Is your body throwing out red flags about human growth hormone (HGH) production that you might be missing? HGH is a lifeforce. It’s responsible for maintaining muscle mass, supporting metabolism, and repairing tissue. Growth hormones can even influence how we’re able to regulate mood. During our youth, it flows through our body to keep us strong, energized, and youthful. The natural HGH dip that occurs with age can be more dramatic in some people. For those who experience an HGH crash, they may lack energy or feel like they’re simply aging “faster” than their peers.
If you’re diagnosed with a human growth hormone deficiency, it doesn’t mean you have to close the book on having the energy and vitality you remember. Human growth hormone therapy is an option that has helped millions. Using a medically supervised treatment protocol, you may be able to restore healthy hormone levels to enjoy a boost in overall energy that’s accompanied by enhanced muscle mass and bone strength. First, you’ll need to discern if you’re dealing with low HGH. Keep reading to learn more about the telltale signs and symptoms.
What Are the Warning Signs Your Body Isn’t Producing Enough HGH?
It’s common for people suffering from declining human growth hormone production to simply feel like something is “off” about their health. With HGH production naturally declining with age, many people suffering from low levels simply dismiss the symptoms they’re experiencing as “normal” signs of aging. However, people who aren’t producing enough human growth hormone on their own often experience dramatic changes in their body composition, physical appearance, and energy levels that are far more extreme and rapid compared to age-related changes. Here’s a look at telltale signs that your levels are lower than they should be:
- Fatigue: Still tired after getting seven to 10 hours of sleep per night? Persistent and severe fatigue caused by low human growth hormone occurs because your body is struggling to repair cells and produce enough energy to get through ordinary tasks. This is why you might still feel exhausted after getting a full night of rest.
- Low muscle tone: If you feel like your muscles are shrinking regardless of how much you work out, this can be a sign that your body is struggling to maintain lean muscle mass due to the absence of human growth hormone. It’s also common for people who used to “bulk up” easily in the past to suddenly struggle with maintaining defined muscles.
- Increased belly fat: A change in body composition that shifts to a large midsection is a telltale sign of low human growth hormone. This happens because growth hormone plays an important role in regulating lipid metabolism, body fat distribution, inflammation, and vascular health. In short, human growth hormone helps to regulate how the body stores fat. Reduced levels of human growth hormone can make it difficult to get rid of stubborn fat around the abdomen that no longer responds to diet or exercise.
- Slower recovery from exercise or injury: Human growth hormone is the “bounce back” hormone that makes us come back from a rigorous workout or sports injury relatively quickly. If you’re experiencing severe post-gym soreness or finding that little bruises no longer heal quickly, your body’s recovery mechanisms may be compromised due to low human growth hormone levels.
- Dry, thinning skin: We can thank human growth hormone for the smooth, firm skin we see in the mirror when we’re younger. There’s even research showing that HGH protects our skin from some types of sun damage. When hormone levels dip, we often notice skin becoming dry and losing its lush elasticity.
- Mood changes: Finding yourself losing your temper out of the blue? Declining growth hormone in our bodies can make us irritable and cranky. We can dip into a state of low motivation or mild depression that’s caused by not having enough growth hormone.
- Poor sleep quality: Poor sleep isn’t just caused by stress or distractions. Low growth hormone levels can actually tamper with your sleep cycles. Notably, growth hormone affects the “deep sleep” stage of sleep when our body’s repair work takes place.
- Weaker bones: Since growth hormone supports bone density, we’re vulnerable to fractures, breaks, and chronic conditions like osteoporosis when our bodies stop producing enough growth hormone.
What to Do If Your Body Isn’t Making Enough Human Growth Hormone
It can be startling when our body begins to feel “different” either out of the blue or gradually. While it’s common to experience physical and cognitive changes with age, it’s not normal to feel like our energy levels and physical health have gone off the edge of a cliff without explanation. For people who don’t make enough human growth hormone on their own, hormone therapy can help restore levels. The standard protocol for treating a growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is an injectable prescription medication.
Making Sense of Your Symptoms: Finding the Next Step
When our bodies stop producing human growth hormone, every day can feel like a battle between the person we want to be and the fatigue that slows us down. In addition to causing fatigue and mood issues, low human growth hormone levels can also create noticeable changes in our appearance. If you suspect that you have GHD, the next step is getting diagnosed by a medical professional. A simple blood test is enough for a medical professional to determine if your body is not producing sufficient levels of human growth hormone. From there, you can discuss prescription options that are appropriate based on your symptoms and health history.
