Hormones are essential in how our body functions and grows. However, hormones can also cause a variety of disorders in the body, such as hypothyroidism. Hormonal imbalance can have a variety of effects on the body. But even though it can cause significant changes to how our body functions, it’s also known for affecting our thoughts and minds.
How Do Hormones Affect the Way We Think?
But before we get into how our body reacts to each type of hormonal imbalance, we need first to discuss how it will affect our brain functions and cognition.
Our brain usually operates as a certain level of consciousness called cognition. This is generally comprised of various brain functions, which can include learning, applying what we have learned, thinking, problem-solving, and storing memories. However, the brain is also vulnerable to a variety of cognitive problems. Many of these problems can often lead to decreased performance for daily tasks and sometimes lead to awkward social interactions.
Although hormones play a crucial role in cognitive functions, it’s still important to remember that various factors can affect our ways of thinking, such as aging, the lifestyle we choose, stress, and the environment. That said, it’s best not to single out hormonal imbalance as the critical factor that could result in cognitive decline from diseases.
But other than that, what are some essential hormones that can affect our way of thinking? How does hormonal balance affect our thoughts and our body’s functions? Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Hormones in Your Thyroid Glands
First and foremost, we’ll need to discuss one of the most important glands in the body related to hormones: the thyroid gland. This gland is integral in producing hormones for the endocrine system, which can help regulate the body’s metabolism that plays a vital role in the use and release of energy. Although most would say that thyroid hormones usually influence the body, it’s also known for affecting the brain and thought patterns.
Studies and research regarding this have shown that the brain scan of participants with hypothyroidism is known for exhibiting decreased brain activity compared to individuals with no hypothyroidism. This can lead to reduced memory, trouble concentrating on daily tasks, and sometimes even leading to early symptoms of psychosis.
Suppose you’re having early symptoms of hypothyroidism, and it has been affecting much of your daily productivity. In that case, you might want to consider getting checked since this can often lead to other health complications. Fortunately, some medical professionals are well-versed in treating thyroid problems. Getting professional supervision from experts is critical in improving different functions of your body.
Inversely, too many thyroid hormones can also have adverse effects on the body. This can make most individuals feel like they are “on edge.” Some symptoms include a general feeling of restlessness, anxiety, foggy memory, attention problems, and an elevated mood.
Testosterone and Progesterone
Some essential primary hormones in the body come in the form of testosterone and progesterone.
Testosterone is responsible for critical functions in men, especially when it comes to reproduction. But it’s also important to remember that women also have small amounts of testosterone present in their ovaries.
According to many reports, testosterone is responsible for strengthening the vascular linings of arteries and nerves in the brain. This means that it can contribute to better cognitive functions and clarity. However, the hormone is also associated with many neurodegenerative diseases that impair brain function, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
On the other side of the spectrum, progesterone can also have a lasting impact on women’s minds. According to studies, progesterone is known for suppressing feelings of anxiety, other than a myriad of benefits, including protecting the brain’s nerves and helping the body relax.
However, an imbalance of this hormone can lead to mood swings, the loss of memories, and lower feelings of libido.
Cortisol
Lastly, we have to remember that hormones will affect a good amount of the body’s key functions, such as stress. Cortisol is one of the main hormones that have a significant influence on stress.
Although cortisol is generally known for being the stress hormone, it’s integral in the body’s healing process, especially in inflammation. It’s also known for helping with blood sugar, metabolism and keeping the blood pressure checked. However, prolonged bouts of stress can expose the body and the brain to too much cortisol, which can damage the hippocampus, leading to complications with memory and other cognitive issues.
That said, imbalance with your stress hormones can lead to a lack of emotional control, intolerance to stress, and other long-term mental issues.
Hormones imbalance can affect much of our productivity if it’s not addressed. One of the best ways of ensuring that our hormones are balanced and kept in check is by making key lifestyle changes by being more active, taking medications, and consultations from medical experts.
It’s important to remember that although hormones will play a key role in much of our daily decisions and the tasks we have to do, self-discipline and patience are still fundamental values that can help us get through the day. Still, if you have mental symptoms that persist and hinder much of your daily productivity, then there’s no hurt in consulting with a medical professional regarding this matter. Getting proper treatment and diagnosis from psychologists and physicians is critical in identifying early underlying symptoms for health complications.
