Hormones are a very important component for the normal functioning of the body. They are responsible for various human emotions, directly affect the condition of the skin, weight, height, energy balance. It is with the help of them that a person is born children. Hormones are active substances reproduced by the internal gland of secretion and non-glandular tissues. They support the state of the body and regulate the work of many systems. Many of them act on all systems of the body, while others - only on some organs. What is the hormonal background, about the symptoms and diagnosis of a lack of hormones, read on.
Features
A person has endocrine glands (they belong to internal secretion and do not have an excretory duct), as well as exocrine glands (having an excretory duct). Most of the glands are endocrine, so they have no outlets. They produce hormones that enter the blood ducts. These substances spread throughout the human body along with the blood flow, reaching those organs and systems for which theyintended.
At the end of its mission, the hormone can finish its functions inside the cell, go to the liver, leave the human body, or be used again, but for the reproduction of new hormones. Many of them, which managed to work out their functions in the body, simply split.
Main producing organs
The main organs of the endocrine system include the following:
- Pituitary gland, pineal gland and hypothalamus. Under the influence of components formed in the hypothalamus, the reproduction of hormones that are important for the work of other endocrine glands occurs.
- Thyroid, pancreas, thymus, and adrenal glands. Thymus hormones directly affect the development and formation of lymphocytes. The thyroid gland is responsible for the synthesis of hormones that directly affect the rate of metabolic processes in the body. The pancreas helps to synthesize insulin, and the adrenal glands activate a large number of reactions in the human body.
- Placenta, ovaries and testicles. The ovaries in a woman and the testicles in a man are responsible for the production of sex hormones, which directly affect a person's sexual life and the he alth of the reproductive system.
Reasons for change
The main reasons that lead to a failure in the production of hormones in the body include:
- Strong stress, nervous strain, emotional outbursts. Cortisol is a stress hormone that leads to hormonal problems.
- Strict diets and food restrictions. To improve the hormonal background in this case, you neednormalize the diet, add more fatty foods to the menu. Estrogens are usually produced in adipose tissue.
- Work at night. Insufficient sleep and regular flights to different time zones can lead to problems with the hormonal system.
- Uncontrolled intake of hormonal drugs also negatively affects the state of he alth (contraceptives for a woman should be selected exclusively by a doctor).
- Receiving an excessive amount of phytohormones. Some foods contain components that cause problems in the balance of hormones. For example, beer can lead to growth of the abdomen and chest in men, as well as masculinization in women (strong hair growth, reduced hips, broad shoulders).
Additional reasons
Additional reasons for hormonal changes include:
- Excessive exercise on the body. In some cases, hormonal problems even lead to endometriosis.
- Heredity. In this case, problems with the hormonal system in a woman and a man cannot be completely cured.
- Infectious diseases, especially sexually transmitted diseases, also cause hormonal problems.
- Environmental problems in the place of residence. Failure in the hormonal background occurs in 30% of people living close to industrial buildings and industries.
- The presence of parasites. Parasites living in the human body actively produce toxins and chemicals that cause malfunctions inhormone levels.
The main symptoms of problems in the body
Any changes in the hormonal system can provoke a large number of ailments in a person. It can be both rapid weight loss and a set of extra pounds, as a temporary disappearance of hair from some areas of the body, or their active growth.
In the most dangerous situations, a person develops infertility. Many diseases in a woman will directly depend on the amount of certain hormones in the body. It is important to determine which hormone tests to take and why.
The most common symptoms that affect most patients include:
- a sharp increase or decrease in body weight, which is not associated with a change in nutrition;
- problems conceiving a child;
- lots of body hair;
- multiple rashes on the face;
- mood swings, feelings of depression and fatigue;
- problems with the onset of menstruation;
- severe discomfort and unpleasant symptoms during critical days.
Other symptoms
More dangerous signs of hormone problems include:
- sleep problems, insomnia;
- fatigue, general malaise;
- diabetes mellitus;
- sudden unexplained hair loss;
- decrease or, conversely, increase the timbre of the voice;
- rapid hand development.
A rash on the face in the form of acne is the most common symptom of hormonal problems in humans. Most often, in girls or women, during such rashes, the amount of androgens in the body increases significantly. In some cases, in men, it happens that the level of their hormones is normal, but due to too high sensitivity, the hormones manifest themselves in such a way that it seems that their amount exceeds the permissible level.
In girls, problems with the production of hormones during adolescence can provoke underdevelopment of the uterus and mammary glands, as well as the absence of normal menstruation. Experts have not yet been able to fully study the mode of operation of the hormonal system, but the main causes of this condition have long been known.
Checking the level and quantity
How to check the hormonal background of a woman? If there are symptoms that indicate problems with the hormonal background, the doctor prescribes a blood test from a vein, which helps to determine the amount of thyroid and pancreatic hormones, sex hormones and the pituitary gland. How can I check the hormonal background of a woman? The blood is donated to a diagnostic laboratory. It is important to remember that each laboratory has its own methods for decoding indicators.
How to check the hormonal background of a woman and which doctor does this? Different specialists estimate the amount of hormones in a woman's body, based on certain standards for deciphering the results. It can be an endocrinologist, a gynecologist or a therapist.
Carrying a baby
How to check the level of hormones in women? Not always the patient is prescribed tests to detect the amount of hormones. But if there are still unpleasant symptoms, then determining the amount of hormones is very important.
If a pregnant woman has hormonal problems, then it is important for her to donate blood for analysis, as in this case there is a high risk of miscarriage or miscarriage.
How to check the hormonal background of a woman? What analysis to hand over? Most often, a blood test is taken for research, sometimes urine is additionally taken.
Doctors' recommendations
So, let's take hormonal tests. Rules and conclusions about this survey will be presented below. Before taking tests, it is best to follow these recommendations:
- the day before delivery, it is important to eliminate fatty and fried foods, as well as alcoholic drinks from the menu;
- it is better to take the test in the morning, on an empty stomach;
- try to avoid stress;
- not doing sports for a long time;
- stop taking medication if possible (tell doctor in advance);
- after X-ray and physiotherapy, it is forbidden to take tests;
- ask your doctor about which day of the cycle you need to take a specific test.
List of examinations
What hormones to take to determine the hormonal background? Most often, the study is prescribed if there are problems in the functioning of the thyroid gland, as well as in diseases of the female and male reproductive system.
What tests are done for hormones? The list is below:
- Follicle-stimulating hormone. It is responsible for the process of ovulation in a woman and the production of estrogen. Women are tested on a certain day of menstruation early in the morning and on an empty stomach.
- Luteinizing hormone also affects the process of ovulation and the reproduction of the egg, the corpus luteum in a woman. Available for 3-8 days of the menstrual cycle, on an empty stomach.
- Prolactin is a hormone that is very important for ovulation and normal lactation in a woman after giving birth. You should take an analysis for prolactin in the first or second phase of the cycle. Before the analysis, any sexual contact is prohibited.
- Estradiol. Helps a woman's uterus to properly prepare for the process of bearing a child. The hormone affects the menstrual cycle and the developing egg. An analysis is given any day, on an empty stomach.
- Progesterone. This hormone helps prepare the uterus for pregnancy. Available for cycle day 19-21.
- Testosterone is a male sex hormone that is also important for women. A high amount of the hormone in the body of a lady can provoke a miscarriage when conceiving a child.
- Thyroid hormones: total thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone and free triiodothyronine. Hormones help improve metabolic processes, affect oxygen consumption by tissues. Before taking the test, it is forbidden to eat or even drink. Before taking the analysis, it is important to have a good rest and recuperate.
Status normalization
Hownormalize the hormonal background of a woman? We will talk about the methods below. If the tests showed some failures, then the doctor prescribes treatment with the use of synthetic hormones. The hormonal background of a woman begins to improve after taking the right COC and contraceptives. Only this will help to effectively restore the reproductive system of a woman.
Problems with hormones can be the cause or the result of the disease. If a woman feels that not everything is fine with her body, then she must without fail seek help from a doctor (gynecologist or endocrinologist). It is he who will help you choose a diagnostic method and make an effective treatment.
Using folk remedies
The main thing in folk treatment is the intake of phytohormones. To do this, use special herbs that help restore the hormonal background of a woman.
The following recipes are considered the most effective:
- Wormwood is brewed in boiling water and infused for 15 minutes, then filtered. The remedy is taken from the 1st to the 5th day of menstruation.
- Sage is first brewed, then filtered. Drink tincture of herbs three times a day for half a glass. You need to start taking from 6 to 15 days of the cycle.
- Take a cuff, meadow lumbago or goose cinquefoil and pour boiling water. Infuse grass. Start taking days 16 to 25 of the cycle.
Before trying to improve the state of the hormonal background, a woman must necessarily determine which hormone she has problems with. Reason maybe much more serious than it seems at first glance. In some cases, the restoration of hormonal balance does not give any positive effect, and the condition continues to worsen. To improve the reproductive system, you should also look at the diet. Food, when taken correctly, will help restore the level of hormones in the body, improve the metabolism and overall well-being of a woman. After completing the course of treatment, it is important to retake tests for verification.
