An imbalance of female hormones can cause such problems as abnormal menstrual periods, excessive facial and body hair growth, or even inappropriate breast milk.

Most reproductive-aged women, ages 15 to 45, have regular monthly menstrual cycles. The absence of menstrual bleeding (amenorrhea) is normal during pregnancy and after menopause. In a young, healthy woman, amenorrhea may be caused by a wide range of problems including abnormalities of the uterus or the ovaries (lack of ovulation). Some women have irregular, heavy or unusually painful menstrual periods.

There are several tests that physicians can use to evaluate the condition of the uterus and the ovaries, such as measuring hormone levels, charting basal body temperatures, viewing ultrasound and X-ray studies, or looking directly into the abdominal cavity with laparoscopy or into the uterus through hysteroscopy.

An imbalance between male and female hormones can cause an excessive growth of dark, male-type hair over the face, chest, breasts and lower abdomen of a woman. The condition is called hirsutism. It can be a sign of problems with ovulation (polycystic ovaries), and occasionally it indicates the presence of a tumor of the pituitary gland, the ovary, or the adrenal gland. Measuring the hormone level helps the physician determine the cause. Treatments vary, but oral contraceptive pills frequently help women who do not want to become pregnant.

After childbirth, the breasts normally produce milk, and many women breast-feed their infants. When the breasts produce milk at times other than childbirth, the condition is called galactorrhea. It is usually a sign of hormonal imbalance. Galactorrhea can be caused by thyroid disease, pituitary gland tumors, or drugs. Thyroid hormone tests, prolactin hormone measurements and special X-rays of the pituitary gland can be used to detect the cause. Medications such as bromocriptine, Parlodel, are frequently successful in treating galactorrhea.