How do female hormones work

Clue is on a mission to help you understand your body, periods, ovulation, and so much more. Start tracking today. Here's everything you need to know about estrogen , progesterone , androgens , progestins , synthetic estrogen , and sex hormone binding globulin SHBG. If you have a menstrual cycle, your reproductive hormones are constantly shifting throughout your cycle—unless you take certain types of hormonal birth control. Hormonal imbalance can be caused by conditions like diabetes, thyroid disorders, and PCOS.

Hormones are molecules produced by the endocrine system that send messages to various parts of the body. While hormones are essential to reproduction, they are fundamental to all the systems of your body. Hormones are released from glands in your endocrine system. They tell your body how to breathe and how to expend energy. Hormones flow through the whole body, but only affect certain cells designed to receive their messages.

Hormones and hormone receptor sites work together like a lock and a key 1. All bodies experience hormonal shifts constantly throughout the day. When you eat a meal, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin to help regulate blood sugar.

As you slam on the brakes to avoid a car collision, your adrenal glands pump out the hormone adrenaline epinephrine to help you act quickly. Your pineal gland works to produce the hormone melatonin to help you get restful sleep at night 1.

Having too much of a hormone also known as hyper-function or not having enough of a hormone known as hypo-function , can cause problems. Hormonal imbalance can be caused by health conditions.

Some of them include:. Thyroid disorders e. Polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS 2, 3. Tiny but mighty, our bodies depend on hormones to function. Some people are more sensitive to hormones than others. Each hormone-producing gland in the body makes a hormone with a very specialized purpose 6. Hypothalamus: regulates body temperature, hunger, mood, thirst, sleep and libido. Parathyroid: regulates calcium. Pancreas: produces insulin to help use food as energy.

Thyroid: regulates heartbeat and how calories are used. Adrenal glands: produce stress hormones. Pineal gland : produces melatonin to regulate the body clock. Ovaries: secrete sex hormones for use in the reproductive cycle. Testes: produces testosterone and sperm 7. It is most abundant in the first half of the menstrual cycle follicular phase. It works in the body to balance the effects of estrogen and is often referred to as the relaxing hormone.

Progesterone is produced after ovulation by the corpus luteum sack that the egg comes from and dominates the second half of the cycle luteal phase. If there is no pregnancy, our progesterone levels fall and the lining of the uterus is shed, beginning the menstrual cycle. Is produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands right on top of the kidneys , and has a surge at time of ovulation and slight rise just before the menses.

Testosterone helps women maintain muscle mass and bone strength, enhances sex drive and helps with overall sense of well-being and zest for life. Learn more about testing. NUNM is the leader in natural medicine education and evidence-based research. We train physicians, practitioners and pre-professionals in the art and science of natural medicine.

Select your program of interest and receive more information about our degrees. Hormone Imbalance Restoration. First Name. Postmenopausal women who use or are considering using hormone therapy should discuss the possible benefits and risks to them with their healthcare provider. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers the following suggestions for women who are deciding whether or not to use postmenopausal hormone therapy:.

The most important thing a woman can do in deciding to continue hormone replacement therapy is discuss the current research with her healthcare provider and health care team.

Women need to be aware that taking a combined progesterone and estrogen regimen or estrogen alone is no longer recommended to prevent heart disease. A woman should discuss other alternatives of protecting the heart with her healthcare provider. Women should discuss with their healthcare providers the value of taking combined progesterone and estrogen replacement therapy or estrogen to prevent osteoporosis.

There may be alternative treatments based on a woman's health profile. Health Home Conditions and Diseases.