Dr. Curtis McElroy

Category: Internal Medicine

  • Can Acne in Women be Caused by Testosterone

    When a Grown Woman Has Acne, It May Be Due to Testosterone

    Acne is known as a skin problem that plagues teenagers and some young adults. But acne can be a problem for adult women. When it is, it’s usually due to a hormonal imbalance.

    Women who experience acne are usually found to have too much testosterone production. Every woman has some testosterone. It’s supposed to work in tandem with the estrogen production for various health benefits.

    When this hormone gets off balance is when it begins to cause skin problems like acne. If the testosterone levels a woman has are within level, you’ll never notice any side effects and you shouldn’t have acne breakouts.

    But if your levels are off, and your body is producing too much of this hormone, then that’s when you’ll start to notice. Testosterone causes the skin’s oil glands to step up production.

    As a result of that, you end up with too much oil for the skin. This overproduction of oil will clog your pores and leads to acne outbreaks. The higher the level of testosterone, the more skin problems you’re like to have as well as other health problems.

    Most women with testosterone hormone levels that are abnormal will notice that they’re experiencing symptoms when they have their menstrual cycle, a time when testosterone levels are boosted.

    Because getting acne as a woman is a sign of elevated testosterone, you’ll want to get those levels checked. That’s because of the side effects that can go along with this rise in hormone levels.

    Along with acne, it can cause you to be more irritable. It can cause you to develop traits that are associated with men – such as a sudden growth of facial hair. Some women reported an increase in hair growth on their face, stomach and back.

    But if you have testosterone that causes acne outbreaks, it can also cause you to begin to have male associated hair problems such as a receding hair line or even baldness. It can also boost muscle development and give you features associated with a man such as a deeper tone to your voice.

    A simple blood test can determine if you have a problem with your testosterone levels.
    Two of the most common problems in women that cause a higher level of testosterone are polycystic ovary syndrome and adrenal problems, both of which can be treated. Once any underlying causes are treated, your acne should then clear up.

  • Successful Weight Loss Ideas

    Successful Weight Loss Ideas

    Successful weight loss means losing weight and keeping it off. People who shed pounds rapidly tend to put them all back on. Before you can set out to reach a healthy weight, you must understand how important it is to adopt a whole-lifestyle change. In this article we will tell you how to make this transition.

    A great way to lose weight is to start doing HIIT cardio. “HIIT” is short for high intensity interval training. This training is great because you drastically reduce the amount of time you spend in the gym, and this method is proven to be more effective than regular cardio.

    If you want to make a lifestyle change that will help you to lose weight now and keep it off in the future, switch from drinking coffee to green tea. The caffeine in coffee can cause you to retain water and become dehydrated. The antioxidants in green tea not only help you to feel better, they can also aid in maintaining a healthy weight.

    If you have a blender, you can make some terrific treats that will help you lose weight. Blended drinks are a great way to incorporate fresh fruits into your diet; a tasty, high-fiber way to drink your breakfast. Just combine any mixture of your favorite fruits in season (berries, oranges, bananas, and peaches are all good choices), with a little OJ added and/or dry milk powder or yogurt for a protein boost, and you will have a wonderfully refreshing quick breakfast that gives energy to your day and gets your motor running.

    Use less sauces and dressings in your foods. Sauces and dressings are often made with oil or contain lots of sugar. Drowning your green salad in dressing or smothering your baked potato in sour cream, adds a lot of fat and calories. You can try using substitutes, such as non-fat sour cream, but you should also experiment with more spices to flavor your food.

    Eat breakfast every day to help you slim down. In general, people who eat breakfast weigh less than those who do not. Because you have not had anything to eat since before you went to bed, by morning your body has started into a fasting mode. Breakfast (“break” the “fast”), breaks that cycle and keeps your metabolism normalized. If you go another four or more hours without eating, your body begins to enter starvation mode and you are much more likely to overindulge on a high-calorie snack or a huge lunch.

    To keep your nutritious diet in check, don’t feel that you need to restrict any particular food. By doing that, you are going to crave that food even more and that will throw your diet completely off track. Just eat the not so healthy food in moderation and you will be fine.

    Again, the key to real weight loss is lifestyle adjustment. Apply what you’ve just learned to lose weight and then maintain it. This article provides a compass when you lose your way on your weight loss journey.

  • Why Do Women Need Testosterone

    Women Need Testosterone To Balance Hormones

    Most people think of testosterone as purely a male hormone, but women do have small amounts of this in their body. They need this hormone working together with their other hormones in order to maintain a good balance and healthy outcome.

    This hormone is one that helps level out mood swings. It can keep fatigue at bay and it can help promote a healthy libido. This hormone is naturally produced in a woman’s body by the adrenals.

    The ovaries also produce some amounts of testosterone. You might not realize that without testosterone being in your body, it can rob your muscles of their ability to function as well as they should.

    Testosterone is a hormone that helps boost your bone growth. So when the levels are unbalanced in a woman’s body, it can lead to a loss of bone density. This hormone works in conjunction with other hormones to help boost your cognitive abilities, too.

    Not only does testosterone help keep you in good health, but it also plays a role in the shape of your body. Women who are lacking in the proper amount of testosterone can find that their body holds onto fat deposits more in one area than in another.

    If you don’t have the right amount of this hormone, you’ll notice that your muscles can become flabby, you’ll experience bursts of irritability and you can have trouble with something called brain fog.

    You might think that this hormone isn’t really something that you have to worry about when you’re young. But the truth is that declining testosterone levels actually begin early on.

    Women in their 20s can begin to have levels of testosterone that are below the average minimum for good health. When a woman reaches menopause, the testosterone levels drop significantly.

    Testosterone also plays a role in your brain’s long term health. When you have a normal level of this hormone, it can help prevent you from certain mental decline or diseases as you grow older.

    Women who have a good range of testosterone won’t have the same risk of developing dementia as they age. That’s because testosterone helps protect your brain. When your testosterone is in balance, you don’t have the same mood swings that you would if it was faulty.

    Testosterone is one of those hormones that has to be normalized because too little can cause the same level of side effects that too much can. If your testosterone levels get too high, it can cause facial hair growth, thinning or loss of hair and irregular periods.
    It can even cause polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Copyright @ 2017 DrCurtisMcElroy