Each person at least once heard the phrase "sit on hormones." But few people thought about what hormones are and why they are needed. Let's figure it out. So, hormones are chemicals produced by various organs of the human body, the main difference of which is the ability to influence cells of various parts of the body in a certain way. The human body produces a huge variety of hormones every day. We’ll talk about such a hormone of the female reproductive system as progesterone.
This is a hormone whose name was formed after the merger of Latin words. The literal translation of the name reads as follows: "for or in the name of pregnancy." It is to ensure the normal development of the fetus throughout pregnancy that the hormone progesterone is needed. This is its main, but not the only function.
The main functions of the hormone progesterone
As mentioned above, the main function of the hormone is to maintain pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. What processes take place in the body under the influence of a hormone such as progesterone? This is primarily the preparation of the body for the upcoming pregnancy. Produced in large quantities after ovulation, progesterone reduces the immunity of a woman, which is essential
o so that the maternal body does not reject the fertilized egg. Also, under the influence of this substance, the tone of the uterus and the growth of its internal cavity cease, which, in turn, also contributes to the successful
implantation of the embryo. In the favorable case of pregnancy, progesterone promotes the formation of the placenta from the uterine mucosa. As you can see, the hormone affects not only the metabolism, but also the physical condition of the woman.
Norms
The progesterone hormone content changes depending on the phase of the cycle. This is due to the needs of the body.
| Cycle phases | 1. Egg maturation | 2. Ovulation | 3. The corpus luteum phase |
| ng / ml | 0.15-1.1 | 0.7-1.6 | 1.5-2.6 |
These standards are set for women of childbearing age. But after the onset of menopause, the norm of this hormone is much lower - up to 0.2 ng / ml. The norms of this hormone during pregnancy are completely different. So in the first trimester, normally up to 48.6 ng / ml should be produced, in the second trimester there is an increase in progesterone production to 51.7 ng / ml. The largest indicator of the production of this hormone is recorded in the third trimester of pregnancy - up to 91.4 ng / ml.
Deviations from the norm
The hormone progesterone is produced not only by the corpus luteum formed on the site of a bursting follicle in women, but also by the adrenal glands. In men, this hormone is also produced by the seminal vesicles. A lack of progesterone in women can lead to miscarriage or miscarriage, as well as signal the presence of ovarian or adrenal cancer. In men, the lack of such a hormone can cause a decrease in sex drive, and also cause diseases such as:
- Pseudohermaphroditism.
- Hyperplasia of the prostate.
- Impotence.
- Cancer of the testes or adrenal glands.
As you can see, it is very important to monitor the level of such a hormone as progesterone. A high level of this substance is also a very dangerous sign, which will require immediate investigation and elimination of the causes.