Hormone Replacement Therapy
Whether you’re a woman or man, estrogen dominance may affect all of us at one point or another as we age.
When your body is dominant in estrogen, your estrogen levels are abundant, but your progesterone or testosterone levels are lacking in comparison.
More common in women, this type of hormonal imbalance may cause several unwanted symptoms.
The Role of Estrogen
The sex hormone estrogen has many vital functions in the human body.
The function of estrogen throughout the human life cycle has been linked with bone health, reproductive capacity (including menstrual cycles), mental wellbeing, and fat distribution patterns.
Estrogen plays a role in cardiovascular and immune health in both sexes, slowing the aging process and contributing to proper cognitive function.
In women, estrogen helps to ready the body for pregnancy.
In men, it helps with the development of sperm.
During a menstruating woman’s monthly cycle, estrogen levels naturally fluctuate.
For women going through menopause, estrogen may be present but at much lower levels, leading to dryness in the vagina or beard growth on the face.
In men, estrogen levels begin to increase with age as testosterone levels slowly decrease.
The Role of Progesterone
Progesterone is a hormone secreted by the female reproductive system. It regulates various aspects of women’s health, including menstrual cycle length and menopause symptoms such as hot flashes or mood swings.
It has a similar role as estrogen but also affects sleep quality, blood sugar balance, and energy levels.
In men, the adrenal glands and testes produce progesterone, which also helps produce testosterone.
It’s also essential for sex drive, energy, and sperm production.
Progesterone also affects metabolism and can help burn fat. It can also help maintain muscle mass, vital for overall health and wellbeing.
All these roles make progesterone a vital hormone for men and women.
Identifying a Hormone Imbalance: Common Causes
Do you feel moody and tired a lot of the time, yet you have difficulty sleeping? Are you gaining weight no matter what you try in the diet and exercise department?
Several factors cause estrogen dominance that may be the cause of your condition.
Chronic stress is the most common. Being too stressed out can cause your adrenal glands to become fatigued. This condition causes your progesterone supply to become used up.
Poor gastrointestinal health can also cause a problem if there is an imbalance of gut flora. If your liver is deficient in vitamins and minerals, it cannot correctly metabolize estrogen out of your body.
Environmental toxins may also contribute. These artificial chemicals are stored in your fat cells and mimic estrogen but have dangerous health risks.
Low progesterone or lack of ovulation during the luteal phase may also be the culprit. If your body doesn’t have enough progesterone, it can’t ovulate or maintain a pregnancy.
Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance in Women
Having too much estrogen and not enough progesterone in your body creates an imbalance that may be expressed as any of the following undesired symptoms:
- Feeling Irritable
- Mood Swings
- Low Sex Drive
- Irregular Menstrual Periods
- Increased PMS Symptoms
- Gaining Weight
- Feeling Anxious
- Heavy or Irregular Periods
- Bloating
- Losing Hair
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Fertility Problems
- Trouble Remembering Details
- Night Sweats and Hot Flashes
Estrogen dominance affects bodily functions such as sugar metabolism, how your body builds up and breaks down fat molecules, and how much energy you have.
It even has an influence on neurotransmitter production, which may lead to anxiety and depression.
Those who have estrogen dominance have a higher chance of developing thyroid dysfunction, uterine fibroids, and even breast cancer.
What Can Be Done to Help?
There are a few minor changes that you can make that may help your body make a healthier shift away from estrogen dominance. Here is how you can get started.
- Get Moving: Exercise is known to support all of your body’s natural metabolic processes. When you have a healthy weight and lean muscle mass, maintaining healthy hormone production becomes easier for your body.
- Manage Stress: Your body produces increased cortisol when stressed out. To produce cortisol, it requires progesterone. This causes your progesterone levels to decrease, leading to estrogen dominance. Find your favorite ways to manage stress, and implement them into your life as much as possible.
- Limit Exposure to Chemicals: Chemicals that interfere with hormone production are endocrine disrupters. These chemicals can have similar effects as estrogen in the body. Decrease your exposure to these types of chemicals by limiting your usage of the following: parabens, food colorings, plastics, chlorine-containing cleaning products, and limiting processed foods.
- Eat More Fruits and Vegetables: The foods that you choose to consume should provide you with the nutrients that you need for your body to break down and excrete hormones. Eating veggies, fruits, and whole grains support healthy hormone metabolism. Specifically, fiber and B-vitamins both play an essential role in the process.
BHRT for Estrogen Dominance
Making all of the above changes can help, but there is something much more powerful in the arsenal that will effectively bring your body back into balance. BHRT involves taking bioidentical hormones derived from plants to safely and naturally balance your hormones. These bioidentical hormones mimic your body’s natural hormones so that your symptoms begin to improve quickly with treatment.
Where to Begin
You should only get bioidentical hormones from a trusted, reputable clinic with years of experience helping women and men.
Renew® Health & Wellness has been providing this service for years, helping women and men achieve their wellness goals with compassion.
Why not give us a call and find out more about us?
