Testosterone in Women: Why It Increases, Decreases and What to Do with It?

NEW YORK - June 10, 2019 - PRLog -- Abnormal hormone levels are easily recognizable even by eye. Testosterone is considered a purely male hormone. And in vain. For females, this androgen (so-called male hormones) is needed no less than for males. But there are nuances. For example, the needed amount of these hormones. With an excess of testosterone in women, the body and even appearance are greatly altered.

Why do women need testosterone

Testosterone plays a key role in dozens of processes inside the body. It provides strength to bones, participates in the production of red blood cells, affects the processing of fat, strengthens muscles, affects the mood and cognitive abilities of the brain, strengthens or weakens sexual desire during different periods of life. In general, its functions cannot be counted, and a female body without testosterone is just as unthinkable as the male body.

There is another factor that makes testosterone necessary for women. Male hormone is an indispensable precursor of female sex hormones. That is, estrogen is produced from testosterone. The very same ones that make a woman, well, a woman in many ways: start puberty, make the breast grow, "turn on" menstruation and allow you to get pregnant and bear a fetus.

From this, by the way, a paradoxical fact follows: the less "male" hormones a woman has, the less feminine she is because estrogens are also in short supply. However, an increased amount of testosterone also doesn't lead to anything good.

How to recognize that a woman's testosterone level is abnormal

Experienced therapists can do this even by eye. Here are a few indirect, but visual symptoms (https://www.webmd.com/women/guide/normal-testosterone-and...), the combination of which suggests that something is wrong with this important hormone.

Signs of  high testosterone in women:

• Poor skin condition. The skin is oily and covered with acne.

• Abnormal hair growth.
• A noticeable decrease in voice timbre.
• Increased muscle mass.
• Enlarged clitoris.
• Obesity. The figure turns into an "apple": the waist, abdomen, chest, and shoulders become very fat, while the legs remain slim.
• Disorders of the menstrual cycle.

Signs of low testosterone in women:

• Excess weight. Lack of testosterone affects the shape in the same way as its excess.
• Muscle weakness, lethargy. The body looks loose and helpless.
• Constant fatigue, depressed mood.
• Decreased libido: the woman does not want sex at all.
• Problems with memory and purposefulness.

Of course, all these signs are indirect. They only allow suspecting an abnormal level of testosterone. To confirm or negate the assumption, it is necessary to make a blood test for the general level of this hormone.

What causes low testosterone in women?

As a rule, there are three main causes. The first is the natural decrease in the level of the hormone associated with aging and menopause. With age, the ovaries function less actively, resulting in a lowered production of testosterone. The second is the consumption of hormonal medicines - the same contraceptive pills or pills to reduce the side effects of menopause. They contain estrogen, which causes our body to produce less testosterone. And the third is diseases of the ovaries, pituitary or adrenal glands - the main suppliers of androgen into the body.

What causes high testosterone in women?

An increase in the amount of testosterone is most often associated with the response to hirsutism. This is the name of a genetic disease that leads to increased testosterone production. Externally, hirsutism manifests itself by an abundant growth of hair on the face, chest, arms, and legs. Polycystic ovary syndrome (https://www.obgynqueensnyc.com/polycystic-ovarian-syndrom...) can also be the cause of increased testosterone. This is a disease of the endocrine system, a side effect of which is the increased production of sex hormones. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia also provokes an increase in testosterone. People with this disease lack one of the enzymes that control the production of sex hormones.