“Basically, if you haven’t got those army of cells ready to fight off oncoming bugs, it’s easy to get infections,” says Dr Newson. “That’s especially true when it comes to our urethra as it’s so small and delicate. Without a thick layer of tissues with a good blood supply cushioning the area, any bit of friction can quite easily lead to pain and urinary tract infection.”

Dizziness or lightheadedness

Experiencing bouts of dizziness can be disorienting and unsettling, especially if it seems to happen out of nowhere. If it’s not down to a hangover, lack of sleep or skipping breakfast, it might be worth considering the role that your hormones could play in these unexplained dizzy spells.

Dr Newson explains that fluctuations or imbalances in hormone levels can “disrupt essential bodily functions like blood pressure regulation and fluid balance”, leading to unexpected bouts of instability and lightheadedness.

Whether it’s hormonal changes during your menstrual cycle, imbalances related to stress or other underlying hormone-related issues, you might want to factor hormones into your investigations if you’re regularly spinning out without warning. Whatever happens, don’t just chalk it down to blood sugar dips; that’s not normal either (if you don’t have diabetes or PCOS), so again, get it checked out.

“I’m a women’s health GP, and these are the 5 common signs of hormonal imbalance that I want more women to be aware of”