The Link Between Hormone Imbalances and Fatigue

Your hormones play a pivotal role in maintaining your health. All of your hormones, tiny as they may be, can have consequences affecting your health when they’re imbalanced. One of the many side effects you may experience can include fatigue.

If you are tired far more from a night or two of poor sleep, an imbalance of your hormones may be the culprit. Dr. Daniel Rieders of Peninsula Integrative Cardiology explains more about the link between your hormones and fatigue.

What causes fatigue

Fatigue is a common problem, especially in this modern era. Most of us have far too many things to do and too little time to get things done. Still, sometimes your fatigue can’t be explained by your lifestyle. 

In these cases, Dr. Rieders looks at multiple reasons for your fatigue. Your endocrine system produces the hormones responsible for maintaining your health and energy levels. But you could have fatigue even if one of your hormones is not in balance.

Ruling out other causes

Dr. Rieders looks for common causes of fatigue, which may or may not be related to your hormone, including the following:

• Diabetes
• Anemia
• Thyroid disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Side effects of certain medications, such as allergy medication
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

While these situations can cause fatigue, solving them is sometimes simple.

When hormone-related fatigue is a women’s health issue

Although men can develop hormone-related fatigue, it more commonly affects women. During the reproductive years and menopause, women’s hormones can become imbalanced.

If your estrogen levels, in particular, are fluctuating or declining, you may not feel well-rested. This fatigue can sometimes be the case if you have polycystic ovarian syndrome, where your body doesn’t release an egg every month as it should. Your estrogen also significantly decreases in the perimenopausal years (4-10 years leading up to your last period).

How to balance your hormones

There are several ways we can work together to balance your hormones so you won’t feel as tired.

It’s crucial to make sure you’re getting regular exercise. Our bodies need  to move, but many of us have sedentary jobs where we don’t get to move around very often, which contributes to fatigue. Even when you’re already tired, exercise can increase your energy levels.

Another important factor to consider is your diet. While it’s okay to have an occasional bit of less-healthy foods, they shouldn’t be the primary component of your diet. Your diet should have well-rounded foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products or dairy alternatives, lean meats or other protein sources, and whole grains. Keep fried foods and highly sugary foods to a minimum.

Hormone supplementation

Sometimes, Dr. Rieders will determine that supplementing your hormones is necessary. He typically orders blood tests first to detect your current hormone levels and how closely they compare to normal levels.

He may prescribe hormone replacement therapy, such as supplemental estrogen or testosterone. 

You should get evaluated soon if you suffer from chronic fatigue. Contact Dr. Daniel Rieders at Peninsula Integrative Cardiology or request an appointment online today for a consultation at our San Ramon, California office.