Hormones (from the Greek word meaning "to stir up or stimulate") are chemical messengers which are produced by an organ or part of the body and are carried in the blood to another organ or part to stimulate or retard its function. The release of hormones is ultimately under the control of the central nervous system.

The main organs, or endocrine glands, involved in hormone production are the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, pancreas, ovary, testis, and there are pockets of hormone-producing cells found in the walls of the small intestine, stomach, kidneys and heart.

Hormones are involved in maintaining homeostasis, or balance, eg: insulin regulates amount of glucose in the blood, and they also participate in growth or maturation, eg: growth hormone promotes growth and regulates fat, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, and sex hormones promote sexual maturation and reproduction.

Many man-made substances leaching into the environment today are endocrine-disruptors, and thus affect our hormones, eg: phthalates in plastics and the birth control pill, are thought to adversely affect fertility. Its easy to see how physical trauma, such as severe illness or drastic weight changes, or coming off the birth control pill, or emotional stress and strong emotions could harm the production, passage and effect of hormones, and because this disruption may result in a wide array of vague symptoms to begin with, such as amenorrhoea, fatigue, or muscle spasms, it can take a while to pinpoint the cause. This is where homeopathy may be helpful: there is no one particular remedy to balance hormones, but instead, because homeopathy treats each person holistically, and matches remedies to each person's unique set of symptoms, there are a wide range of remedies which may be helpful in restoring harmony and balance, whatever the cause, whether emotional or physical. Emotional causes may include prolonged grief, which may be helped by a remedy such as Ignatia, or anger by Staphysagria. Workplace stress may be a potent cause of imbalance, and is treatable by a variety of remedies, depending on the nature of the stress, eg: loss of control, problems with authority or performance anxiety. Physical causes may include an infection which targeted a particular organ, such as the kidney, or the necessity for surgical removal of the organ, such as an ovary.

Women suffering through the mood swings of puberty, PMS or menopause are no strangers to the effect of hormones: remedies such as Lachesis for hot flushes, Bryonia for fluid retention and painful breasts, Kali Carbonicum for heavy periods with backache, and Sulphur for acne, may be helpful in restoring balance.

Some remedies have an affinity with certain organs, and may be used on their own or in conjunction with other remedies to strengthen the organ, eg: Avena sativa for the brain and nervous system, Crataegus for the heart, Chelidonium for the liver, Ceanothus for the spleen, Berberis for the kidneys, Fucus for the pituitary and thyroid.

Because hormone problems can be very serious, you should never ignore them or attempt to treat them yourself: always consult your medical doctor and a trained homeopath.