Hormonal problems

How do hormonal imbalances occur? 

The body is complex, and so is the hormonal system. Small changes in the body can be enough to upset the hormonal balance. An imbalance can be caused or triggered by a disturbance in the pituitary or thyroid gland. Imbalances can also be triggered by a disturbance in hormonal neurotransmitters such as GnRH, which controls the production of sex hormones in the pituitary gland.  

There are 3 reasons why neurotransmitters can indirectly affect a woman's fertility: 

• Egg maturation can be disturbed. 

• You might not ovulate. 

• Development of the corpus luteum/production of progesterone might be deficient. 

Your BMI can also trigger a hormonal imbalance. This can happen if, for example, you are very under- or overweight, have large weight fluctuations, are stressed or are on medication. In rare cases, it can be triggered by lumps.   

PCOS - A known cause of hormonal imbalance

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that can affect several organs in the body. One particular feature of PCOS is that women have increased levels of the male sex hormones (androgens) in their blood. About 15% of women have PCOS, but this can vary by geography and ethnicity.   

In women with PCOS, you will often find an increased number of ovarian follicles and an elevated level of LH. The hormonal disorder can prevent the follicles from maturing normally. This can mean that the woman either has a very long time between her ovulations or does not ovulate at all - i.e. a very irregular or no menstrual cycle. If you have PCOS and want to get pregnant, fertility treatment is a good option.