If you have been feeling a lack of desire to dance in between the bedsheets lately, know that you are not alone.
A recent study discovered that approximately 44% of women are experiencing a low sex drive. If you cannot figure out what has caused this low sex drive, and it is affecting your relationship, you can blame it on your female sex hormones.
Our endocrine systems are what produce our hormones and they run nearly every process in the body, including our sex drive.
If one of your hormones is off-balance, this could affect anything from sex drive to mental clarity, to weight gain, blood clots, and adult acne.
To know how to correct your hormonal imbalance, it is essential to know a bit about hormones and what role they play in our bodies.
Thankfully, we crafted this article to help educate you on female sex hormones, keep on reading to learn more.
What Are Hormones?
Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers that relay messages between every cell and organs and help with nearly every function in the body.
Hormones are secreted by your endocrine glands, which pump them out on a particular mission to tell specific parts of your body to perform certain actions, as well as when to do it and for how long.
Some of the processes include:
- Mood regulation
- Growth and development such as puberty
- Reproduction
- Homeostasis
- Sexual desire
- Hair growth
- Metabolism
- Regulating cholesterol
- Heat regulation
Unfortunately, hormones can get out of balance, which can cause a multitude of health problems within the body.
Some of these conditions range from diabetes, weight gain, weak bones and muscles, mood swings, low sex drive, acne, and infertility.
What Are the Female Sex Hormones?
There are three main female sex hormones responsible for all the sexual functions and development in the female body, Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone.
Estrogen
Estrogen seems to be the most commonly known hormone. It is the powerhouse of the woman’s hormonal system.
Estrogen plays a role in bone health, cognitive health, the cardiovascular system and, many other functions including:
- Growth and maintenance of the membrane that lines the uterus.
- Growth of the egg follicle
- Maintains the thickness of the vaginal wall and the lubrication
- Forms breast tissues and halts the flow of milk when weaning.
It is mainly produced in the ovaries, however, adrenal glands and lipid (fat) cells produce it as well.
There are three types of Estrogen:
Estradiol
Produced in both men and women; imbalances lead to depression, low sex drive, acne, osteoporosis, breast cancer, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease.
Estriol
Estriol helps to prepare the body for childbirth.
Estrone
Produced after menopause.
Progesterone
Progesterone’s main function is to regulate the inner lining of the uterus. It is produced by the ovaries, adrenal glands, and placenta.
The other functions of Progesterone are:
- Support the body during pregnancy
- Slow down the function of estrogen after ovulation
- Prepare the uterus lining for a fertilized egg
Low levels of Progesterone include miscarriage, spotting, atopic pregnancy, hot flashes, migraines, irregular periods, thyroid issues, weight gain, low libido, and depression.
Testosterone
While many people believe that testosterone is the male hormone, it also plays an essential role in the female body as well.
Testosterone is secreted by the ovaries and the adrenal glands and is responsible for specific functions such as muscle development, sex drive, bone mass, mood regulation, and menstrual cycle regulation.
Imbalance of testosterone results in thinning hair, deepened voice, weight gain/loss, excess body hair, enlarged clitoris, high/low sex drive, fatigue, poor sleep, weakness, and fertility issues.
What Causes Hormonal Imbalances?
Numerous factors play a role in hormonal imbalances in the female body, it also depends on whether the glands or the hormones were being affected.
Some of the causes are:
- Cushing Syndrome
- Diet/lifestyle
- Stress
- Medications
- Injury or trauma
- Cancer
- Adrenal issues
- Hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules
- Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid
- Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid
- Diabetes
- Tumors
- Pituitary tumor
- Menopause
- Pregnancy
- Premature menopause
- Primary ovarian insufficiency
- Birth control pills
- Hormonal IUD’s
- Breastfeeding
- PCOS
As you can see, there is a multitude of causes that can lead to hormonal imbalances, all of them can happen to the female body, specifically the last eight causes above.
How Can You Test for Hormonal Imbalances?
Unfortunately, since there are so many possible causes, it is hard to tell right away what might be causing your hormonal imbalance.
The best thing to do is to make an appointment with your doctor right away for an exam and to discuss the best options available.
Blood Test
Your blood will be sent to the laboratory where it will be tested for estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid issues.
Ultrasound
The ultrasound machine uses waves to take a peek inside the body and inspect areas such as your ovaries, pelvis, uterus, thyroid, or pituitary glands.
Pelvic Exam
You will be asked to do a pap smear to inspect for any lumps, cysts, tumors, or abnormalities.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
If you are tired of dealing with the embarrassing symptoms of a female sex hormone imbalance, there is a treatment available.
This is a custom made hormone treatment that can help you to gain your sex life back, lose that stubborn weight, regulate your mood, and increase energy. It also balances your estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels.
Learn More About Female Sex Hormone Therapy
There you have it! You now understand what a vital role hormones play in the body, especially the female sex hormone functions.
Choosing hormone replacement therapy could help you have your life and your sex drive back.
If you feel you have an imbalance and would like to learn how you can correct that, feel free to contact us for a free consultation.