6 Things Men Should Know about Women’s Hormones

July 25, 2018

 

Most men probably don’t really want to talk to a woman about her hormones. However, guys this can actually help you by shedding light on why the woman in your life struggles with certain health symptoms. You can understand where she’s coming from. If you’ve noticed a difference in your wife, chances are that hormones happened, or rather, a lack of hormones happened.

6 Things Men Should Know about Ladies’ Hormones

1. Estrogen and Mood Swings – You may have noticed that as your wife has reached her 40’s or 50’s, that she started having mood swings, and flies off the handle at little things from time to time. She has become irritable and crabby, and not as much fun to be around. You feel like you have to walk on egg shells around her. But there is an actual physical reason for this – and a solution.

As women enter menopause, estrogen deficiency occurs. The characteristic symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and insomnia begin to surface. The body is constantly readjusting to the changing hormone levels, thus causing a “swing” in moods.

The simple solution consists of evening out these mood swings by restoring her estrogen levels to normal with bioidentical estrogen. Estrogen treatment has been shown to improve mood and psychological function. Study results suggest that estrogen use may improve the overall quality of life in postmenopausal women, as well. (1) Research shows that increase in estrogen levels leads to a pleasant feeling of well-being and improved mood. (2) Research also demonstrates that depressive mood was decreased with estrogen therapy. (3)

2. Testosterone and Libido – Libido is important to any healthy relationship, and as women’s hormones start to decline, this is an unfortunate side effect. Men, you feel this too when your testosterone declines – so it goes both ways.

When a woman enters menopause or has a total hysterectomy, she loses her testosterone.
Testosterone is primarily known as the male sex hormone, however women also make it in their ovaries and adrenal glands in smaller amounts. If you’re wondering what testosterone has to do with a woman’s interest in sex, the answer is: everything. Testosterone is a natural female libido enhancer.

Did you know that in women who are of reproductive age, levels of testosterone peak at ovulation, thus stimulating a woman’s desire for sex? No wonder testosterone is crucial to a woman’s libido. About one-half of a woman’s testosterone is produced in her ovaries. So when women undergo a total hysterectomy, they immediately lose 50% percent of their circulating testosterone. Now you can see how having your ovaries removed during a hysterectomy can decrease your sex drive.

3. Thyroid, Cortisol and Energy – Have you noticed that your wife is tired all the time? Does she just want to rest all day? Is she barely able to function? This kind of extreme fatigue is a common symptom of low thyroid function, or hypothyroidism, as well as adrenal fatigue.

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which a) your thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones, or b) your thyroid gland is making enough thyroid hormones, but those hormones are not properly used at the cellular level (called type 2 hypothyroidism), or c) your body makes antibodies to your thyroid gland, called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. With hypothyroidism, your metabolism slows down and you don’t have the energy you need to function well, and the resulting fatigue is a very common symptom. (4)

Adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal glands cannot produce enough cortisol to meet the demands of your body. Your adrenal glands are worn out, so you feel increasingly fatigued – the number one symptom of adrenal fatigue. Research demonstrates that low cortisol levels can cause fatigue. (5)

4. Thyroid, Progesterone and Weight Gain – Women often get frustrated with how difficult it can be to lose weight. Not only do they not feel as healthy as they should, but it can also affect their body image.

Hypothyroidism is a common cause of weight gain because it regulates metabolism and energy production. With low thyroid function, your metabolism slows down, and you don’t generate as much heat or use as many calories. Excess fluid retention can often be attributed to the poor circulation caused by low thyroid function, as well. Research demonstrates a higher prevalence of hypothyroidism in overweight and obese individuals, thus suggesting that thyroid function should be evaluated in all obese patients.(6)

A progesterone deficiency leads to a condition called estrogen dominance which slows your metabolism and causes weight gain. Progesterone promotes the assimilation of the thyroid hormone into your cells, increasing your metabolism, and relieving fluid retention. Progesterone relieves fluid retention caused by an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone. Research demonstrates that female obesity is linked to a progesterone deficiency.(7) A higher body weight was associated with a lower progesterone level in women. (8)

5. Progesterone and PMS – First, let’s start by telling you that PMS is very real. You have no idea what kind of pain and suffering can be caused by a woman’s ovaries and uterus when a woman’s hormones are out of balance. She may have headaches, depressed moods, bloating and breast tenderness. As far as the cramps, they can be light or as bad as a mini-version of giving labor. So what causes this to happen? Once again, it’s back to the hormones – a progesterone deficiency.

Progesterone relieves the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and regulates the menstrual cycle. Research shows that progesterone therapy for PMS resulted in much lower depression, irritability, anxiety, mood swings, abdominal bloating, sleeplessness, and breast tenderness during progesterone treatment.(9)

6. Progesterone, Thyroid and Migraine Headaches – If a woman says “honey I have a headache,” chances are she really does and it’s not an excuse. Hormonal changes can cause migraines. Sometimes they are related to a woman’s period and low progesterone levels. Research shows that progesterone relieves headaches and migraines. Migraine headache is more severe, disabling, and frequent during the menstrual intervals of the female reproductive cycle and progesterone may play a role in modulating migraine headaches during the menstrual cycle. (1) A high percentage of migraines in women is closely related to the menstrual cycle either at the time of ovulation or in the perimenstrual period. It can be assumed that rapid hormone fluctuations due to the decline of estrogens and or progesterone trigger this type of headache. Hormonal treatment is useful in order to avoid migraines. (10)

Hypothyroidism causes your metabolism to slow down, which slows your circulation and causes your body to retain water and mucin. The blood vessels and tissues in the brain swell and cause a migraine. Research suggests that patients with hypothyroidism have a higher risk of lifetime migraine (11) and demonstrates that women have a decrease in headaches with thyroid treatment. (12)

Natural Solution – Bioidentical Hormones

We hope this has helped you gain an insight into the complexity of the female hormones. The simple solution for these symptoms consists of restoring her hormone levels to normal with bioidentical hormones. It’s simply a matter of putting back in what’s missing. Dr. Hotze always states that “hormones save marriages” – and now you can see why. By restoring the hormones to normal levels, a woman can get relief of her symptoms and feel good again – like her old self.

If you would like help for the woman in your life, please contact a wellness consultant at 281-698-8698.

Research
1. Estrogen Improves Psychological Function in Asymptomatic Postmenopausal Women
2. Differential Effects of Exogenous Oestradiol and Progesterone on Mood in Post-Menopausal Women: Individual Dose/Effect Relationship
3. Estrogen Therapy for Depression in Postmenopausal Women
4. Experiences of Fatigue and Depression Before and After Low-Dose 1-Thyroxine Supplementation in Essentially Euthyroid Individuals
5. The Associations Between Basal Salivary Cortisol and Illness Symptomatology in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
6. High Prevalence of Previously Unknown Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Obese Patients Referred to a Sleep Clinic for Sleep Disordered Breathing
7. Pulsatile Luteinizing Hormone Amplitude and Progesterone Metabolite Excretion are Reduced in Obese Women
8. Predictors of Ovarian Steroid Secretion in Reproductive-Age Women
9. Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome with Progesterone in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
10. Treatment of Menstrual Cycle Associated Migraine
11. Prevalence of Migraine in Subclinical Hypothyroidism: A Case-Control Study
12. Headache in Recent Onset Hypothyroidism: Prevalence, Characteristics and Outcome After Treatment with Levothyroxine

Categories: Blog, Blog English, Men's Health, Women(s) Health

Tags: ladies hormones, women's hormones

Contact Us

Categories