Today's focus is: "high testosterone women": raise your hand if you know the topic!
Unfortunately the binomial "testosterone and women" is not well known. The reason is to be found in the false belief that it is only man who produces the hormone in question.
Today we dispel this false myth that also generates poor information and unmonitored problems in women.
We therefore want to understand in what quantity the testosterone it is also produced by the female gender and when you need to worry and act accordingly.
But for those who are approaching this discovery for the first time today, it is a must first to give a general overview of its functions in the female body.
So let's find out everything there is to know about the topic focused on high testosterone in women.
Women and testosterone: how much do you know?
If we had to do a test on a sample of about 100 people by simply asking: "but does the woman produce testosterone?" – we are sure that only the 10% would respond correctly. Most people are poorly informed and women themselves do not know that they produce this specific hormone which is exclusively male in the collective imagination.
Indeed, women are often said to have testosterone only to identify them as having masculine traits or temperaments.
So let's make an important revelation: women really produce testosterone, even if in much lower quantities than men!
This small percentage is produced inside the ovaries and adrenal glands with the main purpose of "healing" the reproductive tissue, but also with other important functions.
Testosterone for women: functions and values
But at this point the question arises: what is testosterone for in women? We know well that in men it is especially important in the field of sexuality: so does the same concept also apply to women?
We briefly answer these legitimate questions, with the awareness that it is a delicate subject and unfortunately conditioned by a lot of ignorance on the subject.
The functions of the hormone called testosterone in women are:
- maintain muscle mass;
- increase sexual desire;
- preserve bones;
- prevent some cardiovascular diseases;
- energize the mind and body.
And therefore here too an important component is connected to sexual desire, in fact it is produced in greater quantities in the most fertile age and especially between the ages of 20 and 40, especially in the period of ovulation.
But now let's talk about numbers: if for men the standard values of testosterone must be between 280 and 1,100 nanograms per deciliter, for women we are talking about completely different values. The testosterone level should be between 15 and 70 nanograms per deciliter.
See what difference? This explains why when we talk about testosterone we think only of the male universe.
High testosterone in women: symptoms
However, it can happen that these values are altered and specifically that they are higher than the norm. What to do and what are the consequences?
Of course, when the values do not respect the ordinary it can happen that health suffers and it is therefore important to monitor them and know how to behave in case of busted numbers.
If until now you didn't even know that you produce testosterone, then you certainly don't know what it does to your physique. This is why it seems appropriate to list any symptoms that can diagnose too high a testosterone that must be treated quickly to return to average.
Here's what you may find:
- Appearance of excess hair, especially on the face;
- Increased muscle mass;
- Cycle with irregular cadence;
- Mood swings not related to periods;
- Decreased sex drive;
- Breast reduction;
- hair loss;
- Too masculine traits like a deeper voice;
- Tendency to gain weight;
- Fertility problems.
And here we need to act immediately to prevent the situation from getting out of hand and health from being affected.
High testosterone in women: diagnosis
Unfortunately not all women are able to identify the problem on the basis of these symptoms, often attributed to other disorders. For this reason it is good to do specific tests, even over the years, to verify the levels of testosterone produced.
The first and most significant test is that of blood, to be done in conjunction with other tests.
Then there are more targeted tests that are highly recommended by your doctor where the symptoms are quite strong and there is the possibility that the cause is more serious. Among these is the ultrasound scan which is a much more accurate test that can detect problems such as polycystic ovary syndrome.
High testosterone women: treatment
If the tests identify a hormone level that is too high, don't panic! The word "high testosterone in women" can really create an imbalance in the female gender for the fear of finding themselves as soon as possible with masculine traits and excess hair. But let's try to go further and find the loophole to stem the problem or solve it as soon as possible.
The first step is not to act instinctively and naively: call the doctor immediately and agree on the next steps with him.
He will certainly advise you to take an oral contraceptive, which tends to block the production of testosterone and is therefore able to bring it back to normal values.
There is the possibility that he decides to prescribe hormones that can have different functions: reduce inflammation, improve fertility or regulate the cycle.
Or, you can opt for hair regrowth creams or diuretics to restore the right amount of water in the body.
But each therapy follows a precise scheme and depends exclusively on the reason that leads to raising the levels of the hormone in the woman and on her state of health in conjunction with the clinical history.
Be careful not to underestimate the problem
Now that you know how hormone production works in women there are no more excuses to postpone or neglect the monitoring of your values.
Talk to your doctor right away and take the right precautions so you don't find yourself facing the problem when it's in an advanced stage.
Prevention here unfortunately does not have a primary role so the only way is to get periodic checks, especially with age, because it is in these cases that the wrong values can cause more serious problems, such as cardiovascular disease and an increased risk of heart attack.
