Understanding role hormones play in women’s everyday life
No two women are the same when it comes to their fertility cycle, but understanding how our hormones work could help us to better understand our own bodies – and know when something isn’t quite right. Here’s a guide to some common phrases and functions, which are influenced by female hormones.
Your cycle
The average fertility cycle lasts 28 days but can be anything from 21 to 40 days.
In each cycle, rising levels of the hormone oestrogen cause the ovary to develop and release an egg, beginning ovulation.at this time, the womb lining also starts to thicken. In the second half of the cycle, the hormone progesterone helps the womb to prepare for implantation of a developing embryo.
The egg travels down the Fallopian tubes. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, the egg is reabsorbed into the body. Levels of oestrogen and progesterone fall, and the womb lining comes away and leaves the body as a period.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
The name for the symptoms women can experience in the weeks before their period, PMS can cause mood swings, anxiety, trouble sleeping and even headaches. Experts do not fully understood why women experience PMS, but it may be linked to changes in your hormone levels during the menstrual cycle.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
This common condition affects how a woman’s ovaries work, and includes symptoms such as irregular periods, high levels of “male hormones” in your body, and enlarged ovaries with many fluid-filled sacs surrounding the eggs.the exact cause is unknown, however PCOS is related to abnormal hormone levels in the body, including high levels of insulin.
Menopause
The menopause is caused by a change in the body’s sex hormones, and usually occurs as you get older. Periods usually start to become less frequent over a few months or years before they stop altogether. Usually occurring between 45 and 55 as a woman’s oestrogen levels decline, in the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51. Around 1 in 100 women experience the menopause before the age of 40.
Endometriosis
This condition causes tissue similar to the lining of the womb to start growing in other places, such as the ovaries and Fallopian tubes. Symptoms can include abdominal pain and heavy, periods. although the cause is unknown, it’s most common in women in their 30s and 40s.