What is estrogen dominance?
Estrogen dominance refers to a condition where a woman has excessive estrogens in relation to progesterone. This hormonal imbalance can lead to various symptoms like weight gain, headaches, mood changes, and irregular periods.
Some key things to know:
- Causes - Factors that can contribute to estrogen dominance include chronic stress, poor diet, environmental toxins like plastics, and health conditions that affect hormone levels.
- Testing - Getting tested for hormone levels through blood, saliva, or urine tests can help determine if estrogen dominance is present. This allows for proper treatment.
- Symptoms - In addition to issues like weight gain and menstrual irregularities, symptoms may include fatigue, anxiety, fibrocystic breasts, and low libido.
- Treatment - Approaches involve restoring balance between estrogens and progesterone. Lifestyle changes to lower excess estrogens can help significantly. Optimal Hormone Wellness Center provides customized bioidentical hormone therapy to help resolve estrogen dominance through proper hormone balancing.
Now let's explore this common hormonal disorder among women in more detail:
Estrogens vs Progesterone
There are three main estrogens - estradiol, estriol, and estrone. Estrogen peaks right before ovulation, then progesterone peaks after ovulation if pregnancy occurs. Estrogen dominance is an imbalance between estrogens and progesterone, where the former is higher.
This disproportion leads to issues like:
- Weight gain
- Fibroids
- Heavy periods
- Migraines
- Mood swings
- Infertility
Causes of Estrogen Dominance
Why does estrogen dominance develop in the first place? Main reasons include:
- Chronic stress
- Obesity
- Birth control pills
- Xenohormones from plastics
- Soy consumption
- Insulin resistance
- Ovarian cysts or tumors
- Perimenopause
Many factors of modern life conspire to raise estrogen levels to unhealthy levels. Getting to the root issues is key, along with proper testing and treatment.
Treatment Options
If testing confirms estrogen dominance, treatment aims to rebalance hormones for optimal health. Options include:
- Stress management with meditation, yoga
- Avoiding xenoestrogens
- Improving insulin sensitivity through diet
- Bioidentical hormones like progesterone to counter estrogen
- Optimal Hormone Wellness Center specializes in customized bioidentical hormone replacement therapy to resolve hormone imbalance issues like estrogen dominance through proper testing and treatment planning.
I hope this overview gives you a good understanding of what estrogen dominance involves, its symptoms and causes, and how it can be properly treated! Let me know if you have any other questions.