Symptoms of High Testosterone Levels in Women

Testosterone is usually a male sexuality steroid that stimulates growth of the male sexual organs. It also leads to a deepened voice, growth of facial and pubic hair and increased sexual behavior. Testosterone is made in the testes of the men and the ovaries of the women.

Hair Growth

• When women have abnormally high testosterone levels, it leads to an increased amount of hair growth, especially on the face and the chest. The woman's facial hair may become thicker and darker and actually look like a beard.

Virilization

• Even though it is rare, some women with extremely high levels of testosterone may experience what is known as virilization. This means, the muscle mass of the person increases along with redistribution of body fat, enlargement of the woman's clitoris and a distribution of body fat.

Other Symptoms

• There may be a variety of other symptoms included with high testosterone levels in women. These symptoms include the deepening of the woman's voice, baldness on the woman's head, rapid weight gain, acne and excessive sweating.

Causes

• One of the main causes of high testosterone in females is the imbalance of hormones in a woman. This imbalance can happen to anyone of any age; however, it most often happens to women in their thirties. This imbalance is often caused by an adrenal gland disorders and other ovarian problems. The most common disease associated with this is polycystic ovarian syndrome. This causes high testosterone.

Tests

• If you are concerned that you may have high levels of testosterone, an endocrinologist can test your blood levels. If they are high in testosterone, seek a diagnosis from a doctor.