Women – coping with sex hormone symptoms

#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Sex hormones, heart problems and diabetes in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments lower the amount of sex hormones in the body. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone.  Low levels of these hormones may increase your risk of heart problems and diabetes. Hormone therapy and the risk of heart problems There is some evidence to suggest that aromatase inhibitors may increase the risk of heart problems. Aromatase inhibitors are a type of hormone therapy used to treat breast cancer. The group of aromatase inhibitors includes: anastrozole (Arimidex) exemestane (Aromasin) letrozole (Femara)   Research into hormone therapies and heart problems Evidence shows that before the natural menopause, oestrogen

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Sleep problems and sex hormone symptoms in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments can lower the levels of sex hormones in the body. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone.  Low levels of sex hormones can cause hot flushes or anxiety, making sleep difficult. Coping with other symptoms can feel worse if you are not sleeping well. On average most adults need around 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day. But some people may need more while others manage with less. Sleeplessness (insomnia) Insomnia is when you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at night. An occasional night without sleep will make you tired the following day.

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Sex hormones and weight changes in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments lower the amount of sex hormones in the body. Low levels of sex hormones can sometimes make you put on weight. What are the sex hormones?  Hormones are natural substances made by the glands of our hormone (endocrine) system. They are carried around our body in our bloodstream. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone. The main male sex hormone is testosterone. Sex hormones and weight changes After the menopause the way that fat is distributed around the body changes. Extra weight tends to build up around the waist, rather than on the hips and

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Urinary problems in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments lower sex hormone levels in the body. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone. Low levels of these sex hormones can sometimes cause urinary problems in women, including infections and incontinence. The importance of oestrogen An important function of oestrogen is to help to keep the wall of the urethra elastic and the pelvic floor muscles healthy. The urethra is the tube that takes urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. The pelvic floor muscles surround the lower part of the bladder and urethra. When the amount of oestrogen in the body

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Mood changes and sex hormones in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments lower the levels of sex hormones in the body. Low levels of sex hormones can sometimes cause mood changes. Hormones and mood changes Hormones are natural substances made by the glands of our hormone (endocrine) system. They are carried around our body in our bloodstream. The main male sex hormone is testosterone. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone. There is evidence that a fall in oestrogen levels can cause mood changes. This could be due to the cancer treatment, the menopause , or both.  The causes of mood changes can be difficult to assess

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Bone loss and osteoporosis in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Hormone therapy treatments can lower the levels of sex hormones in the body. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone. Lower levels of these hormones can increase bone loss. Bone loss (osteoporosis) and ageing Our bones start to thin around our late thirties. This is part of the natural ageing process. The bones go through a stage called osteopenia. This is when they start to become thinner. Osteoporosis is when the bones become more brittle and thinner. Having thinner bones makes them more at risk of breaking (fracture). After the menopause the levels of the sex hormone oestrogen

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Thinking and memory changes in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments lower the amount of sex hormones in the body. Low levels of sex hormones can cause problems with concentration, thinking, and memory. What are the sex hormones? Hormones are natural substances made by the glands of our hormone system. They are carried around our body in our bloodstream. They act as messengers to carry signals between one part of the body and another. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone.  Hormone therapy to treat breast cancer can work in one of two ways: lowering the levels of oestrogen blocking the effect of oestrogen on cancer cells 

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Sex and sex hormone symptoms in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Some cancer treatments lower the amount of sex hormones in the body or stop the body producing them altogether. The hormones most commonly affected in women are oestrogen and progesterone. Lower levels of these might affect your sex life. Symptoms can include: a loss of sex drive (also called a low libido) vaginal dryness Loss of interest in sex (libido) In women, the hormones progesterone and oestrogen play a part in sex drive. But not everyone who has low hormone levels has a loss of interest in sex. For most people, the cause is a combination of factors including: your

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#Women - coping with sex hormone symptoms

Hot flushes and sweats in women

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Cancer or cancer treatment can lower the levels of sex hormones in the body. This can lead to hot flushes and sweats. The main female sex hormones are oestrogen and progesterone. Hot flushes are one of the most common symptoms women have when they go through the menopause. But hot flushes can also happen because of treatment for cancer. Women having a natural menopause may find their hot flushes start before the menopause. They usually become less frequent and less severe during the 5 years after their last period. But for many, the hot flushes can go on longer.  

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