Hormones and Your Endocrine System

The endocrine system makes hormones. These are chemicals that control and coordinate many things in your body. This includes your:

Endocrine gland/

Balance of hormones in the female body

Hormones are chemical substances with the help of which different parts of our body exchange information. Special endocrine glands and individual cells located in various places – for example, on the walls of the stomach or in subcutaneous fatty tissue – secrete hormones into the blood, and other organs and tissues capture the information transmitted in this way.

It so happens that women are considered more dependent on hormones than men. This is nonsense from the point of view of biology, but such an opinion appeared for two objective reasons.

Firstly, the monthly cycle regulated by hormones (mood swings and well-being of men are not so predictable). Secondly, it often depends on the state of the endocrine system whether a woman will be able to safely become pregnant and give birth to a child, and this is considered by many as the main female function.

Main female hormones

The main female hormones (although they are also produced in small amounts in the male body) are estrogens and progesterone.

Estrogens – a group of hormones that are constantly produced by the ovaries from the beginning of puberty to the onset of menopause. In different phases of the menstrual cycle, the amount of estrogen is different. They regulate the menstrual cycle, and in addition – protect blood vessels from the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls, regulate water-salt metabolism, increase skin elasticity, regulate the activity of the sebaceous glands (which is why the sign of a healthy woman in her prime is radiant, moisturized skin).

These hormones are also responsible for bone strength: they stimulate the formation of new bone tissue, retaining in it the necessary substances – calcium and phosphorus. Therefore, in menopause, when the level of estrogen in the body decreases, it is not uncommon for women to fracture or develop osteoporosis.

Progestins (progesterone) in the female body perform many functions – from the formation of the mammary glands in girls to enable the onset and maintenance of pregnancy. Painful menstruation and many manifestations of premenstrual syndrome are associated with progestin deficiency.

These hormones are closely related to each other, as well as to other hormones. To understand this, special education is required. That is why only doctors can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe hormonal drugs, and self-medication, even with herbs, is extremely dangerous. After all, you won’t knock on your great-grandmother’s mechanical watch if they start to act up, will you? And the endocrine system is even more complex and thinner than an antique clockwork.

Symptoms of hormonal disorders

Contact your doctor if:

• You notice frequent mood swings and irritability.
• Sleep problems during the premenstrual and menstrual period.

These signs may indicate an imbalance of estrogens and progestins. A qualified gynecologist or endocrinologist, gynecologist-endocrinologist will help you normalize your condition and prevent possible health problems.

Most common endocrine disorders

Diseases of the endocrine system develop due to either insufficient or excessive production of hormones. Hormones are the link between various body systems, so failures in the endocrine system can affect several organs and systems at the same time. Remember that with timely access to an endocrinologist, treatment will be most effective.

There are some specific problems that should be reported to a specialist immediately.

Reproduction problems

Almost all hormones produced in the organs of internal secretion affect sexual function. Hormonally active tumors of the pituitary gland, pathology of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands, various inflammatory diseases of the endocrine system, etc. can lead to infertility. For the timely detection of these serious diseases, all patients suffering from reproductive dysfunction (infertility, miscarriage) must should be examined by an endocrinologist.

Menstrual disorders can also be associated with functional disorders of the endocrine glands. These disorders respond well to treatment if detected early.

Many women who seek help for menstrual irregularities suffer from the so-called “polycystic ovary syndrome”. The main signs of the syndrome are increased hair growth on the face, abdomen, chest, and the appearance of acne. Treatment is carried out jointly by an endocrinologist and a gynecologist.

With this disease, the ovarian capsule thickens, the process of formation of female sex hormones is disrupted. The cause of these disorders can be both an enzymatic defect in the ovaries or adrenal glands, and dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary system. As a result, the content of male sex hormones in the woman’s body increases, the menstrual cycle is disturbed, and, as a result, infertility.

Weight fluctuations

Both obesity and unreasonable weight loss can be the result of severe endocrine diseases (diffuse toxic goiter, adrenal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus). Even in the absence of serious diseases, with a pronounced lack of body weight, a deficiency of sex hormones may occur, since a certain proportion of female sex hormones is produced in subcutaneous adipose tissue.

Well, an excess of adipose tissue (excess! A certain amount of fat in the body is the norm!) Is not only an aesthetic problem. The more adipose tissue, the lower the amount of estrogens and their activity.

Therefore, with obesity, violations of the reproductive function of a woman are also detected, the number of ovulations is reduced, changes in the endometrium occur (with the risk of developing cancer of the endometrium, ovaries, mammary glands, spontaneous abortion, complicated pregnancy and childbirth).

That is why the main stage in the treatment of reproductive dysfunction for obese women is to reduce body weight, while the hormonal profile of obese women changes, the menstrual cycle is restored in 80%, and the frequency of pregnancies increases by about 29%.

SM-Clinic has developed special programs for the treatment of menstrual irregularities, polycystic ovary syndrome, and infertility in obese women. The weight loss program includes a reduction diet, exercise, and drug therapy for obesity. The result achieved is usually sufficient to restore menstrual dysfunction, even without additional hormonal therapy. It is carried out in the second stage, if recovery has not occurred.

Diabetes mellitus

One of the very complex and serious diseases of the endocrine system is diabetes mellitus. Women with this disease may have problems carrying a pregnancy. Therefore, when planning pregnancy and the entire period of its course, a woman suffering from diabetes should be under the constant supervision of an endocrinologist and gynecologist.

Menopausal endocrine disorders

Menopause (cessation of menstruation) is just one of a number of anatomical, physiological and psychological changes associated with menopause. This transition usually takes a decade (45-55 years). Menopause is accompanied by many subjective and objective symptoms and metabolic changes, the main reason for which is a significant decrease in estrogen levels.

The climacteric syndrome is usually accompanied by “tides” (exhausting women), bad mood and well-being, increased blood pressure, etc.

When menopause occurs, it is necessary to show a gynecologist every six months. A specialist can help reduce all the experiences associated with physiological changes in the body.

Endocrinologists and gynecologists at SM-Clinic have been successfully correcting hormonal disorders in women of any age for more than 5 years. You can find out more and sign up for a consultation with a specialist by calling +7 (495) 292-39-72.

Hormonal background

The hormonal background is a set of hormones existing in the human body, the number and ratio of which can change under the influence of external and internal environmental factors. We also recall that biologically active substances are called hormones, the production of which is carried out by the endocrine glands and partially by organs related to the human endocrine system.

Hormonal background – what is it

The hormonal background, that is, the level of hormones, has a decisive effect on the work of the entire human body, since hormones are involved in all vital processes. The hormonal system and the hormonal background of a person are quite closely connected with the activity of his nervous system.

From a chemical point of view, hormones are proteins, amino acid derivatives, steroids, peptides.

Factors of the internal environment that can cause hormonal imbalance are mainly age-related changes, emotional upheavals, some anomalies in the development of the body and illness. From the outside, such an impact can be produced by ecology, radiation, adverse climatic conditions.

Hormonal imbalance

It is traditionally believed that the age-related restructuring of the human body over the age of 25 and up to 45 years can cause a hormonal imbalance, and in order for the body to remain healthy, it is necessary to provide oneself with properly organized nutrition with a sufficient content of trace elements and vitamins.

Changes in the hormonal background are manifested, in particular, with the change of seasons: in winter, the processes in the body slow down somewhat, and with the advent of spring, activity and the need for energy increase (a hormonal explosion occurs during this period of the year). To a greater extent, such a violation of the hormonal background affects women, although their state of the hormonal system is already unstable.
The main glands – suppliers of hormones, on which the hormonal background primarily depends, are the pituitary gland and the thyroid gland, although in general there are many similar glands. Hormones are directly associated with proteins and are characterized by high biological activity. They are formed in the body in a negligible amount, on the order of tenths of a gram, and act on the body through the blood.

How to restore the hormonal background in a woman

The hormonal background has its effect on the body depending on many conditions: the timeliness and sufficiency of the intake of all vital vitamins, the optimally required concentration of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iodine and other trace elements.

That is why proper and balanced nutrition is so important and necessary in order to ensure the normal functioning of the body and, if possible, prevent hormonal imbalance. After all, some amino acids are not synthesized by our body, their deficiency is replenished only due to the presence in the food that we include in our diet. An indirect method of normalizing the hormonal background can be considered means for breast enlargement based on phytoestrogens.

How to understand that a hormonal failure has occurred in a woman’s body

Endocrine functions in our body are performed by several organs: the thyroid gland, pancreas, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, thymus (thymus) gland and pineal gland, each of which produces various hormones, which determines the overall hormonal background of the human body.

The concentration of certain types of hormones determines both the well-being of a person and the general physical and mental state of his body.

Failure of the hormonal background can be expressed in a decrease in the content of individual hormones or their complex in the blood, which provokes various types of diseases, including severe ones.