What are the Signs and Symptoms of a Hormone Imbalance?
There are many signs or symptoms of a hormonal imbalance, depending on the person’s gender and the particular hormone imbalance.
Hormone Imbalance Symptoms
| Hormone Imbalance | Signs in Women | Signs in Men |
|---|---|---|
| High Testosterone | Hirsutism, amenorrhoea, acne, hair loss, genital abnormalities, depression, deeper voice, infertility | Acne or oily skin, prostate enlargement, worsening of sleep apnea, hypogonadism, increase in red blood cells, hair loss, infertility |
| Low Testosterone | Depression, low libido, low muscle mass, low energy/drive or motivation | Depression, erectile dysfunction, low energy, low muscle mass, low libido |
| High DHT | Hirsutism, amenorrhoea, acne, hair loss, genital abnormalities, depression, deeper voice | Prostate cancer, male pattern baldness, aggression, acne |
| Low DHT | Depression, low libido, low muscle mass, low energy/drive or motivation | Depression, irritability, low libido, lethargy, low muscle mass, increase in body fat |
| High DHEAs | Hirsutism, amenorrhoea, acne, hair loss, genital abnormalities, depression, deeper voice, infertility | Usually asymptomatic, but may result in estrogen excess |
| Low DHEAs | Fatigue, depression, anxiety, hypersensitivity to noise, loss of libido, dry eyes, skin, and hair, loss of head hair, axilla (armpit) hair & pubic hair | Fatigue, depression, anxiety, hypersensitivity to noise, loss of libido, dry eyes, skin, and hair, loss of head hair, axilla (armpit) hair & pubic hair |
| High Estrogen | Heavy periods, acne, clots in menstrual flow, breast tenderness, depression, highly emotional, endometriosis, PMS migraines, fibroids | Prostate cancer, male pattern baldness, aggression, acne |
| Low Estrogen | Vaginal dryness, UTI’s, irreg periods, hot flashes, h/a or migraines, irritability, mood swings, depression, cognitive decline | Low bone density, low libido, erectile dysfunction, increase in abdominal fat, low sperm count |
| High Progesterone | Low libido, depression, anxiety, mood swings, weight gain, UTIs, fatigue, muscle weakness, fibroids, stomach upset, edema, hives | Prostate cancer, BPH, heart disease, depression, gynecomastia, low libido, low muscle mass |
| Low Progesterone | Anxiety, waking at night, endometriosis, hot flashes, dysmenorrhea, fibrocystic breasts, PMS, bone loss, low libido, infertility | Depression, low bone density, low libido, increased abdominal fat |
| High Prolactin | Irregular periods, vaginal dryness, nipple discharge, acne, hirsutism, decreased estrogen, depression, anxiety, hostility, memory deficit, psychosis | Erectile dysfunction, gynecomastia, low body hair, low libido, decreased testosterone, retrograde orgasm, depression, anxiety, hostility, memory deficit, psychosis |
| Low Prolactin | Fatigue, loss of pubic and underarm hair, and inability to produce breast milk (alactogenesis) | Unknown |
What are the Causes of a Hormonal Imbalance?
The causes of hormone imbalance also depend on the particular gender of the person and the hormonal imbalance that they are dealing with. Common factors that contribute to hormone imbalance include:
Poor Diet
Diets heavy in processed grains, carbs, and sugars increase your body’s need for insulin. Insulin has a significant hormone-disrupting effect. Low intake of vitamins and minerals necessary for the reproductive organs’ healthy function also leads to hormone imbalance.
Xenoestrogens
These chemicals can act like estrogen. They are found in pesticides, herbicides, and chemical products like plastic. Eating organic food and avoiding having your food and water in contact with plastic can help reduce your intake of these hormone-imbalance-inducing chemicals.
Lack of exercise
Exercise has a hormone-balancing effect. It helps reduce stress, which can also contribute to hormone imbalance.
Stress
Under stress, the ovaries may not work well, if at all. Thus, stress can have a hormone-depleting effect. Under stress, reproduction is not a priority. Very intense stress can even temporarily shut down the reproductive organs as they are not key to survival, and other organs like your heart and lungs are. Stress also increases the demand for certain vitamins and minerals that are necessary to cope with stress, thereby depleting them and causing a deficiency. These same vitamins and minerals help your body balance your hormones. Stress also increases prolactin levels, which interfere with the normal function of the ovaries.
Poor Liver Detoxification
Your liver requires certain vitamins and minerals to remove chemicals, pollution, and pesticides that may disrupt hormones. These include pyridoxal-5-phosphate, magnesium, vitamin B12, 5-MTHF, indole-3-carbinol, and calcium-d-glucarate. There are genetic mutations, such as the relatively common MTHFR mutation, that will negatively impact your liver’s ability to remove waste. The same process removes excess hormones such as DHT and estrogen.
Your Endocrine System Isn’t Working Normally
Several influences influence your endocrine (or hormone-producing) system, including stress, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, menstrual cycles, menopause/perimenopause, post-partum hormone changes, pollutants that disrupt hormones, and insulin levels. Appropriate testing to identify the specific systems that aren’t working correctly helps guide us to the correct treatment. Natural treatments like diet, exercise, stress reduction, vitamins, minerals, and herbs can correct any hormone-disrupting situations.
Lab Testing for Hormone Imbalance
Lab testing is vital for identifying hormone imbalances affecting your health, energy, mood, fertility, or metabolism. Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate nearly every function in the body—from menstrual cycles and sleep patterns to weight regulation, stress response, and libido. When hormones are even slightly out of balance, symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, acne, irregular periods, hair loss, low libido, or weight gain can occur. Lab testing helps pinpoint which hormones are too high, too low, or fluctuating irregularly so we can understand the root cause of your symptoms.
Depending on your health concerns, hormone testing may include blood, saliva, or urine tests for key markers such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, thyroid hormones (TSH, free T3, free T4), insulin, and prolactin. For women, testing may be timed with the menstrual cycle to assess ovulation and cycle health. These results clearly show how your hormonal system functions and guide creating a personalized treatment plan using nutrition, herbal medicine, supplements, and lifestyle changes to restore balance naturally. Accurate lab testing makes treatment more targeted, effective, and aligned with your unique physiology.
For help with this or any other health problem, book an appointment here or call the office at 416-481-0222 for more information.
Authored by Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), ND, updated April 12, 2025
Dr. Pamela has practiced as a naturopathic doctor in Toronto since 1999. She has received numerous “Best Naturopath in Toronto” awards. She is registered with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario.
Dr. Pamela Frank uses a natural treatment approach that may include acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, diet, vitamins, supplements, and other natural remedies to restore balance and provide long-term resolution to almost any health problem.
Hormone Balance Research
Randolph JF Jr, Kipersztok S, Ayers JW, Ansbacher R, Peegel H, Menon KM. The effect of insulin on aromatase activity in isolated human endometrial glands and stroma. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1987 Dec;157(6):1534-9.