Meet Your Hormones

Hormones are chemical messengers. Small changes can influence many different systems throughout the body.

A woman in her forties talking with a clinician across a table

Oestrogen

Oestrogen has effects throughout the body rather than simply controlling periods. It is involved in areas including:

menstrual and reproductive function
temperature regulation
vaginal and urinary tissues
bone health
skin and connective tissue
cardiovascular health
brain function

As oestrogen fluctuates and ultimately falls through perimenopause and menopause, women may experience symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbance and vaginal or urinary symptoms. Individual experiences vary considerably.

Progesterone

Progesterone is produced following ovulation and plays an important role in the menstrual cycle and maintaining the lining of the uterus.

During perimenopause ovulation can become increasingly unpredictable. This means progesterone exposure may also become less predictable. When systemic oestrogen HRT is prescribed to someone who still has a uterus, a progestogen is normally required to protect the endometrium.

Testosterone

Women produce testosterone too. Testosterone is an androgen hormone and plays roles in sexual function and other physiological processes.

For some women experiencing persistent low sexual desire associated with menopause, testosterone may be considered when conventional HRT has not sufficiently improved the problem. It is not a universal treatment for fatigue, brain fog or general wellbeing.

FSH

FSH — follicle-stimulating hormone — is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain and communicates with the ovaries.

As ovarian function declines, FSH levels often rise. However levels can fluctuate considerably during perimenopause. This is why a single FSH test is not routinely required to diagnose perimenopause in otherwise healthy women aged over 45 with typical symptoms.

It isn’t always the menopause

Other Hormones Matter Too

Some hormonal conditions can create symptoms remarkably similar to menopause. That is why 360 looks beyond the ovaries.

Your Thyroid

The thyroid is a small gland in the neck with an enormous influence on the body. It produces thyroid hormones that help regulate metabolism and affect multiple body systems.

Problems with thyroid function can contribute to symptoms including:

tiredness
changes in weight
feeling unusually hot or cold
changes in mood
palpitations
changes in bowel habits
skin and hair changes
menstrual disturbance

Because there can be considerable overlap with perimenopause symptoms, thyroid assessment forms part of the St Helens 360 blood panel.

TSH

The signal from the pituitary gland telling the thyroid how hard to work.

Free T4

One of the principal circulating thyroid hormones.

Looking at these results in the context of symptoms can help identify whether thyroid dysfunction may be contributing.

Prolactin

Prolactin is another hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It is best known for its role in breast-milk production, but abnormal levels can also affect menstrual cycles and sexual/reproductive function.

It isn’t necessary to test prolactin in everybody, but your clinician may request it where symptoms indicate that it could be relevant.

The point of 360 isn’t to chase numbers. It is to understand how your symptoms, hormones and wider health fit together.

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