What You Need to Know About Progesterone
Hormones are responsible for nearly everything that goes on in your body. They are the courier service that delivers messages to every organ and system, letting it know how to function and what to do and when. When you have a better understanding of these hormones, what they are, and how they work, you can come into a better understanding of your body and health as a whole! With that goal in mind, let’s keep learning about the many different hormones in the human body, focusing on progesterone.
What is Progesterone?
Progesterone, like testosterone and estrogen, is a sex hormone. This means that its primary functions have to do with the reproductive system and sexual health.
Similar to estrogen, progesterone is considered a largely “female” hormone, because its most vital functions are in the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. However, both men and women have some amount of progesterone in their system, just like estrogen and testosterone! In males, the levels of progesterone are simply much lower than in females.
What Does Progesterone Do?
Progesterone plays a big role in the formation and function of the endometrium, or the lining of the uterus. This lining is what builds up throughout the month and then sheds during a period if a woman does not become pregnant, and it becomes the placenta if a fertilized egg implants and the woman becomes pregnant. Rising progesterone levels cause the endometrium to thicken in preparation for fertilization and implantation, and if this doesn’t occur, progesterone levels drop off, causing the shedding of the endometrium and the monthly period.
If a fertilized egg does implant, progesterone also plays a role in the early stages of pregnancy. It helps to encourage the endometrium to form the placenta, stimulating blood vessels so that it can nourish the growing fetus. Progesterone levels stay high throughout pregnancy, preventing any more eggs from being released, and it also is one of the hormones that stimulates lactation after the baby is born.
In men, progesterone plays a role in the regulation of testosterone levels and the formation of sperm. It also has an impact on mood, sleep, libido, and bone density!
Where is Progesterone Made?
Most sex hormones are made in the primary sex glands– the ovaries for women and the testes for men. This is partially true of progesterone, however, it’s a bit more complicated.
In males, progesterone is just produced in the testes. In females, it’s actually produced in a temporary gland called the corpus luteum. Here’s what happens. Inside the ovary, a structure called a follicle releases the egg into the fallopian tube, where it is either fertilized or dissolves. After the follicle releases the egg, it forms the corpus luteum. This is the gland that produces progesterone to help the uterine lining thicken up in preparation for a potential pregnancy. When the egg isn’t fertilized and breaks down, the corpus luteum breaks down too, and progesterone levels fall, causing the period to happen. Basically, each time you go through a menstrual cycle, your body is creating, using, and breaking down a new gland!
If a woman does become pregnant, the corpus luteum doesn’t dissolve. Instead, it keeps pumping out progesterone to create the placenta. Eventually, once the placenta is large and developed enough, it starts to create progesterone on its own, becoming the major producer of this hormone in the body throughout pregnancy to keep the fetus nourished and prevent both ovulation and premature uterine contractions that might cause early labor.
What Happens if You Have Low Progesterone?
Low progesterone is often associated with fertility problems and trouble conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term. If you aren’t pregnant but you have low progesterone, you might have irregular periods, headaches, mood swings, mood difficulties like anxiety or depression, trouble sleeping, or hot flashes. If you are pregnant and you have low progesterone, you can be at risk for ectopic pregnancy, preterm labor, or miscarriage.
Progesterone levels, like estrogen levels, also drop off as you age and begin to enter menopause, and this decrease in progesterone is associated with the common symptoms of menopause, like night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and mood swings.
What Happens if You Have High Progesterone?
High progesterone levels aren’t often seen outside of pregnancy, but they are to blame for some of the common unpleasant symptoms of pregnancy, including nausea, breast tenderness, and fatigue.
If you do have high progesterone levels when you’re not pregnant, you may notice these symptoms, as well as anxiety or depression, low sex drive, or bloating and weight gain. These elevated levels might be due to hormonal birth control that you’re taking, or it could be a sign of an ovarian cyst or another abnormality with your reproductive system. If your blood work shows high progesterone levels without any other explanation, your medical provider should discuss these possibilities with you.
What to Do About Progesterone Imbalances?
The most common reason people have trouble with progesterone imbalances is menopause. The dropping levels of this hormone can make life extremely difficult for some women! If this is true for you and you’re interested in feeling better, hormone replacement therapy might be the right path for you. Make sure you contact the team at Renewed Vitality to learn more!
In this busy day and age, we’re not always the best about listening to our bodies, but a missed period will set off alarm bells in most women’s heads as a clear sign that something is up. The most obvious answer is that amenorrhea (the medical term for a missing period) is a sign of pregnancy, but for those who are not sexually active or for whom a pregnancy test has ruled that reason out, what could be the root cause of a missed period? Turns out, there are a lot of potential reasons.
For starters, how long should you be skipping periods before you start to worry? Typically once a pregnancy has been ruled out, the time span varies based on regularity. If you’re usually very regular, start talking to your doctor after a few months have passed. If you have a history of being irregular, six to nine months is usually the time to start looking for the cause of your amenorrhea.
Nutrition and Lifestyle
When the body doesn’t receive enough nutrients, endures exercise that is too intense, or a combination of those factors, the reproductive system shuts down to try to help the body cope with the physical stress. Amenorrhea is a common symptom of eating disorders for this reason, but it’s also seen in athletes or people with intense and unhealthy fitness regimens. You may see the myth floating around in weight loss and exercise circles that a missing period means you’re on the right track and working hard enough, but this is false– and dangerous. If you’ve noticed your period stopping as a result of your diet and physical activity, it’s time to reassess. Make sure you’re getting enough nutrients of all kinds and not over-exerting yourself when you exercise.
PCOS
PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a hormonal disorder, and even though it’s fairly common, it is often overlooked. Irregular or missing periods are a symptom of PCOS, as well as infertility problems, weight struggles, and excessive body hair and acne. A doctor can diagnose PCOS through checking your hormone levels with a blood test. If you suspect you have PCOS, it’s important to bring it up to your doctor and ask about being tested, because women with PCOS are at a higher risk for diabetes, and you may need regular screening to help you avoid this additional problem.
Thyroid Disease
If tests have ruled out hormonal problems like PCOS but you’re still having trouble figuring out why your period is missing, it’s possible that your thyroid might be the problem. Because there are so many potential causes for amenorrhea, the thyroid isn’t often the first thing doctors test for, but it is important to consider it as a factor when other explanations don’t add up.
Birth Control
Going off the pill and suddenly having a missing period can be a shock when you’ve gotten used to the regularity that the pill offers, but it’s not unheard of. Some women do experience about four to six months of amenorrhea after stopping the pill, so if you’ve just cancelled your prescription, make sure you rule out pregnancy as a cause, and then give your period a little time to come back before you really start worrying.
Menopause
We all know that menopause marks the end of our menstruating years, but your period won’t just stop dead as you approach this age. In most cases, it’s a slower process in which your period becomes irregular and unpredictable, often just skipping a month. It’s important to note that you can still become pregnant at this time in your life! When your period is irregular it becomes harder to predict ovulation, so make sure you stay on top of your birth control methods if a baby isn’t in the cards for you at this time.
Breastfeeding
With the craziness that accompanies a new baby, you may be grateful to hear that periods often stop during breastfeeding, especially if you are exclusively breastfeeding. During the weaning process it may crop back up and be irregular at first before settling back into your natural cycle, but again remember that missing or irregular periods does not mean it’s impossible for you to get pregnant. Ovulation comes before the period, and it can still happen if you aren’t careful.
Stress
There’s a good reason that medical professionals of all types are always urging their patients to lower their stress levels. Stress really can damage your physical health, and one of the telltale signs of this is menstruation coming to a stop. When stress of any kind becomes intense enough, the body goes through changes that allow it to better handle danger, and one of these changes is shutting down the reproductive system. If tests and discussion with your doctor have ruled out other causes and conditions, it may come down to the stress of your life forcing your body into a constant state of fight or flight.
With these potential causes for a missing period in mind, you’re now ready to take charge of your own health and get to the bottom of what’s going on with your body. Renewed Vitality is passionate about helping people stay informed and involved in their health. We are the Berks County area’s top facility for hormone replacement therapy and other treatments. To learn more, don’t hesitate to contact us!
