How female sex hormones affect menstruation, pregnancy and other functions
In fact, it’s amazing how much a person’s behavior, his health and changes in the body depend on hormonal levels. Isn”t this worth exploring in more detail? She is warned in advance and is actually interesting.
Contents of the article:
What are hormones?
Hormones are natural substances produced by the body. Their role is to transmit information between cells and organs and influence many body functions. There are so-called “female” and “male” hormones (some hormones are more common in women than in men, but in general both hormones are present in both sexes to a greater or lesser extent).
What are female hormones?
The main ones are estrogen and progesterone. Testosterone, traditionally called the male hormone, is also present in girls, but girls do not need it as much.
Estrogen enters a girl”s body through the ovaries, but is also produced in small quantities by the adrenal glands and fat cells. For example, if a woman suddenly loses weight, this can lead to hormonal deficiency. The body needs fat to produce estrogen. By the way, for the same reason, very thin women who lack fat tissue soon enter menopause. In addition, during pregnancy the placenta actively produces estrogen.
It is estrogen that is responsible for the reproductive and sexual development of girls. It plays an important role in puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause, and also affects almost every body system, including the brain, cardiovascular system, hair, skeleton and muscles, skin conditions and even urinary processes.
Female hormones also affect the level of sexual desire. Typically, the peak of sexual desire occurs before ovulation, when a woman is ready to conceive. When girls use hormonal contraceptives, their libido fluctuates less. Sexual desire levels can also be affected by menopause or surgery to remove the ovaries or adrenal glands.
If you are considering a blood test to check your hormone levels, you may find the following information helpful:
- The normal level of estrogen in a woman’s blood before menopause is from 15 to 350 picograms per milliliter. Such a wide range is explained by the menstrual cycle; the amount of estrogen is very dependent on it.
- After menopause, estrogen levels drop to ten picograms per milliliter or less.
- An adult male has between ten and forty picograms of estrogen per milliliter of blood.
The next most important female hormone is progesterone. It is produced by the ovaries, but only after ovulation. Progesterone prepares the endometrium to receive a fertilized egg, maintains pregnancy and suppresses estrogen production after ovulation. In a word, progesterone is involved in a woman’s condition during pregnancy.
How female hormones affect the body
Its effect depends on the stage of maturation or reproductive stage in which the woman is at the moment.
Puberty
How it all begins: Luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone are produced in the pituitary gland, and their production stimulates the production of estrogen. This occurs between the ages of 8 and 13, depending on the individual characteristics of the girl. During this period, female hormones stimulate the following processes:
- Growth spurt (the girl becomes taller);
- Gain of adipose tissue, especially in the thighs and calves;
- Maturation of the ovaries, uterus, vagina;
- Beginning of the menstrual cycle.
Menstruation
The first menstruation usually begins two to three years after the girl”s augmentation. This usually occurs between the ages of 10 and 16 years.
Read also: Female sex hormones: how they control your life
I know that hormone levels change significantly during puberty, pregnancy and menopause. But how exactly does this affect a woman? And about her.
There are several stages of menstruation, and at each of them, female hormones play a specific role.
- Follicular phase.
At this time, the uterus thickens, preparing for the fertilization of the egg. If the egg is not fertilized, estrogen and progesterone levels become low and the uterus sheds its lining. This means the start of menstrual bleeding.
During this period, the pituitary gland actively secretes follicle-stimulating hormone. This stimulates the growth of follicles in the ovaries, each of which contains an egg.
If the level of sex hormones falls due to a lack of fertilized eggs, only one dominant follicle remains, which continues to grow, and the remaining follicles are destroyed.
The dominant follicle continues to produce more estrogen, which stimulates the release of luteinizing hormone. This phase lasts about two weeks.
Luteinizing hormone causes the follicle to rupture and release the egg — i. e. ovulation. During this period (i. e. 12 hours after the release of the egg from the ovary), the chances of conception increase. This phase lasts for 16-32 hours.
- Luteal phase.
After ovulation, the follicles close, progesterone production increases, and the uterus prepares to fertilize the egg. If this does not happen, everything starts from the very beginning.
All this dishonor lasts 25-36 days, and bleeding lasts 3-7 days. This cycle may be irregular for the first few years (which is normal) and may change throughout life, especially if a girl is on birth control.
Physiology of female sex hormones. estrogens and progesterone.
- Pregnancy.
During the luteal phase, described above, the body prepares for pregnancy. The walls of the uterus thicken and fill with nutrients to support the embryo. This is due to the hormone progesterone. For example, it thickens the cervix, protecting it from bacteria. Estrogen levels also increase — it thickens the uterine lining, and progesterone and estrogen together dilate the milk ducts of the breast.
When conception occurs, the brain begins to produce human chorionic gonadotropin. By the way, it is this hormone that corrects the pregnancy test when a girl urinates. Increased amounts of this hormone help increase levels of estrogen and progesterone — which are necessary to stop menstruation and maintain pregnancy.
Next comes the placental lactogen produced by the placenta. It provides the embryo with nutrients and stimulates the mammary glands in preparation for breastfeeding.
Relaxin also increases during pregnancy. It promotes the growth of the placenta, prevents premature contractions and helps relax the pelvic ligaments after childbirth.
Once a woman gives birth and reaches pre-pregnancy levels, all of these hormones decrease dramatically. In particular, a surge in these hormones can lead to postpartum depression (plus stress from sudden life changes).
When women breastfeed, estrogen levels decrease and ovulation is prevented, which is why breastfeeding women are thought to be unable to conceive. However, this is not the case for everyone, and contraception should be used even if sex occurs immediately after childbirth.
- Before and during menopause.
Before menopause, hormone production slows, estrogen levels fluctuate, and progesterone levels decrease. This leads to decreased vaginal lubrication, often decreased libido and irregular menstrual cycles.
When do you think menopause will occur? One year after the last menstruation. During this period, hormones are at a consistently low level. This usually occurs around age 50.
When hormones become imbalanced
Common causes of hormonal imbalance that should not be feared are puberty, pregnancy, lactation, perimenopause, menopause itself, and when using hormonal contraceptives or undergoing hormonal treatment.
Reasons to look out for if you feel unwell and a hormonal imbalance is suspected and ruled out by your doctor:
- Polycystic ovary syndrome, which leads to menstrual irregularities and fertility. A common disease in young women.
- Androgen excess is when the body produces too many male hormones. Symptoms: disruptions in the menstrual cycle, infertility, acne, male pattern baldness.
- Hirsutism is increased hair growth on the face, chest, abdomen and back. This also occurs due to an increase in male hormones, a common symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome.
- Hypogonadism is a lack of female hormones.
- With a miscarriage, hormonal disruption also occurs.
- And also during pregnancy with twins, triplets, and so on.
- Ovarian tumor.
If you yourself observe these symptoms, this is a reason to consult a doctor.
