A woman’s most honest partner for life are her hormones. They can tell your health condition in a heartbeat and reflect what needs to be corrected. As it is well known that a woman’s body has both testosterones, known as the male hormone and estrogen, known as the female hormone. However, the level of testosterone in women is very less as compared to a man’s body levels.
However, testosterone is not a useless hormone in a woman’s body. Combined with Estrogen, testosterone helps the body in reproductive tissues, produce new blood cells bone mass and human behavior. The level of testosterone in a woman varies at different age groups but will always be less in number as compared to the male body.
Women normally secrete significantly lower levels of testosterone than men. Normal levels for a woman range from 15–70 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL), whereas it typically ranges from 280–1,100 ng/dL for men. Hormone levels in the body vary from day-to-day and also throughout the course of the day.
The normal level of testosterone in a woman’s body is as goes:
➢ At the age between 10 -11 years, testosterone in a woman’s body ranges between 7 to 44
➢ At the age between 12 – 16 years, testosterone in a woman’s body ranges between 7 to 75
➢ At the age of 14, the testosterone should be somewhere between 7 to 1200
➢ At the age between 15 – 16, testosterone in a woman’s body should be between 100 – 200
➢ At the age between 17 – 18, testosterone in a woman’s body should be between 300 – 1200
➢ From the age of 19 onwards, the testosterone in a woman’s body should be maintained between 240 to 950
Due to poor lifestyle, stress or side effects of certain medications, women face issue of high amount of testosterone hormone in the body, which eventually stars affecting the health. It unfortunately, also paves way for multiple health diseases which can be long term or short term in nature.
Certain medical issues which can arise from high testosterone level are obesity, infertility, Type 2 diabetes and endometrial cancer. However, bringing back the balance with the hormones is not an impossible task.
Firstly, it is important to identify the symptoms which can hint towards increased testosterone in a woman’s body. The symptoms can be balding, acne, enlarged clitoris, decreased breast size, deepening of voice, increased mass muscle, thinning of hair, irregular periods, excessive body hair on face, chest, back or other parts of the body
High testosterone in a woman’s body can invite diseases such as irregular menstrual cycle, low libido, changes in mood, infertility and obesity.
High testosterone levels can be caused by a hormonal imbalance, which could be a result of diseases such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and Hirsutism.
If you feel that you are facing a hormonal imbalance and high testosterone can be a growing issue in your body, you must consult a doctor and get the required medical tests done. The medical tests can be blood tests, ultrasound. Once you have your results, you can begin your journey towards improving your health, if you’re thinking about getting pregnant, there are some steps you’ll have to follow first, some might include fertility treatments or improving egg quality.
Testosterone levels in a woman’s body can be controlled by simple but disciplined steps:
1) Lifestyle
The first thing to take the hit of a bad lifestyle is a woman’s hormones. So, if you are working late hours, not eating healthy, smoking or drinking in excess or stressing about something, your hormones will show the side effects. Once you go off the track with a poor lifestyle, your hormones will also mirror the same image. Therefore, it is advised that if you have been diagnosed with high testosterone levels, you must get conscious about your lifestyle.
Be aware of what you are consuming, if your meals are at odd hours or if your consumption of unhealthy food is crossing levels. Getting proper sleep is also read by your hormones as a normal and healthy lifestyle. If you are not getting enough sleep, stressing over issues or compromising on the sleep cycle, your hormones will be affected more quickly than you would even know. Therefore, it is important to start with fixing a derailed lifestyle.
2) Eating healthy
Eating healthy comes as part of a good lifestyle but it is also important to understand that certain foods can help you lower your testosterone levels. It is believed that consumption of these foods can reduce your testosterone visibly. Food such as nuts, fish, flaxseed, Red Reishi Mushrooms and tea can help your body cope up with the increased testosterone levels.
3) Workout
A very evident symptom of increased testosterone is obesity. Women often face drastic weight gain when they have high testosterone levels. Working out in whichever way suits you can help you reduce the increased levels.
When women workout, a hormone called ‘the happy hormone’ also medically known as estrogen is released in the body. It helps in cutting down weight, reducing testosterone levels and also improves your mood.
4) Medication
Many doctors give medicines to control the testosterone hormone. While we always recommend a doctor’s visit to get the best advice, the following medicines are commonly used to reduce testosterone levels. It is important to note that every medicine suits a certain body type and only a thorough medical checkup can determine which medicine is best suited for your body. Common medicines given by doctors to reduce the testosterone levels are:
- Eflornithine, a cream applied to the skin that reduces the facial hair growth
- Glucocorticosteroids, a steroid hormone that reduces inflammation
- Metformin, medication for Type 2 diabetes Progestin, a hormone that may regulate menstruation and improve fertility
- Spironolactone, a diuretic that regulates water and salt levels and slows down excessive hair growth
A human body always demands balance and even a bit of imbalance can show alarming signs. Increased testosterone in a woman’s body is not an irreversible deal. You can fight it off, retain balance in your body by following a healthy lifestyle as prescribed by your doctor.
