Testosterone in women: why it rises, falls and what to do about it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Abnormal hormone levels are easy to recognize, even by eye.

Testosterone is considered a purely male hormone. And in vain. The weaker sex, this androgen (the so-called male hormones) is necessary no less than the strong. But there are nuances.

Why women need testosterone

Many people associate this word with something emotional - masculinity, aggressiveness, pressure. However, all this testosterone machism is just a side effect, or even a myth of Testosterone - What It Does And Doesn’t Do. The hormone is full of much more important tasks than turning a man into a macho. And these functions are common to both sexes.

Testosterone plays a key role in dozens of processes within the body. It (in combination with other substances, naturally) provides bone strength, participates in the production of red blood cells, affects the processing of fats, strengthens muscles, affects mood and cognitive capabilities of the brain, enhances or weakens sexual desire at different periods of life … In general, functions are countless, and a woman's body without testosterone is as unthinkable as a man's.

There is another factor that makes testosterone necessary for women. The male hormone is an irreplaceable precursor to the Conversion of blood androgens to estrogens in normal adult men and women of female sex hormones. That is, estrogens are produced from testosterone. The very ones that in many ways make a woman a woman: they start puberty, make breasts grow, "turn on" menstruation and allow you to become pregnant and bear a fetus.

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

How to tell if a woman's testosterone levels are abnormal

Experienced therapists can even do this by eye. Here are some indirect, but obvious symptoms of Normal Testosterone and Estrogen Levels in Women, the combination of which suggests that something is wrong with an important hormone.

Signs of high testosterone in women

1. Poor skin condition. She's too oily, she has a lot of pimples.
2. Hair growth. The woman develops antennae over the upper lip and male-pattern hair on other parts of the body. At the same time, some women develop frontal baldness at the same time.
3. A noticeable decrease in the timbre of the voice.
4. Increase in muscle mass.
5. Enlarged clitoris.
6. Obesity. The figure turns into an "apple": the waist, abdomen, chest, shoulders become very plump, while the legs remain slender.
7. Menstrual irregularities.

Signs of low testosterone in women

1. Excess weight. Lack of hormone affects the figure in the same way as excess.
2. Muscle weakness, lethargy. The body looks loose and helpless.
3. Constant fatigue, depressed mood.
4. Decreased libido: the woman does not want sex at all.
5. Problems with memory and determination.

Of course, all these signs are indirect. They only allow suspecting abnormal testosterone levels. To confirm or deny the assumption, you need to do a blood test for the total level of this hormone.

What should be the rate of testosterone in women

Having passed the analysis, you can yourself compare its results with the standard - the norms of Testosterone, Total, Bioavailable, and Free, Serum of testosterone for women of different ages. Hormone levels are measured in nanograms per deciliter (ng / dl). If you see other units of measurement in the form with test results, convert them to ng / dl.

• 12-16 years: <7-75 ng / dL;
• 17-18 years old: 20-75 ng / dl;
• 19 years and older: 8-60 ng / dL.

The reasons for the surges in testosterone can be very different, from completely natural to dangerous.

Why testosterone in women can be lowered

As a rule, there are three main reasons. What happens when a woman has low testosterone?:

1. Natural decrease in hormone levels associated with aging and menopause. As we age, the ovaries function less actively, including producing less testosterone.
2. Taking hormonal drugs - the same birth control pills or pills to reduce the side effects of menopause. They contain estrogen, which causes our body to produce less testosterone.
3. Diseases of the ovaries, pituitary gland or adrenal glands - the main suppliers of androgen to the body.

Why testosterone in women can be increased

An increase in testosterone is most often in the answer What happens when a woman has low testosterone?:

1. Hirsutism. This is the name of a genetic disease that leads to increased testosterone production. Externally, hirsutism manifests itself as abundant hair growth on the face, chest, arms and legs.
2. Polycystic ovary syndrome. This is a disease of the endocrine system, a side effect of which is an increased production of sex hormones.
3. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia. People with this condition are missing one of the enzymes that control the production of sex hormones.

What to do if testosterone levels are higher or lower than necessary

If your test results show that androgen levels are outside the normal range, be sure to consult a physician.

With hormones, jokes are bad, therefore, any deviation of testosterone from the norm should be corrected in close contact with a doctor - a therapist, gynecologist or endocrinologist. Only a specialist will help you not to confuse hormonal imbalance with other diseases that have similar symptoms. In addition, the physician will determine the most likely cause of the failure, which means that he will select an effective treatment.

In case of serious deviations from the norm, as a rule, hormonal drugs are prescribed. If the imbalance is small, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes:

1. Normalize weight. Adipose tissue affects hormones, including testosterone production. It is important to consider the following: if in men, excess weight lowers the level of androgen, then in women, on the contrary, it increases Gender differences in serum leptin in obese people: relationships with testosterone, body fat distribution and insulin sensitivity.
2. Adjust nutrition. Studies show that fats and cholesterol in the diet increase Testosterone and cortisol in relationship to dietary nutrients and resistance exercise testosterone, but a low-fat diet leads a Low-fat high-fiber diet decreased serum and urine androgens in men to a decrease in the amount of male hormone …
3. Get enough sleep. This is especially important if the testosterone level is below normal: the lion's share of it is synthesized during sleep.
4. Hormonal changes when falling in love. Both options increase testosterone levels.