Frequently Asked Questions About Hormones

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Everyone talks about hormones, but doesn’t it sometimes feel like no one really knows what they are?

We hear all the time that someone is acting hormonal, or that a hormonal imbalance could be the cause of our chronic fatigue, but no one seems to know what to do about it.

Hormones are part of an incredibly complex system in your body called the endocrine system.

If you’ve been feeling off and have a hunch that a hormone imbalance may be at play, you could be onto something.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is find someone who will help you take a look at your holistic health and offer guidance.

I’m Dr. Maria Cavallazzi, a naturopathic doctor for hormone balancing near me, and today, let’s take a look at hormones.

In particular, let’s answer some frequently asked questions about hormones.

What Are Hormones?

Hormones are the chemicals that travel through your bloodstream to deliver messages to other parts of your body.

Most of your bodily functions require hormones to work properly.

Your glands send messages via your hormones to various body parts, telling them what to do and how to do it.

Some of the hormones you may have heard of include:

• Insulin
• Cortisol
• Estrogen
• Progesterone
• Testosterone
• Adrenaline
• Melatonin
• Dopamine

However, there are over 50 hormones in the human body that have so far been identified.

Your glands, hormones, and the rest of the tissues involved in their production make up your endocrine system.

What Do Hormones Do?

There are many bodily processes that hormones play a role in, including your metabolism, moods, sexual function, and sleep cycle.

They are a pivotal part of homeostasis.

Homeostasis is your body’s way of maintaining internal balance.

This includes blood pressure and blood sugar regulation, fluid retention, body temperature, and electrolyte balance.

Bodily processes often involve more than one hormone, sometimes called a chain reaction.

Hunger is controlled by hormones, as well as your emotions.

Some hormones even function as neurotransmitters, which relay messages from the brain to your muscles, for example.

Where Are Hormones Made?

When we’re talking about something as complex as your hormonal system, there’s no one answer to where your hormones are made.

They’re made by glands that are specialized to secrete certain hormones.

These are the organs that make up your endocrine system.

From your hypothalamus to your liver, your body is always hard at work creating the hormones you need.

Let’s talk about some of the most pivotal parts of your body hard at work making your hormones.

1. Your Thyroid

Under your skin at the front of your neck lives your thyroid.

Thyroxine and triiodothyronine (together often referred to as “thyroid hormones”), as well as reverse triiodothyronine and calcitonin, are the hormones produced by your thyroid.

Your body’s process for making the food you eat into energy, called its metabolism, is most controlled by your thyroid.

RELATED: Naturopathic Solutions For Thyroid Issues

2. Your Pancreas

Your pancreas, which is both part of your endocrine system and digestive system, lives in the back of your abdomen.

There are endocrine cells in your pancreas that produce both insulin and glucagon.

That means it plays a role in your body’s blood sugar regulation.

You may have heard of insulin in relation to diabetes.

That’s because with both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, the pancreas has difficulty producing insulin.

That’s why diabetics need to supplement their insulin.

RELATED: Naturopathic Digestive Health Solutions

3. Your Ovaries Or Testes

If you have ovaries, they’ll be on either side of your uterus below your fallopian tubes.

Your ovaries are responsible for producing the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

If you have testes, they will hang outside of your body below your penis and produce the hormone testosterone.

Ovaries and testes and the hormones they individually produce are all part of your reproductive system.

4. Your Adrenal Glands

Your adrenal glands are at the top of your two kidneys.

They’re responsible for many different hormones including cortisol, aldosterone, androgens, adrenaline, and noradrenaline.

Your adrenal glands play a role in blood pressure regulation and also help you regulate your stress levels and stress reactions.

5. Your Pituitary Gland

Your pituitary gland is at the base of your brain below your hypothalamus.

The pituitary gland produces hormones that assist other glands in their functioning as well, so it’s playing a vital role in your endocrine system.

Your pituitary gland is responsible for eight hormones between its two lobes:

• Oxytocin
• Antidiuretic hormone
• Adrenocorticotropic hormone
• Growth hormone
• Luteinizing hormone
• Prolactin
• Folliclestimulating hormone
• Thyroidstimulating hormone

6. Other Sources Of Hormones

Other sources of hormones include your pineal gland, which is responsible for producing melatonin, a key player in your sleep wake cycle.

Your hypothalamus, working closely with your pituitary gland, makes many hormones including the well known dopamine and oxytocin.

It’s not just your glands that are working on hormone production – your fat tissue, kidneys, gut, liver, and placenta (if you temporarily have had one) are also sources of your body’s hormones.

What Causes Hormonal Imbalance?

As you can tell by how many parts of your body are involved in your endocrine system, it’s an incredibly complex part of your body’s function.

This can obviously be difficult to keep in balance.

There are many things that can cause hormonal imbalance, including tumors and other growths.

Autoimmune conditions are known to cause hormonal imbalances, as well as genetic disorders and hereditary mutations.

You may also have been exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Damage or injury to a gland that produces your hormones can also cause imbalance.

What Illnesses Are Related To Hormones?

If your body’s hormones are out of balance, you could feel pretty sick.

Chronic fatigue, insomnia, and low blood sugar could all result from conditions causing hormonal imbalances.

Some of the illnesses and conditions related to hormones include:

• Infertility
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Irregular menstruation
• Graves’ disease
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperthyroidism
• Diabetes
• Amenorrhea
• Anovulation

Book Your Appointment With The Mindful Healing Clinic Today

If you suspect your hormones may be imbalanced and causing you some issues, you’re not alone.

At the Mindful Healing Clinic, we’re here to help you navigate your health and wellbeing.

Book your appointment with The Mindful Healing Clinic today.