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I’M NOT INTO SEX

IT COULD BE... testosterone. A drop in

testosterone could mean a drop in libido.

While high levels of testosterone in

women can cause excess body hair and

other conditions like PCOS, decreased

testosterone can lead to a reduced sex

drive. This happens a lot in menopausal

women, but in young women it’s usually

caused by loss of menstruation (itself

a product of extreme stress).

I FEEL SHAKY AND MY

HEART IS RACING

IT COULD BE... thyroid hormone.

An overactive thyroid gland can cause

weight loss, major muscle weakness,

shakiness and an increased heart-rate.

See a doctor if this sounds like you – it

could be related to a condition called

Graves’ disease.

MY PERIOD HAS

DISAPPEARED...

AND I’M DEFINITELY

NOT PREGNANT

IT COULD BE... prolactin. In about 20

per cent of cases where a woman loses

her period suddenly, high prolactin levels

are to blame. This hormone, made by

the pituitary gland, increases during

pregnancy to get the body ready for

breastfeeding. High prolactin levels may

indicate that there’s a tumour on the

pituitary gland, but usually this can be

HORMONES: THE MAIN CREW

Adrenaline Your classic

“fight or flight” hormone,

and probably the best-

known hormone. Produced

by the adrenal glands,

adrenaline helps you cope

with stressful scenarios by

giving you a kick to get out

of scary situations, or by

helping you stand your

ground and ward o danger.

Cortisol This is another

stress-related hormone.

Cortisol gives your body

energy when you’re feeling

under pressure.

Insulin Made by the

pancreas, insulin regulates

blood sugar levels. A lack

of insulin causes diabetes,

which is the most common

hormonal condition.

Aldosterone This

regulates your body’s

water-to-sodium ratio.

Ghrelin Helps you

regulate hunger levels.

Leptin Helps your body

understand when you’ve

had enough to eat.

Testosterone The sex

hormone that’s found in

men and women, although

men have seven to eight

times more than women.

This is responsible for

muscle and bone mass and

the growth of body hair.

Oestrogen The sex

hormone responsible for

secondary female sex

characteristics (like

enlarged breasts).

Progesterone A sex

hormone that’s primarily

produced by the ovaries

to prime the uterus for

a possible pregnancy.

Thyroid hormone

This one controls how fast

you burn kilojoules (i.e.

your metabolism). Too little

of this hormone could lead

to weight gain and fatigue,

while too much of it can

cause anxiety, excessive

sweating, diarrhoea and

a racing heart.

Prolactin Secreted from

your pituitary gland in

response to eating, sex,

ovulation and nursing

a baby, this hormone is

responsible for enabling

women to produce milk.

There are loads of dierent hormones – here Dr Inder

takes a look at some of the main players

what’s up with me?

First, if you suspect your hormones are

playing up, Dr Inder suggests you see

your GP. “A lot of hormonal issues can

be diagnosed and treated by your GP

• you don’t need to see a specialist,” he
  says. Because a lot of hormone issues
  have symptoms that are “non-specific”
  (i.e. they could be caused by a number
  of different things), they frequently go
  undetected. Even more serious hormonal
  diseases like diabetes can sometimes go
  undiagnosed because patients just aren’t
  sure what to look for. So if you think
  something’s wrong, always check.

So...

A lack of

testosterone

can kill your

sex drive.