FSH is a follicle stimulating hormone. It works by stimulating the ovaries to produce mature egg. Only mature eggs can be fertilized. FSH determines the chances to get pregnant, by determining the quality of the eggs.
Every single month there is a rise of FSH level in the blood. This rise causes the release of egg follicles from the ovaries and their travel through the fallopian tubes. At the same time, there is a decrease of estrogen levels. These are female sexual hormones, responsible for female sexual characteristics. After the egg get released, it can be prepared for pregnancy and fertilized or a woman experience menstrual bleeding. This preparation decreases the FSH and increases estrogen levels.
FSH Levels
High FSH levels indicate that there are some health problems in the body. High FSH causes low quality of produced eggs. FSH over 25mlu/ml indicates that a woman is in pre-menopause and if it goes up to 50mlu/ml it is a definite sign of menopause.
Symptoms of high FSH include common menopausal symptoms: hot flushes, sweat, sleeping problems, agitation and headaches. Women could suffer from menstrual irregularities, early ovulation or shortened menstrual cycle. Some patients with high FSH experience lack of cervical mucus, sterility, lethargy and sometimes absence of ovulation.
Apart from the age, high FSH levels are associated with the smoking, use of alcohol, depression and stress and sometimes factors such as chromosome defects or loss of ovary function in early age (POF, premature ovarian failure). Some medical conditions might also cause heightened FSH levels in the body. These are: autoimmune disorders, hypothyroidism and problems of the adrenal gland.
In some cases, women that had miscarriage, abortion, pelvic surgery or those who stopped using birth control pills may be more likely to develop the increase of FSH levels. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) patients also have higher risk than other women to develop high FSH.
Treatment of High FSH
High FSH levels are usually treated with acupuncture. Regular yoga classes and body cleansing are also proven beneficial for these patients.
For balanced hormones it is important to maintain healthy kidneys. Because of that you should avoid salt and caffeine and drink plenty of water. Your body needs at least 8 glasses of water every day to be properly hydrated. Eat organic food whenever you can, use nutritional supplements, especially real fruit supplements and you won’t have problems with your fertility.
If you have any questions about your FSH levels, you should consult your doctor.
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