Female hormones: estrogen and the other hormones of women
How many times have we heard "no but you see it's the hormones' fault" for anything? Pimples and acne, nervousness, swelling, alterations in the menstrual cycle. The easy answer is always there: it is the fault of the hormones. Indeed, more likely to a change that occurs in the hormonal level. Just as we often associate them with the pill. How much do you know about this topic? You can learn more about it here:
- · What are female hormones and what are they called
- Estrogen: female hormones par excellence
- What does taking female hormones involve? Hormone Replacement Therapy
Female hormones are a subject made of its complexities, we would need one of the msd manuals to understand more. Let's try to simplify things and understand together what female hormones are and what they are for.
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What are female hormones and what are they called
Let's start with a fundamental thing, namely what hormones are: they are substances produced by some glands of the endocrine system, which respond to different functions or objectives. Among the most important female hormones we have estrogen, or steroid sex hormones essential for the development of female sexual characteristics such as breasts, pronounced pelvis but also for the proliferation of the endometrium and some phases of the menstrual cycle. Estrogens are also present. in men but in a reduced way.We will dedicate an ad hoc paragraph to them later because they are very important for women.
Other female hormones are:
- Progesterone: is a steroid hormone whose purpose is to prepare the uterus to welcome the embryo for fertilization and to maintain the implantation of the embryo throughout pregnancy. It aims to regulate ovulation. In fact, the amount of progesterone increases in the luteal or luteal phase and decreases in the premenstrual phase. This hormone is produced by the cortical portion of the adrenal glands, by the placenta and by the corpus luteum. , under the stimulation of luteinizing hormones (LH), it produces progesterone to prepare the body for pregnancy.
- Gonadotropins, a family composed of 3 hormones: the luteinizing hormones LH, produced by the adenohypophysis with the aim of stimulating ovulation and the formation of the corpus luteum to favor the implantation of the fertilized egg; the follicle-stimulating hormones ( FSH) which have the goal of maturing the follicles (follicular development) and together with LH stimulates the production of estrogens; the chorionic gonoadotropin (hCG), whose function is the maintenance of a pregnancy and an environment that favors the development of the embryo.
In short, female hormones regulate many things that are very important for us women. For example, do you know the much-loved PMS? It may be the magical combination of high progesterone levels and increased estrogen levels!
Estrogen: female hormones par excellence
We have said that estrogens are steroid female sex hormones that promote the development of female sexual characteristics such as breasts and pronounced pelvis, but also regulate the distribution of adipose tissue as well as sexual desire. They are secreted by the ovaries and produced by the ovarian follicles, thanks to the stimulation of the hormones LH and FSH, and by the placenta. To a lesser extent also from the adrenal glands. They have several functions, all of which are very important. Let's see some of them:
- they regulate the development of the sexual characteristics and of the female genital apparatus
- during puberty, they support bone and structural development
- they regulate the menstrual cycle favoring fertilization and therefore pregnancy
- they regulate the distribution of adipose tissue
- they help lubricate the female genital system
- they support some brain functions such as memory and concentration
- lower cholesterol
There are 3 most important estrogens, namely estradiol, estriol and estrone. The most important is 17-β-estradiol. But how do hormones behave during the menstrual cycle?
During the follicular phase, the levels of estrogen and progesterone are low, causing the endometrium to break down and therefore menstruation. During the ovulatory phase, luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones peak, while estrogen levels are low. It will be during the luteal phase that estrogen levels will be high to prepare the lining of the uterus for a possible pregnancy.
What does taking female hormones involve? Hormone Replacement Therapy
In the event that a woman, for both physiological and pathological reasons, is unable to produce the right amount of hormones in a natural way, it is possible to resort to hormone replacement therapy. By this we don't just mean what is commonly known as the recommended treatment for postmenopausal women. In fact, hormone replacement therapy means any type of therapy that involves the administration of synthetic hormones in case of deficiencies.
Of course, this type of therapy is given when the lack of certain hormones is such as to affect the person's daily well-being. For example, it is given in case of reduced production of sex hormones, as well as for problems related to the production of thyroid hormones, as well as for sex change.
There may be some side effects in the case of taking female hormones, ranging from nervousness, to headaches, to weakness and weight gain. For this reason, it is essential to always contact your doctor.
