There are many myths around the mysterious phrase "hormonal background". There is an opinion that with the help of hormonal drugs, you can get rid of almost any pathology. After all, this class of drugs includes contraceptives, and antitumor, and even antidepressant drugs can affect the level of neurotransmitters and hormones! But not everything is so simple: often the selection of a suitable tool takes a long time. Few people think about the mechanism of action of hormonal contraceptives, and other drugs with hormones in the composition. They have many contraindications, side effects, and the result of therapy may not be the same as originally intended.
What are hormones and where are they produced
Hormones are biological substances that the human body produces to carry out many life processes. Hormone concentrations are the lowestcompared with other metabolites, however, their role in the well-being of a person and the implementation of the simplest life functions is huge.
Hormones are produced in the endocrine glands. These are the thyroid and thymus glands, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, pineal gland, pancreas, hypothalamus. Depending on the location of the production, hormones play a particular role in the functioning of the body. Taking hormonal drugs is designed to compensate for the lack of endogenous (that is, independent) production of hormones by the endocrine glands. However, with regular and long-term use, tolerance may develop, so an experienced doctor should calculate the dosage of drugs. Everything in the human body depends on the hormonal background. It can be improved with folk remedies - albeit not as clearly as with drugs, but it will be useful for sure.
Classification of hormones and their role in human life
Depending on the place of production, all hormones can be classified as follows:
- Sexual - synthesized in the sex glands, adrenal glands. They provide the proper level of fertility, and also thanks to them, physiological and behavioral differences between men and women become possible. These are estrogens (estrone, folliculin), estriol, estradiol, testosterone, progesterone. These are the main hormones, in violation of the production of which many diseases and pathologies develop - from mild (for example, antennae in women) to severe (infertility and problems with the genital organs).
- Growth and regulatory are produced by the pituitary and adrenal glands. The best known of these hormones is somatropin, or growth hormone. If it is produced in insufficient quantities, then the child has a delay in bone growth, atrophy of muscle tissue. In adults, growth hormone is also produced, but in a smaller amount - it is necessary to regulate the metabolic processes that occur in the body. There are no folk hormonal remedies that could raise its level. The maximum that can be done is to adjust the diet in the direction of increasing protein intake. You can inject somatropin intramuscularly, one of the most effective drugs is Ansomol.
- Stress hormones are responsible for our mood, will to live, libido, ability to withstand life's difficulties. It is with a lack of these hormones or their excess (dopamine, cortisol, melatonin, endorphin, etc.) that a person can suffer from depression of various origins, from apathy, social phobia and many other mental disorders.
- Corticosteroids maintain the body's mineral balance at such a level that all systems can function properly. For example, corticotropin is produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary region of the brain and is responsible for regulating the activity of the adrenal cortex.
- Exchange hormones are produced by the thyroid gland and are responsible for regulating metabolic processes in the body of both men and women. This is thyroid-stimulating hormone, triiodothyronine, etc. It is also insulin, which is produced by the pancreas.
Varieties of hormonal drugs
If we classify hormonal drugs by purpose, we can distinguish the following categories:
- Synthetic substances that are usually intended in pharmacology for hormone replacement therapy, that is, if the body cannot produce its own hormone, they "supply" it from the outside (sodium levothyroxine, insulin, estrogens).
- Means for women, the purpose of taking pills is contraception and the treatment of various kinds of cysts and neoplasms (synthetic analogues of estrogen and progesterone).
- Hormonal drugs that reduce or completely stop the production of hormones (for example, therapy for prostate cancer). Therapy with such medicines should take place under the supervision of the attending physician.
- Symptomatic medications - for example, hormonal remedies for hair loss in women and men, as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic drugs.
Depending on how exactly the hormone was synthesized in the laboratory, the degree and quality of its action will differ. In short, the action is that the hormones move through the body through the bloodstream, reach the target cells. Then they penetrate into them and transmit a carrier signal from the body. In the cell at this moment there are changes associated with the received signal. Each specific hormone has its own specific cells located in the organs and tissues to which they aspire. Some types of hormones attach to receptors that are contained insidecells, in most cases, in the cytoplasm.
What is treated with drugs containing hormones?
When is it advisable to use hormonal agents? The list of use of these drugs is very wide. In some cases, they can be replaced with decoctions and infusions; therapy does not always have to be purely hormonal. Treatment with folk remedies also shows a good effect, but, as a rule, at the initial stage of the disease. If the disease has gone far, then it is better not to experiment, but to adhere to the prescriptions of the attending physician. List of pathologies that require hormones:
- hypothyroidism - insufficiency of the thyroid gland, its inability to produce enough thyroid-stimulating hormone;
- hyperthyroidism, i.e. excessive production of thyroid-stimulating hormone;
- diabetes mellitus 1, sometimes type 2 - need to consider regular insulin injections;
- oncological processes in the body - with caution, as you can achieve the opposite effect;
- endometriosis - pathology of the uterus in women;
- hormonal failures of various etiologies;
- menopause;
- runny nose caused by hormonal imbalance;
- sleep disorders, depressive and anxiety disorders, as well as a number of other psychiatric diagnoses;
- other diseases associated with glandular hypofunction.
Folk hormonal remedies: myth or reality?
Folk recipes that can partially replace the action of pharmacological drugs:
1. Black cumin oil, with regular use, can really help to equalize the levels of sex hormones. It has long been known for the fact that it normalizes the hormonal background in women. The tool is cheap, you can buy it in the shops of spices and spices. A bottle of 200 ml costs about 400 rubles (the cost varies depending on the place of purchase). Black cumin oil also has a positive effect on the speed and quality of lipid metabolism, so it can be eaten by people who have gained excess weight due to a malfunction in the production of sex hormones. True, only women can do this - in men, black cumin oil can aggravate the situation. For therapeutic purposes, it should be taken in a teaspoon on an empty stomach. This is a very famous folk remedy. Treatment of hormonal disruptions should take place under the strict guidance of a gynecologist, since if the process has gone too far, then the oil may be powerless.
2. Flax is the leader in the content of phytoestrogens of plant origin. Flaxseed oil is often prescribed to girls if the pathology is still at an early stage of development. Regular use of the product in a teaspoon on an empty stomach is the most commonly practiced option for using the considered folk remedy. Treatment of hormonal disruptions with oil will help if pharmaceutical preparations are prohibited for some reason. Flaxseed oil has no contraindications for use and can be used to treat relatively young girls.
3. Sage infusion contains many phytohormones with estrogen-likeaction. It can be used as part of complex therapy for uterine endometriosis, infertility, and various hormonal disruptions. Treatment with folk remedies using sage is as follows: pour two tablespoons of a dry plant with a glass of boiling water, let it brew. Take on an empty stomach half a glass twice a day.
4. You can take wormwood only in the first days of the cycle (1-5) during menstruation. This plant is an effective way to correct the hormonal background with folk remedies, but you should be careful: taking infusion or wormwood juice can stimulate bleeding. If menstruation is normal - not scanty, not plentiful, starts on time - then there is no point in taking wormwood infusion.
5. Fenugreek seeds are a popular remedy in the East for hormonal hair loss. The infusion of seeds works due to the fact that phytohormones gently but effectively lower the concentration of testosterone, while stimulating the production of female sex hormones (estrogens). As you know, many women suffer from hormonal hair loss after pregnancy. The remedy should be taken as follows: boil a handful of seeds in a glass of boiling water for about five minutes, then take the resulting decoction in a cooled form, 30-40 ml on an empty stomach.
Hormone replacement therapy and its purposes
Chronic pathologies provoked by the removal of the endocrine glands or their dysfunction require the appointment of replacement therapy. Reception of hormonal drugs in this case should be carried out throughout the entirethe rest of your life.
There are several types of hormone replacement therapy:
- treatment with synthetic thyroid hormones;
- insulin therapy;
- taking sex hormone analogues.
If the patient refuses therapy or does not fully comply with all the conditions for its implementation, then serious complications can occur, even death.
Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy
Typically, hypothyroidism is treated with one of the following medications:
- "L-Thyroxine" contains levothyroxine sodium as the main active ingredient in a dosage of 25 to 200 mcg. The dosage and frequency of administration is prescribed by the attending endocrinologist, usually one tablet on an empty stomach in the morning. Contraindications for admission - hypocorticism, thyrotoxicosis, myocardial infarction, damage to the heart muscle. Before you start taking, be sure to notify your doctor about the presence of all chronic diseases.
- "Eutiroks" also contains sodium levothyroxine. This is an analogue of 2L-Thyroxine, "but it costs 80-100 rubles more. There is an opinion that the main active ingredient in Eutirox is better, since it is purified at the pharmacological plant. Contraindications to taking this drug are the same as to taking "L-Thyroxine".
Hormonal drugs for hyperthyroidism, as a rule, are prescribed differently: to suppress the production of excessive amounts of thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyreostatics are used. If adrug treatment does not work, then part of the gland or all of it is removed. After that, the indicators of triiodtryonine and thyroid-stimulating hormone are restored with the help of the above drugs.
Treatment of hyperthyroidism has a somewhat more complex scheme: thyreostatics are used to reduce the synthesis of own iodine-containing hormones, and in especially difficult cases, removal of part of the gland or radioiodine therapy is justified. Then the normal level of triiodothyronine and thyroxine is restored with the help of their synthetic analogues.
Hormone replacement drugs for disorders of the female genital area
What hormonal drugs are prescribed if, for some reason, the production of one's own hormones has been disturbed or stopped altogether?
- The main active ingredient of the drug "Divina" - estradiol in the amount of 2 mg. Instructions for use informs that the drug is prescribed, if necessary, to artificially compensate for the production of estrogen and progesterone in menopausal women. The drug is contraindicated in cases of suspected breast cancer, thromboembolism, severe liver pathologies, endometriosis, pituitary tumors. Before taking the drug, you should undergo a complete examination, as regular use can stimulate the growth of neoplasms.
- "Ovestin" contains estriol as the main active ingredient. As auxiliary components - potato starch, amylopectin, etc.- candles, tablets, cream. Instructions for use informs that indications for use are changes in the mucous membrane of the vagina, infertility, urinary incontinence, age-related changes with estrogen deficiency, atrophic colpitis. Contraindications for admission - the presence or suspicion of estrogen-dependent tumors, breast cancer, pregnancy, venous or arterial thromboembolism.
- "Femoston" is produced in the form of tablets, as the main active agent - estradiol and dydrogesterone. Indications for admission - hormone replacement therapy for estrogen deficiency. Contraindications for admission - the presence of malignant estradiol-dependent or dydrogesterone-dependent tumors, proliferation of the endometrium, vaginal bleeding, thrombophlebic disorders, severe liver pathologies, pregnancy or suspicion of it. the drug is very serious and has an impressive list of contraindications and side effects, so before taking it, you should discuss the advisability of therapy with your doctor as much as possible.
Combined oral hormonal contraceptives
Today, such drugs are the most reliable and affordable method of contraception. However, you should choose the pills wisely, otherwise they can do harm.
Hormonal remedies for women that allow you to avoid unwanted conception are of the following types:
1. Microdosed - indicated for admission to girls under 24 years of age, nulliparous, the most famous of this class -Jess, Qlaira, Zoely. As a rule, they are well tolerated and do not have many contraindications, however, bleeding may sometimes develop during administration.
2. Low-dose are prescribed to women over 24 years of age and who have given birth, as well as to those who have a history of abortions. Gynecologists also prescribe this type of drug to those women who develop bleeding when taking microdosed oral contraceptives. These include: "Diana", "Yarina", "Chloe".
3. High-dose are used not only as contraceptives, but also for the treatment of diseases of the female reproductive system. You should regularly visit a doctor and undergo an ultrasound examination, since the drugs of this group have many contraindications and their use is fraught with serious complications. One of them is the growth of neoplasms. The representatives of the group are: "Trikvilar", "Ovidon", "Trisiston".
4. Single-component contraceptives contain only one type of hormone - progesterone, it prevents the access of the sperm to the egg, so single-component contraceptives are used solely to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Examples of drugs - "Exluton", "Charozetta".
Consequences of using hormonal drugs
Modern pharmacology offers a huge variety of drugs (these are tablets, and drops, and creams, and ampoules forinjections), which act on the body precisely due to the hormones in the composition. Alas, almost always long-term use of this kind of drugs entails unpleasant consequences. Therefore, therapy should only be started if the patient has weighed the pros and cons well.
For example, the banal use of hormonal remedies for the common cold delights patients - long-term treatment did not work, and the next day after using hormonal drops, the symptoms disappeared! But do not flatter yourself: as soon as you stop taking it, the symptoms will return again. This is what hormonal drugs are insidious about: almost always, after their cancellation, the disease returns. The same applies to the famous Advantan cream with corticosteroids in its composition: it is enough to spread it on the skin with manifestations of atopic dermatitis a couple of times, as the symptoms literally disappear before our eyes! But after stopping the use of the corticosteroid cream, the rashes and sores reappear.
During therapy with drugs that contain sex hormones, the risk to he alth increases. Most estrogen-containing drugs in one way or another worsen the condition of the veins and arteries, contribute to the growth of tumors (if there is a tendency along a hereditary line). Therefore, it is highly undesirable to start hormone therapy on a whim alone, without consulting an experienced doctor. This can lead to sad consequences. It is much better to use folk methods for restoring hormonal levels: they are safe and act gently, without being addictive. Of course, when it comes toserious pathologies, you should not experiment with folk remedies - you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
