, night sweats and others.
Those of us who have experienced chronic fatigue know that it is a serious and sometimes debilitating issue. But why is it happening to you? The answer lies in your hormones. As men’s testosterone lowers (due to age, bad food choices, no exercise and other factors), production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and melatonin declines also. Serotonin, which is sometimes called ‘the happiness molecule’, regulates mood and sleep. Melatonin, on the other hand, is directly responsible for your circadian rhythm (aka your biological clock). When serotonin and melatonin are out of whack, three things can start happening to you: insomnia, anxiety, and depression. During insomnia, as you sleep less soundly, your body is less and less able to recuperate at night, which leads to you being physically tired. On the other hand, depression and anxiety drain you psychologically. The result is chronic fatigue. Unfortunately, the problem doesn’t stop there. Chronic fatigue, can in itself drop down your testosterone even further, leading to an ever worsening set of symptoms. The good news is that this vicious circle can be broken by bio-identical hormone replacement therapy.
Effective treatment for chronic fatigue in men includes a combination of hormone replacement and lifestyle changes (such as healthy nutrition and consistent exercise). However, the very first step you should take is to discuss your issue with a doctor specializing in hormone health, so she can carry out a comprehensive blood test to determine your hormone levels.
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