Disturbances in the female sex hormone balance

Definition and causes

The woman's menstrual cycle, and therefore her fertility depends on a balance of a hormone system, which is regulated in the interaction between the ovaries, hypothalamus and pituitary. For further explanation on the impact of these bodies see menstruation and klimakterium.

If this balance is deferred due to illness, this may lead to a variety of symptoms in women. Diseases that can cause shifts in the balance include:

Hindelang brain inflammation or tumors in the brain which may give structural damage, which affects the hypothalamus.
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and the pursuit of eliteidræt may also affect the hypothalamus in a way that reduces the secretion of hormones and thus displaces the hormone balance.
Tumors of the pituitary gland may give disturbances in the balance of female hormones.

Disease elsewhere in the body can also shift the balance of female hormones. These include:

Cysts, tumors or ovarian cancer.
An over-active thyroid.
Disorders of the adrenal glands.

Symptoms of the disorder in the female sex hormone balance
These include:

Fertility.
Default of menstruation (amenorrhea).
Irregular menstruation (oligomenorré).
Menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea).
Heavy contraction (menorrhagia).

If the disturbance has occurred as part of other diseases, there will also be symptoms of these, as visual outcome of tumors in the pituitary or high blood pressure and stomach problems, thyroid problems.

The treatment of disorders of the female sex hormone balance

Treatment depends on the underlying disease, and there can not be given a unique description. Look under the individual suffering.

Select and complications

This depends on the underlying disease. It may, however, added that some of the diseases can cause the growth of male sexual characteristics (virilisering).