Women's Health Neutral Bay, Sydney NSW

Bleeding between periods is often a result of starting some form of hormonal contraception, such as the pill. This could normal; however, you should consult your doctor if you are worried about the bleeding experiences lasting longer than a few months.

Imbalances in insulin, steroids, growth hormones, and adrenaline can affect males and females alike.

Females may also experience imbalances in estrogen and progesterone levels, while males are more likely to experience imbalances in testosterone levels.

Medical conditions that can affect hormone production may but are not limited to:

• diabetes, in which the body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin
• hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, which are the overactivity and underactivity of the thyroid gland
• Addison’s disease, in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones
• Cushing’s syndrome, in which the adrenal glands produce too many corticosteroids
• acromegaly, which is the overproduction of growth hormones
• hyperglycemia, which is the overproduction of glucagon
• hypoglycemia, which is when the body produces more insulin than there is glucose in the blood
• solitary thyroid nodules
• pituitary tumors
• benign tumors and cysts (fluid-filled sacks) that affect the endocrine glands
• congenital adrenal hyperplasia (low levels of cortisol)
• cancers that involve endocrine glands
• chemotherapy and radiation therapy
• iodine deficiency (goiters)
• hereditary pancreatitis
• Turner syndrome, in which females are born with only one functioning X chromosome
• Prader-Willi syndrome
• anorexia
• pituitary gland injury with bleeding and congenital genetic abnormalities in a pregnant person and their fetus

Other causes of hormonal imbalance may include:

• chronic stress
• poor diet and nutrition
• having overweight
• hormonal replacement or birth control medications
• misuse of anabolic steroid medications
• exposure to toxins, pollutants, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including pesticides and herbicides

Yes, particularly if you’ve been under a high level of stress for an extended period of time. To fully understand why, we have to look to the “fight or flight” response.

Stress causes your body to go into fight or flight mode—it’s just the way we’re wired. When you’re in this mode, it affects your hormones, which in turn affect your ovulation and, of course, your period.

This means you may have periods that are late or even stop completely for several months.

If you are having these irregular periods and you aren’t pregnant, you should schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible. While stress can be a culprit, there could also be several other causes.