Hormone levels are more than just a “that time of the month” joke. Studies have shown that changing hormone levels can affect your mood, worsen chronic health issues, and even make you more susceptible to injury! Hormones have an impact on your entire body, not just your reproductive system.
There are four types of hormones:
- Estrogen: a class of hormones that is necessary for sexual development and a healthy reproductive system. Also affects brain function, bone health, and cancer risk.
- Oxytocin: a hormone responsible for contractions during labor, milk production during breastfeeding, and the nurturing instinct.
- Progesterone: a hormone produced in the ovaries that is responsible for the thickening of the uterine lining in anticipation of pregnancy.
- Testosterone: not just a male hormone! Promotes libido, hair growth, and energy levels.
In your twenties, your hormones are relatively stable. For most women, hormone levels rise and fall in predictable patterns with the menstrual cycle. Your body may be responding less dramatically to hormone changes — so cramps that were unbearable in your teens may now be easier to handle.
In your thirties, your brain can become more sensitive to your hormonal fluctuations. This may mean your PMS symptoms are worse than they were in your twenties. For many women, the thirties are also the decade of childbirth! Childbirth can leave your hormones in flux for up to a year (especially if you breastfeed). In your late thirties, you may experience higher levels of testosterone, which can up your libido and increase sexual satisfaction.
The forties are known as the perimenopause decade. Most women start menopause in their fifties, but the decade before is the lead-up. Estrogen and progesterone levels can fluctuate wildly and leave you with symptoms like hot flashes, fatigue, moodiness, memory problems, and irregular menstrual cycles. Oxytocin levels tend to decrease, lowering nurturing impulses and giving you a chance to focus on yourself for once.