5 Signs of a Hormone Deficiency

Your entire body is regulated by hormones. Your metabolism, mood, appetite, energy levels, ability to control body temperature, and more all hinge on hormonal balance. Deficiencies can cause unpleasant symptoms.

If you’re experiencing odd groupings of symptoms that range from irritating to downright infuriating, it could be your hormones. Hormonal imbalance can affect everything from your mood to your metabolism.

With offices in Bellingham, Snohomish, and Everett, Washington, House Call Doctors of Pacific Northwest PLLC, including our team led by Bernadette Kimemia, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C, and Phyllis Muthee, NP, ARNP, can provide testing for hormone levels followed by recommendations for hormone replacement therapy (HRT), if indicated, to get you back to feeling more like yourself.

Different hormone deficiencies cause different symptoms. Look for these signs if you think your hormone levels might be lacking:

1. Decreased libido, reduced performance, and/or thinning hair

A deficiency of testosterone, the male sex hormone, can cause men to have unpleasant and humiliating side effects and even a reduction in the red blood cell count. Fortunately, testosterone replacement therapy is easy and fast, and we can have you feeling better again in no time.

2. Vaginal dryness, mood swings, night sweats, and/or hot flashes

On the other side of the gender divide, lack of estrogen, the female sex hormone, can cause a host of unwanted symptoms. These usually show up at menopause, but can strike at any age if hormone levels drop too low. Again, HRT is easy to administer to relieve such symptoms.

3. Feeling cold or hot, fatigued, and/or unwilling to eat

These symptoms are signs that your thyroid may not be making enough thyroid hormone. An underactive thyroid can lead to more serious symptoms, so checking your levels should be a priority, especially if you also have muscle weakness and joint pain.

4. Frequent urination, blurry vision, and/or numbness in your feet

If your pancreas stops making enough of the critical hormone insulin, you can start having these and even more severe symptoms because of diabetes. Without injectable insulin or medication to help your pancreas produce more, you can end up with wounds that don’t heal and loss of vision.

5. Sudden weight loss, low blood pressure, and/or muscle weakness

Your adrenal gland makes the hormone cortisol, which helps drive your metabolism and regulate sleep cycles, immune response, blood pressure, and more. Decreased cortisol can be treated with oral corticosteroid medications.

Think you may be suffering from hormone deficiencies? We can help. Book your walk-in appointment, house call, or virtual visit with House Call Doctors of Pacific Northwest PLLC with a phone call or a click of the online scheduling tool now.