What is Estrogen?

Estrogen refers to any one hormone in a specific chemically similar group called the estrogenic hormones. This group consists of estradiol (the most abundant hormone premenopausally and the most potent), estrone and estriol. The hormones are normally produced mainly the ovaries, but can also be produced in the adrenal glands and fat tissue from testosterone. With the onset of menopause, ovarian estradiol declines and estrone becomes the primary hormone. However, many women with insulin resistance and excess body fat continue to have higher levels of estradiol as well. This can lead to an imbalance with progesterone and an increased risk of certain cancers. It is important to maintain a healthy body weight and monitor intake of simple sugars. Estriol is a breakdown product of estradiol and is usually high during pregnancy. While it is largely considered a female hormone, estrogen is also produced in males.

What does Estrogen do?

The main role of estrogenic hormones in the female body is to stimulate the growth and development of sexual characteristics and reproduction. Essentially, natural estrogen is responsible for the changes in breasts during adolescence and pregnancy including the development of milk ducts for lactation, and for the growth of the uterine lining in the first part of the menstrual cycle, and it also serves to regulate several metabolic processes including cholesterol levels and bone growth. During ovulation, estrogen helps create a more hospitable environment for sperm in order to increase the chances of pregnancy. Estrogen receptors are found on the heart and in the brain so it helps with memory. Also, estrogen is important for sustaining sleep. Interestingly, estrogen is important for sexual desire in women and men – so men need a little bit too!

Menopause and Estrogen

Since hormones interact, the low or high level of estrogen hormone in the body can start to cause problems with other hormones, namely progesterone. Often, early perimenopause symptoms are characteristic of progesterone deficiency rather than low estrogen. This imbalance is one of the main causes of the menopause symptoms that women experience. Progesterone and estrogen counteract and balance one another out, any kind of deficiency or excess of either hormone may cause unpleasant results.

Low Estrogen: In Need of Estrogen Replacement Therapy

Menopause is characterized by widely fluctuating estrogen levels. This often causes the common symptoms of hot flashes and breast tenderness. As the ovaries fail in later menopause, estrogen hormonal levels may start to decline, causing difficulty with sleeping, hot flashes, memory issues and breast tenderness. Over the course of our lives, our bones naturally break down. Normally, estrogen repairs this breakage with new bone growth. However, with declining estrogen levels, there is less bone growth and an increased chance of osteoporosis.

Low natural estrogen also causes low libido or diminished sex drive because vaginal walls become thinner and drier with the lack of the hormone; thus resulting in painful intercourse. Orgasms also become harder to reach and less intense. A lack of estrogen can also cause other skin changes in women. Reduced estrogen causes a reduction in collagen (which is responsible for building skin and connective tissue) and that can lead to thinner, dryer and wrinkled skin. Bioidentical estrogen replacement therapy is the prescribed solution for this condition.

These, and many other aspects of aging, are considered inevitable when in fact, they can be managed or relieved through hormone therapy. Aging is a symptom of hormone imbalance. Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and memory loss are among the other symptoms of too little estrogen.

Estrogen Dominance

Too little estrogen is not always the issue in menopause. Often, the body has too much of the hormone, causing natural estrogen dominance. This is often due to dietary, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Certain foods include xenohormones (hormones taken outside of the body) which can throw of hormone balance. Xenoestrogen is a big contributor to estrogen dominance. Low progesterone, which can be attributed to high stress, is also a typical issue in estrogen dominance. When your body is stressed, it produces higher amounts of the hormone cortisol in an effort to control the stress on the body. The increased cortisol reduces progesterone levels which can cause estrogen dominance.

Symptoms of too much estrogen include anxiety, allergies, breast tenderness, fatigue, headaches, weight gain and more.

The Solution

BodyLogicMD bioidentical hormone therapy starts by measuring the estrogen hormone levels in your body using a comprehensive saliva, blood, urine and serum test. By determining your baseline levels, our highly trained physicians will customize a natural hormone therapy replacement plan specifically for each woman based on her individual needs. If your body lacks normal levels of estrogen, your BodyLogicMD bioidentical hormone therapy physician will start you on bioidentical estrogen replacement therapy. In an optimal situation, your body’s hormones work together in concert; a change in one hormone inevitably changes others. By determining your exact hormone levels and using bioidentical hormone replacement, in combination with a fitness and nutrition program, many of our patients enjoy success.