Will hormone imbalance also cause contraceptive effects?

Sex hormones are really important for a woman who wants to have a baby! The regular changes and precise coordination of these hormones promote monthly ovulation, making pregnancy possible.

When women enter their childbearing years, they will have menstruation once a month. The regulation of the menstrual cycle involves the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ovaries and uterus. The reason why the endometrium changes cyclically is because it is affected by ovarian hormones, ovarian function is controlled by the pituitary gland, and the activity of the pituitary gland is regulated by the hypothalamus, which in turn is controlled by the cerebral cortex.

The hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary are usually collectively referred to as the female gonadal axis. Once this stable gonadal axis is established, under its coordinated action, the sex hormones it secretes divide the female menstrual cycle into three clearly identifiable intervals: the follicular phase, the ovulation phase and the luteal phase.

◎ Follicular phase

In the initial stage of the menstrual period, that is, when menstruation comes, the hypothalamus will send a signal to the pituitary gland, causing the pituitary gland to secrete Two types of gonadotropins: FSH and LH. FSH acts on the ovaries to initiate the development of one or several follicles in the ovaries. Women\’s ovaries store countless egg cells that are born with them, but they are usually in a dormant state and can only mature under the influence of gonadotropins.

Without the stimulation of gonadotropins, they can only sleep forever! As the follicles develop, estrogen continues to increase. Estrogen is a hormone that appears and increases together with the follicles. On the one hand, it promotes the growth of the follicles, and on the other hand, it works with FSH to induce luteinizing hormone (LH) in the follicles. The receptor prepares for the discharge of the egg and the formation of a qualified corpus luteum after discharge.

Follicles of about 20 mm are mature follicles that are about to rupture and release eggs. The period during which mature follicles are produced is called the follicular phase. During the entire follicular phase, two hormones play a leading role – FSH and estrogen, and estrogen is an important hormone that changes from low to high!

◎ Ovulation period

The follicle will grow, but it may not rupture. The growth of the follicle is a quantitative change; when the follicle ruptures and releases the egg, it becomes The formation of corpus luteum is a qualitative change. From quantitative change to qualitative change, certain conditions must be met: first, estrogen increases greatly, and then, driven by estrogen, FSH and LH increase greatly at the same time. When these three hormones are elevated at the same time, the follicle may rupture!

So the characteristics of the ovulation period are: estrogen, FSH and LH.Both hormones reach their peak at about the same time.

The ovulation period is very short. The time between estrogen reaching its highest peak and ovulation is at most 3 days, and the time between FSH and LH reaching its highest peak and ovulation at most 2 days. It is better for these three hormones to exist at their highest peak for a short time than a long time, preferably just a pulse. When they suddenly drop from their highest position, ovulation occurs when the follicles rupture and the egg is released!

◎ Luteal phase

The rupture of follicles and the discharge of eggs are an important event, forming an obvious dividing line in the menstrual cycle, so the entire cycle enters everyone\’s mind Known as the luteal phase. During this period, because the ruptured follicles generate the corpus luteum under the action of LH, and the corpus luteum secretes progesterone, higher levels of progesterone begin to appear in the female body. Progesterone causes changes in the endometrium during the secretory phase, making the most complete preparation for the implantation of the pregnant egg after fertilization.

If there is a dividing line in the menstrual cycle, then it will definitely be different before and after the dividing line! The most obvious difference is that the follicular phase is dominated by estrogen, and changes in estrogen drive LH and FSH to change together; while the luteal phase is dominated by progesterone, and estrogen has been relegated to a secondary position. This is the pattern of hormone changes during the menstrual cycle.

What is the use of knowing the changing patterns of hormones? When we use hormones to regulate the body, we must follow the trend: let it be low when it should be low, and make it high when it should be high; we should help this hormone appear when it should appear, and do not artificially remove it when it cannot appear. Replenish. Never do the opposite, use hormones indiscriminately, and disrupt their normal changes! If the endocrine system is disrupted, it will not help fertility, but become contraception.

Many people do not understand that when they are using contraception, the contraceptive pills they take are hormones, and later when they are regulating endocrine and doing artificial cycles, the pills they take are also hormones. They are almost the same hormone, so why do they have completely opposite effects? In fact, the reason is very simple. The same hormone, if used at different times, will have completely different effects. For example, when inducing ovulation, the doctor will prescribe you some Bujiale (estrogen) to accelerate the development and growth of follicles; however, once the eggs are released, supplementing a large amount of this estrogen is equivalent to using it as an emergency contraceptive pill. Got it!

The contraceptive principle of hormonal drugs is almost always to disrupt the normal hormonal changes. The function of long-acting contraceptive pills is often to suppress ovulation, and emergency contraceptive pills mainly interfere with the implantation of fertilized eggs. Facts have proven that long-acting contraceptive pills are more reliable, but it is best not to take them for a long time because they also have side effects. If you take birth control pills for a long time, some people will develop \”ovulation arrest syndrome\”, \”excess suppression syndrome\” or \”amenorrhea-galactorrhea syndrome\”.

Tools cannot be left idle for a long time, and human organs should not be suppressed for a long time. Women who take birth control pills for a long time will find that their ovaries are suppressed and become smaller, their follicles are small and there is no corpus luteum, and their cortex becomes sclerotic.type, which is quite similar to the cortical shape of the ovaries of menopausal women. And some people also have symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, headache and fatigue, loss of appetite, breast swelling and pain, pigmentation, chloasma, increased leucorrhea, lower limb pain, etc. This is \”ovulation arrest syndrome\” or \”excess suppression syndrome\” Typical symptoms. If a hormone test is performed, it can also be found that estrogen, FSH and LH are all at the lowest level. At this time, even if gonadotropin-releasing hormone is injected, LH and FSH will not have a peak response. During the period of stopping taking contraceptive pills, It will slowly disappear after time, and the atrophy of the ovaries and uterus will slowly improve. How long does it take to get pregnant after stopping taking birth control pills? This is a question often asked by sisters! Doctors usually answer: six months later.

This answer is not wrong, because it takes time for the changed ovary to return to normal, and it also takes time for the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the suppressed state to return to the non-suppressed state. Half a year is enough!

Of course, you don’t have to stick to the doctor’s answer, because individual differences are very large, and you may not need half a year to return to normal, so you can feel confident about getting pregnant early!

This article is provided by Baidu Reading and is excerpted from \”Pregnancy Can Be Simple\” Author: Feifei Mom