Maca -- a cruciferous vegetable in the mustard family -- grows wild in the Andes of South America. It has been grown by Andean people for centuries for its medicinal properties. In Peruvian traditional medicine, maca helps with symptoms of...
The endocrine system is a network of hormone-producing glands. Though estrogens and androgens are vital to the development of distinct female or male characteristics, both types of hormone are present in both sexes. It is the concentration of the...
Vitex, an herb also known as chasteberry, is often used as an alternative medicine for infertility. Vitex is also used to treat menstrual difficulties, improve breast milk supply, decrease breast pain and to lower prolactin levels, which can...
Menopause, the cessation of menstrual periods for one year, occurs on average at age 51 and rarely happens without warning. The period before menopause, called perimenopause, can last from six months to 10 years before menstrual cycles stop...
High follicle=-stimulating hormone levels, known as FSH, can indicate decreased ovarian reserve, which means you have fewer viable eggs left in your ovaries. Your FSH may rise as you age, making pregnancy less likely. An FSH of more than 11...
FSH, or follicle stimulating hormone, governs the growth of ovarian follicles. FSH levels on day two or three of the menstrual cycle reflect "ovarian reserve," the number of good eggs still left in the ovary, according to David Bruce Sable, M.D....
The menstrual cycle involves the maturation and release of an egg from the ovary, a thickening of the uterine lining, breast growth in preparation for pregnancy, then a shedding of the uterine lining during menstruation if pregnancy fails to...
The FSH test is a measurement of levels of the follicle-stimulating hormone, which is often done along with other tests to try to determine the cause of infertility. It can help diagnose the cause of low sperm count as well as determine the source...
The term "estrogen" actually describes several different related hormones. These estrogens are estrone (predominant form during menopause), estriol (primary estrogen during pregnancy), and estradiol (which is the most common form of estrogen in...
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder affecting approximately 7 to 10 percent of women of childbearing age in 2010, as discussed by the Hormone Foundation. PCOS is the most common disorder affecting hormones of women in the...
Maca is an Andean plant of the mustard family. It has been used for centuries in the Andes as a food crop and medicinal plant. Maca is also recommended to regulate menstruation and lessen menopausal symptoms. The dried root is the medicinal part...
The ovaries are a critical part of the endocrine system, which is responsible for the production and release of chemicals called hormones. Slight perturbations in the endocrine system can cause the ovaries to produce elevated levels of hormones...
Also called polyfollicular ovarian disease or Stein-Leventhal Syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) refers to a condition in which several small cysts in the female reproductive organs called ovaries affect a woman's chances of getting...
If you participate in sports that require rigorous training and exercise, you may find that your menstrual cycle is sometimes interrupted. Several factors combine to contribute to the inability to ovulate in women who strenuously exercise,...
Menopause is a transition women normally go through in their early 50s. It is defined as a discontinuation of the menstrual period for 12 consecutive months that is not due to a known cause. It signals a period when the ovaries produce fewer...
Menstruation is a complex process that occurs because of several hormones working together in the body. Certain sex hormones are responsible for changes that affect this process. One of these hormones, known as FSH, is essential for initiating the...
Polycystic ovary disease, also known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a condition in which the the ovaries may be enlarged and contain numerous small cysts located along the outer edge of each ovary. It is the most common hormonal disorder among...
Menopause brings with it many symptoms, and hot flashes are among the most common. According to the Mayo Clinic, 75 percent of women say they experience hot flashes--intense feelings of heat strong enough to leave you flushed and sweaty--at some...
Testosterone, prolactin and estrogen are some of the many hormones produced in the male body. Of all of these hormones, testosterone is responsible for maintaining and expressing male features such as facial hair, body hair, sperm production and...
In a normal menstrual cycle, a woman releases a mature egg from a follicle that develops in the ovary. Luteinizing hormone (LH) matures the egg inside the follicle and causes the follicle to burst, releasing the egg. The rise in LH, called an LH...
Maca is a member of the mustard family. For centuries, maca has been grown in the high plateaus of the Peruvian Andes to enhance fertility in humans and animals. Today, it is also used in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. The part used is the...
Menopause refers to the stopping of menstruation and the cessation of ovulation. Most women experience it between the ages 45 and 60. During menopause, estrogen levels decrease. Menopause can also occur for reasons other than natural causes....
Black cohosh root is the knotty, blackish rhizome of the North American woodland herb of the same name. This member of the buttercup family has a long history of use in treating a variety of conditions, ranging from hives to constipation to...
It is certainly possible to get pregnant at age 38; the March of Dimes, or MOD, reports that 20 percent of new mothers today are 35 or older. However, women over 35 are faced with some distinct challenges, not only in achieving pregnancy but in...
Gold maca is a member of the Cruciferae or mustard family that raises energy as well as libido. It grows wild in the highlands of the Andes of South America. In some areas of Peru, maca is an important staple food. Today maca is used as an...
Follicle Stimulating Hormone, or FSH, is produced in the pituitary gland inside your brain. This hormone stimulates the production of eggs along with a hormone called estradiol during the first half of your menstrual cycle. FSH reaches your...
Approximately one in every 1,000 women between the age of 15 and 29 and one in every 100 women between the ages of 30 to 39 are affected by premature ovarian failure, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Premature ovarian failure is...
Although a healthy reproductive system is not essential to staying alive, diseases of the reproductive system that cause infertility are significant because they can reduce the quality of life for people who want to have children. For example, in...
The generic form of Lortab's main ingredient, hydrocodone, was the most commonly abused prescription opiate in 2008, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA. The abuse of Lortab and similar medications rapidly grew. The...
