One treatment available for many of these problems is spironolactone, a special type of diuretic (water pill) that blocks the action of male sex hormones. Symptoms include irregular periods, reduced fertility, excess or coarse hair on the face, extremities, trunk and pubic area, male-pattern baldness, darkened, thick skin, weight gain, depression and anxiety. The ovaries of women with PCOS contain multiple cysts. It affects 6% to 10% of premenopausal women. mood swings, euphoria, irritability, impaired judgment, delusions.Īmong women, perhaps the most common cause of a high testosterone level is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).uncharacteristically aggressive behavior (although not well studied or clearly proven).weight gain, perhaps related in part to increased appetite.fluid retention with swelling of the legs and feet.prostate enlargement with difficulty urinating.heart muscle damage and increased risk of heart attack.low sperm counts, shrinking of the testicles and impotence (seems odd, doesn't it?).Problems associated with artificially high testosterone levels in men include: In fact, most of what we know about abnormally high testosterone levels in men comes from athletes who use anabolic steroids, testosterone, or related hormones to increase muscle mass and athletic performance. In addition, what may seem like a symptom of testosterone excess (see below) may actually be unrelated to this hormone. Blood levels of testosterone vary dramatically over time and even during the course of a day. Part of this may be due to the difficulty defining "normal" testosterone levels and "normal" behavior. That may surprise you given what people might consider obvious evidence of testosterone excess: road rage, fighting among fathers at Little League games, and sexual promiscuity. Having too much naturally-occurring testosterone is not a common problem among men. Testosterone levels are too carefully controlled by the brain for that to occur. But having high cholesterol doesn't mean your testosterone will be high. Testosterone is synthesized in the body from cholesterol. While the specifics are uncertain, it's possible that androgens also play an important role in normal brain function (including mood, sex drive and cognitive function). The proper balance between testosterone (along with other androgens) and estrogen is important for the ovaries to work normally. sexual behavior, including normal libido (although evidence is not conclusive).These hormones are thought to have important effects on It's one of several androgens (male sex hormones) in females. Testosterone is produced in the ovaries and adrenal gland. If you thought testosterone was only important in men, you'd be mistaken. There may be other important functions of this hormone that have not yet been discovered. Testosterone may also help maintain normal mood. For example, the genitals may not enlarge, facial and body hair may be scant, and the voice may not deepen normally. appearance of facial and pubic hair starting at puberty later in life, it may play a role in baldingĪdolescent boys with too little testosterone may not experience normal masculinization. ![]() Testosterone plays multiple important roles in the body, such as: When testosterone levels rise too high, the brain sends signals to the pituitary to reduce production. A "feedback loop" closely regulates the amount of hormone in the blood. The pituitary gland then relays signals to the testes to produce testosterone. Signals sent from the brain to the pituitary gland at the base of the brain control the production of testosterone in men. It is essential to the development of male growth and masculine characteristics. Testosterone is the major sex hormone in males. They travel from one organ or another place in the body, usually through the bloodstream, and affect many different bodily processes. Hormones are the body's chemical messengers. Learn all about the sex hormone here, including its primary benefits. There's more to testosterone than guys behaving badly. For example, did you know that testosterone is a key player in prostate cancer? Or, that women need testosterone, too? What's more, testosterone plays other important roles in health and disease that may surprise you. Testosterone's role in bad behavior is largely a myth. When you think of testosterone, what comes to mind? Macho men? Aggressive, impatient, type A behavior? Road rage? Violence?
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