4 Universal Truths About Hormone Health Everyone Should Know

What are hormones and why should men care about them? Oftentimes we associate hormones with PMS and hot flashes in women, but is that the only reason we should care? Men really only need to know about testosterone and growth hormone, right? Thyroid problems only affect women, right?

Hormonal imbalances can be at the root of numerous problems plaguing many men like acne, mood swings, fatigue, and lack of energy, weight gain and fat accumulation, hair loss and male pattern baldness, decreased sex drive and erectile dysfunction... Do I have your attention yet?

Weight gain is often associated with thyroid problems in women. And it's true that women are more likely to experience thyroid issues, but men can be affected too. More than 12 percent of the population will be affected by thyroid issues in their lifetime. That might seem like a low percentage, but when you're talking about the entire population—that's a lot of people, and a lot of men suffering from thyroid problems. Women are five to eight times more likely to develop thyroid issues, and that leads to many cases of thyroid disorder in men going undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Men are also less likely to present to the doctor if they feel run-down, depressed, or are gaining weight. So if you feel like you just need to exercise more but it's difficult because you're so tired all the time, it might be your thyroid.

Even more commonly, however, being tired and run-down are symptoms of an issue with the adrenal glands. Cortisol is a stress hormone that's secreted by the adrenal glands in response to any kind of stress whether it's physical (e.g., exercise), emotional (e.g., relationship), or mental (e.g., work). You need cortisol to function under the most stressful of conditions, but when chronic stress of any kind is persistent, so is the cortisol production. High levels of cortisol raise your glucose and insulin levels, which tell your body to hold on to fat. They tell your body that, under all this stress, you may need that energy someday. So to lose the fat, you have to lose the cortisol, which means you have to lose the stress.

Hormone imbalances are often responsible for sleep disturbances. Cortisol may be the culprit here, and stress can cause high cortisol levels at night, which can keep you up or make your sleep restless. Ideally, cortisol peaks in the early morning even before you awaken, getting your body revved up and prepared for the long day ahead. It drops to a low point in the evening while another hormone (melatonin) rises to make you calm and sleepy. Exercising in the evening or working late with the bright overhead lights on can trick your body into producing cortisol at the wrong times or delay or decrease melatonin production because your body thinks it's still daytime.

Hormone balance has a lot to do with whether you are happy or sad, angry or content. In fact, some hormones actually function as neurotransmitters in the brain, directly affecting your thoughts and feelings. Progesterone, for example, has a calming effect1 in the brain. Excesses of testosterone can lead to aggression and irritability, while low levels can make you feel sluggish and fatigued. Low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism) can lead to depression whereas high levels (hyperthyroidism) can cause anxiety.

Hormones affect not only your libido (sex drive) but also your sexual function. An appropriate level of testosterone, for example, is necessary for a healthy interest in sexual activity. An imbalance in hormones may be why you or your partner have a reduced interest in sexual activity or a preoccupation with it. Testosterone levels are associated with erectile function and dysfunction. With age (or increased stress at any age), erections can become less frequent, less responsive, or less "erect." Testosterone levels typically start to decline by the age of 35 and often can be found to be low much earlier in the presence of significant or numerous stressors.