Progesterone is a very essential reproductive hormone and plays a crucial role in the various metabolic activities in the body. Fluctuation and alterations in the level of progesterone are often associated with uncomfortable symptoms. Progesterone plays a crucial role in conception and low levels of progesterone are often associated with inability to conceive.
High level of progesterone on the other hand is often indicative of pregnancy or ovulation. This is however a normal variation in the hormonal profile. Abnormally high levels of progesterone are caused due to a wide range of factors which include lack of exercise or poor diet.
What Causes High Progesterone Levels?
Causes of elevated levels of progesterone can be classified into natural or physiological causes and induced causes.
Natural causes of elevated levels of progesterone include,
- Pregnancy: The placenta produces progesterone hormone during pregnancy which plays an important role in protecting the fetus and preventing lactation
- Ovulation: During the mid cycle, the ovaries release the ovum. Once the ovum is released, the ‘corpus luteum’ produces progesterone, in order to prepare the uterus for conception
- Menopause: Progesterone levels can be high during menopause.During this stage, erratic changes in the hormonal profile of the female are observed.
Induced causes of high progesterone level include,
- Lack of exercise is one of the common cause of high levels of progesterone, as the body fails to balance the estrogen and progesterone hormones
- Poor diet tends to have similar impact on the levels of progesterone production
- Prolonged use of oral contraceptive or hormone replacement therapy may also create several problems in the natural production of hormones and result in a spurt in the levels of progesterone
High Progesterone Levels Symptoms
The symptoms associated with high progesterone levels include,
- Anxiety and mood swings are commonly associated with elevated levels of progesterone
- Bloating
- Depression with severe headaches
- Hot flushes with burning on the skin
- Recurrent urinary tract infections with urinary incontinence
- Weight gain especially deposition of fat around the waist and buttocks
- Acne with an oily skin
The severity of the symptoms would depend upon the levels of progesterone and the extent to which they are deviated from normal.
Side Effects Of High Progesterone
Some of the common side effects associated with elevated progesterone levels include,
- Feeling of tiredness and generalized muscular weakness with no apparent reason
- Dryness in the genitals is another common feature associated with high progesterone levels. The female may also complain of dryness in the mouth with cracked lips
- Elevated levels of body temperature is another common symptom associated with high progesterone levels
Elevated levels of progesterone can be very distressful and simple lifestyle modifications with regular exercises or yoga practice and dietary corrections can help in the effective management of the condition.