Progesterone Deficiency Symptoms

Progesterone is a very important hormone in a woman's body. It plays a major role in maintaining the normal functioning of the menstrual cycle and in that way is ultimately responsible for carrying a pregnancy to term. The progesterone hormone works by preparing the lining in the uterus so that a fertilized egg can be planted there and is then responsible for the development and safety of the fetus till birth. What would a progesterone deficiency mean for a woman's health? What are some of the progesterone deficiency symptoms and would there be any dire complications due to the same? That is exactly what we will be studying in the following article on progesterone deficiency symptoms. Continue reading for more details.

Progesterone Deficiency Symptoms ~ Fertility

The progesterone hormone is extremely important for a woman who wants to get pregnant and therefore is directly connected to her fertility. An ovary dysfunction is also brought about due to low progesterone levels. Along with maintaining the uterus lining for the planting of the egg, progesterone is also responsible for keeping the fetus safe, does not allow the uterus to make any movements, prevents infection and prepares the uterus for birth. If therefore there is a progesterone deficiency, it will lead to certain symptoms. Let us see what these low progesterone infertility symptoms are:

• Weight gain especially over the belly area
• irregular periods
• Abnormally heavy flow during periods
• Low sexual drive
• Infertility
• Pain in breasts
• Mood swings
• General body pain
• Hot flashes
• Varying degrees of fatigue
• Irritability
• Cravings of a wide variety
• Depression
• Mental stress
• Onset of insomnia
• Lowered immune system
• Hampered intestinal health
• Uterine and breast cancer as a long term effect
• Several heart diseases
• Osteoporosis
• Increase in cholesterol levels
• The formation of fibroids
• Frequent bloating and occurrence of gas
• Indigestion
• Migraines and headaches
• Snoring
• Miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy
• No ovulation
• Formation of ovarian cysts
• Lowered body temperature
• Cramping during menstruation
• Excess water retention
• Puffiness in cheeks
• Formation of acne and tremendously oily skin
• Feelings of anxiety
• Lack of concentration
• Memory loss
• Problems in urination
• Night sweating
• Thoughts of suicide and exhibiting suicidal tendencies
• Vaginal dryness
• Joint pain
• Onset of urinary tract infection
• Changes in appetite
• Inability to lose weight

Progesterone Deficiency Symptoms in Menopause

Menopause is the time when a woman stops menstruating and ovulating and is therefore incapable of getting pregnant. This is a natural process that occurs in all women in their late 40s. Menopause occurs because the body stops producing two important hormones, namely estrogen and progesterone. Of both these hormones, a progesterone deficiency can mean that a woman can't get pregnant. While it is a naturally occurring process in all women over the age of 50, it has been seen that a number of factors lead to pre-menopausal symptoms in many women and cause menopause in them before their time. What are the progesterone deficiency symptoms in a menopausal woman? Given below are some of them:

• Migraine headache
• Uterine fibroids
• Onset of premenstrual symptoms
• Formation of ovarian cysts
• Blood clots in body
• Severe back pain
• Pain in joints
• Hot flashes
• Excessive sweating
• Severe muscle pain
• Fatigue
• Lack of concentration
• Feeling depressed at all times
• Memory loss
• Constant irritation
• Lack of drive for sexual activity
• Disturbances in mood

Along with these, the progesterone deficiency symptoms are quite similar to the ones that emerge when there is a fertility problem.

Progesterone Deficiency ~ Causes

There are several causes that lead to progesterone deficiency in the first place, these include stress, a demanding and pressurizing work life, birth control pills that limit or prevent the production of normal hormones in regular concentrations, diet that concentrates more on non vegetarian food types which leads to increase in the levels of estrogen and therefore causes an imbalance between progesterone and estrogen; other diseases like hypothyroidism, hormone replacement therapy or hyperthyroidism among others.

Progesterone is a very, very important hormone that is required for a woman's health as we have seen. And now that we know what progesterone deficiency symptoms are like and the health risks that they can lead to, we need to make sure that it does not affect our health in an adverse manner.