What are the causes of Hirsutism?
Dr.Kut | Jan 12, 2010 | Comments 0
Hirsutism is a very embarrassing and disturbing problem which affects about 15 percent of women worldwide. It is basically the overgrowth of hair in unwanted parts of the face and body, in a similar way as what happens with men, and this affects women from certain parts of the world more than others, however, science has not been able to discover the reasons for these differences.
The cause of Hirsutism is basically the imbalance of male hormones in the women’s body. Once this level goes beyond certain point then you will start growing hair in your face and other parts of the body. This hair is not thin and in fact it can be very disgusting to look at.
The two most common reasons for women to have increased levels of male hormones are polycystic ovary syndrome, which is totally related to the hormonal imbalance in the reproductive system of a woman creating cysts in the ovaries. This in response triggers the male hormones, thus creating Hirsutism. The cysts need to be removed from the system for these symptoms to decrease and this is normally done with a simple laparoscopy surgery.
The other common condition is what is called the Cushing syndrome which is the effect of very high levels of cortisone in the system. Also, tumors on the ovaries due to abnormal cells that are growing at higher speeds can also cause this kind of problem.
There are some medications also that can trigger Hirsutism and those include the medicines being prescribed for the treatment of endometriosis. Drugs like testosterone and danazol can have these side effects. It is also considered to be a hereditary problem; therefore, if you have someone in the family that has Hirsutism, you are at risk of getting it yourself also. Also people suffering from macro nodular hyperplasia are easy preys to Hirsutism.
Some oral contraceptives like norgestrel, levonorgestrel and norethindrone may have higher levels of androgenic effects in the system. It is very important to make sure that you are aware of the causes of the disease to take the proper steps to find the best solutions.
Therefore if you are having symptoms of Hirsutism which include of course the hair growth, but also changes in your periods and in the tone of your voice, you should contact your doctor and get proper advice on the matter.
The simple things you can do in the meantime are to try and lose weight to start with. This is a very important factor in making sure that your hormonal system gets balanced naturally. Also, once you can pinpoint a reason for the imbalance on the first place, you doctor may try to change or adjust your medications in such a manner that you will not have to undergo these unwanted changes.
There are some other rare causes of Hirsutism which are not fully understood as yet however, which can and should be taken into consideration at the research level to try and avoid these imbalances which create a lot of havoc in the women’s health and wellbeing.
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Filed Under: Skin, Hair and Nails • Women's health
