When Your Hormones Are Trying to Tell You Something
Irregular cycles, stubborn acne, unexplained mood swings — too often brushed aside as 'just how you are'. Frequently, they are signals worth listening to.
Hormonal conditions in women are among the most commonly under-recognised in medicine, partly because their symptoms are easy to attribute to lifestyle, stress, or simply being busy. Yet conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), raised prolactin, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are well-defined, well-understood, and — importantly — manageable once they are correctly identified.
PCOS affects roughly one in ten women of reproductive age, and is characterised by some combination of irregular or absent periods, signs of excess androgens (such as jawline acne or unwanted hair growth), and difficulty conceiving. There is no single test; diagnosis comes from putting the picture together. Raised prolactin — a hormone most people associate only with breastfeeding — can quietly disrupt periods and fertility, and is confirmed with a simple blood test. PMDD, meanwhile, is far more than 'bad PMS': it is severe, cyclical mood disturbance in the two weeks before a period that lifts once bleeding begins.
What these conditions share is a tendency to be normalised. Many women are told their symptoms are simply part of being a woman. They are not. Tracking your cycle and your symptoms over a couple of months — and bringing that record to an appointment — can transform a vague conversation into a focused one.
- 01Periods that are irregular, very heavy, very painful, or absent
- 02Acne along the jawline, excess facial or body hair, or scalp thinning
- 03Severe mood changes that reliably track your cycle
- 04Difficulty conceiving, or milky nipple discharge unrelated to feeding
If your cycle has changed, your skin or hair has changed, or your mood shifts predictably before your period, these are reasonable reasons to ask for assessment. A symptom-and-cycle diary is one of the most useful things you can bring.