Understanding your body hormones, parts and their functioning can be of great importance in your life. Sometimes ignorance leads us to detrimental effects. Prevention is better than cure, if some of the body issues are well understood, there couldn’t be strange and funny diseases. Having regular medical checkups can help in minimizing future diseases.
What is Progesterone?
This is a female sex hormone that is produced in the ovaries mainly each month following ovulation. It is a part of the menstrual cycle which is crucial as it helps in regulating one’s cycle and also high in pregnancy maintenance.
Progesterone Functions
Progesterone hormone stimulates and has many features in our bodies. These include
- It Plays a role in Pregnancy Maintenance.
Progesterone converts endometrium to its secretory stage, and this prepares uterus implantation. For allowance of pregnancy, during implantation and gestation, it appears to decrease maternal immunity, It affects the Vaginal epithelium and cervical mucus, this happens by it becoming thicker, and this makes sperms impenetrable. During pregnancy, it inhibits lactation, after child delivery its level falls and this triggers production of milk. It facilitates the onset of labor when its levels drop. - Helps in the Regulation of Monthly Cycles
This happens when there is a drop in progesterone, and this triggers the uterus is shedding its lining leading to start of the monthly periods. When the drop comes too soon, it causes irregularities in the cycle and sometimes comes with side effects where there are headaches, low libido, change of moods. Through the first trimester of pregnancy, women who have low progesterone levels find it difficult in maintaining it. - It Blocks Aldosterone Receptors
Water retention and swelling are promoted by aldosterone; progesterone hormone causes blockage to aldosterone which helps in healthy fluid cause and swelling decrease. - Progesterone Stimulates normal Sex Drive
This is because it can be converted into testosterone, a sex drive that is involved in both men and women - It Increases the Activity of Thyroid Hormone
Thyroid hormone helps in metabolism increase; energy is influence by utilization of stored fat under estrogen. - Progesterone Helps in Uterine Muscle Contraction Decrease
This uterine muscle contraction causes menstrual cramps. it does so by promoting uterine muscle relaxation. - It is a natural Anti-depressant and Prevents Anxiety
Progesterone binds GABA receptors in mind, these receptors help decrease anxiety, depression, and insomnia. These same receptors are bound by barbiturates and anti-depressants. - Progesterone Helps in Stimulation of Osteoblasts
These osteoblasts are the one responsible for making new bone replacing the old bones as estrogen decreases bone breakdown rate.
Causes of Too Much Progesterone
For proper health, progesterone-like any other hormone needs to be balanced. Progesterone is mainly produced in the women’s menstrual cycle in the second week. Sometimes the ovaries may produce excessively, and this may cause:
- menstrual cycle change
- Intake of too much progesterone supplements
- Estrogen level reduction in the body
- Too much progesterone may bring side effects in woman’s life, this includes tenderness of breast, fatigue, libido loss, mood swings, bloating, vaginal dryness and sedation.
- When the level of progesterone is high before cycle one experience pre-menstrual symptoms like having headaches and moodiness.
Symptoms of too much Progesterone
- Fluctuation of weight
- Dizziness
- Feelings of depression
- Bloating
- Physical instability sense
- Feelings of tenses, anxiety
- Libido change
- Retention of water
- Discomfort especially in the legs
- Waking up when gorgy
- Dowdiness
What Happens with Too Much Progesterone?
Too much of everything is poisonous, too much progesterone in the body is not good it comes with other side effects that affect the normal functioning of the body.
Too much Progesterone Side Effects
- When the body releases too much progesterone, it brings imbalance with many other hormones in the body. This makes progesterone hard to identify and also to make side effects serious in toxicity.
- Too much progesterone may cause fatigue and menopausal discomfort.
- Too much progesterone in pregnancy can also trigger back pains.
- It also brings hair loss to some people.
- Depression
How to Get Rid of Too Much Progesterone?
There are dietary and lifestyle changes you can make to reduce the uncomfortable effects of too much progesterone. One recommended method of treatment is to increase estrogen levels naturally. As both estrogen and progesterone hormones work in tandem, an increase in estrogen will naturally reduce progesterone levels.
Conclusion
Progesterone hormone is very crucial in a woman’s life, for any childbearing process this hormone is highly active and great. Understanding how it functions in the body can be of great importance, knowing ways of managing it when it is low or high is quite helpful.
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