Symptoms of High Testosterone Levels

While oftentimes women are known to suffer from low testosterone levels, which can cause an array of unwanted symptoms, they have other problems as well. Women are also at risk from high testosterone levels, which come with their own bag of tricks. Read on to learn more about this condition and its symptoms, in order to recognize if testosterone imbalance may be the culprit.

Research has suggested that between 4% and 7% of women produce too much testosterone in their ovaries. Abnormally high levels of testosterone in woman can cause a variety of problematic and embarrassing symptoms. Listed below are the most frequently reported signs of elevated testosterone levels in women.

Common Symptoms of High Testosterone Level

The most common symptoms of excess testosterone are:

Increased Hair Growth: Often women with high testosterone levels may develop increased hair growth on the upper lip, face, chest, nipples, lower abdomen and other parts of the body. Additionally, fine body hairs may turn course and darken.

Male Pattern Baldness: High levels of testosterone in women can also result in a thinning of the scalp hair, a condition called androgenic alopecia, especially if a woman has a genetic disposition to baldness.

Deepening of the Voice: This symptom may be a gradual change of high vocal pitches or a rapid change.

Change in Body Shape: Over a long period of time, without treatment, women with high testosterone may find that their muscle mass increases, body fat is redistributed and in rare cases enlargement of the clitoris occurs.

Other Symptoms of High Testosterone Levels

In addition to the physical and psychological signs outlined above, high testosterone levels can lead to a range of side effects and more serious conditions. These include but are not limited to the following:

Skin Problems: Too much testosterone is not healthy for a woman's skin. The signs include excessive oiliness and acne.

Mood: While testosterone can boost a woman's confidence, strength, and libido, too much can make a woman feel agitated and angry. These feelings of frustration can even lead to depression.

Health Risks: More serious symptoms of high testosterone in women are the major health risks that can occur. High testosterone levels have been linked to insulin resistance, a condition that interferes with the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance can cause adult-onset diabetes, and can increase a woman's risk of heart disease as well as cancer of the breast and uterine lining.

Now that the symptoms of high testosterone levels have been explained, some women might want to know about the role testosterone plays in menopause. Read on to learn about the relationship between testosterone and menopause.

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