Hormones are chemical messengers in the body that help in the everyday functioning of several organs. From growth, and reproduction to metabolism, hormones are responsible for the optimal functioning of the body. The imbalance of theses chemicals has severe impacts on the body.
Speaking of the presence of hormones, there are two types of sex hormones in a woman’s body – estrogen and androgen. These are often called as female and male sex hormones respectively.
According to National Library of Medicine, Androgen excess is defined as clinical or biochemical evidence of elevated androgenic steroids in women, 1 typically presenting with clinical features such as hirsutism, alopecia or acne. 2 Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents the underlying diagnosis in the vast majority of adolescent girls and reproductive‐aged women presenting with androgen excess,
Ovarian overproduction of androgens is a condition in which the ovaries make too much testosterone. This leads to the development of male characteristics in a woman. Androgens from other parts of the body can also cause male characteristics to develop in women.
Androgens may be called “male hormones,” but don’t let the name fool you. Both men’s and women’s bodies produce androgens, just in differing amounts. In fact, androgens have more than 200 actions in women.
Although women normally have androgens circulating in their bloodstreams, excessive levels can cause a variety of symptoms including:
1. Menstrual irregularity or Absence of periods
2. Excess body hair
3. Facial hair
4. Increased muscle mass
5. Changes in body shape
6. Acne
Often, excess of androgen in women is a major cause of PCOS. Birth control pills, regular exercising, healthy diet are a few things to keep androgen in check. However, this is generic information about androgen in women and no substitute for any doctor’s advice.
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