“Hormones” are not just the name of a fun and addictive teen series, but also important chemicals in the body produced by various endocrine glands. They play a crucial role in regulating the functions of cells in the body. Whether male or female, we all have various types of hormones. However, as we age, the levels of these hormones decrease, leading to abnormalities and increasing the risk of various diseases. Measuring hormone levels in the body can help us understand which hormone deficiency is causing the abnormalities, leading to analysis for planning treatment and improving our health care.
4 Hormones You Should Know… to Understand Your Body’s Condition
As mentioned, there are many types of hormones in the human body, but most abnormalities are often caused by deficiencies in 4 important hormones as follows:
- Thyroid Hormone
This hormone is responsible for energy metabolism. If the body has a hormone deficiency to the level called “Hypothyroidism”, doctors will need to treat it with medication. However, if the thyroid hormone level is only slightly low but not yet a disease, it will slow down energy metabolism, causing easy and rapid weight gain. Without proper dietary control, this increases the risk of illness due to overweight conditions.
- Adrenal Hormone
This hormone is related to body fatigue. People who work hard, rest little, and are stressed cause the adrenal glands to work hard, leading to adrenal hormone deficiency. This results in fatigue, reluctance to get out of bed in the morning, lack of energy during the day, insomnia at night, easy weight gain, cravings for sweet and salty foods. Some may experience dizziness and blood pressure changes when changing posture. Treatment involves behavioral changes, creating a healthy sleeping environment to ensure full sleep at night, waking up early, eating nutritious meals on time, avoiding stimulants, and abstaining from caffeine.
- Sex Hormones
Normally, testing is done to see if the body produces sex hormones in appropriate amounts to analyze the cause of abnormalities. For example, in women, doctors check how much hormone the ovaries produce. In PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), there is an abnormal increase in male sex hormones, causing women to have oily skin, acne, and excessive body hair like men, which requires hormone adjustment treatment.
- Growth Hormone
This hormone is produced by the pituitary gland and is one of the most important hormones because it helps build and restore the body to grow appropriately. Growth hormone is also closely related to sleep quality. If you often have insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, or restless sleep, it can be assumed that your growth hormone levels are low. To sleep soundly throughout the night, you need to adjust your behavior to increase growth hormone levels in your body.
Who Should Get Hormone Level Testing?
Hormone level testing is not necessarily required for “everyone”. Generally, doctors recommend testing for people with health problems or abnormal physical conditions, such as unexplained easy weight gain, rapid weight increase, or fatigue. Measuring hormone levels helps plan precise treatment by identifying whether the abnormalities are due to hormone deficiency or other causes. Additionally, people aged 40 and above can also have their hormone levels checked to know which hormones have significantly decreased, allowing them to prepare and take better care of themselves.
Being aware of hormone abnormalitieshelps find the causes of diseasesand abnormalities… more easily
Head of Anti-Aging Medicine Center
Phyathai 3 Hospital
