Is estrogen or progesterone better? Estrogen and progesterone are both equally important for the healthy functions of the body. If they're at proper levels, these two hormones can support your optimal health and wellbeing. The only time this question may be relevant is in regards to hormonal contraception.
Unopposed estrogen is called estrogen dominance in some medical literature. Without progesterone's balancing influence, estrogen can work overtime in your body and cause cell overgrowths, like tumors in your uterine lining.
Typically, progesterone and estrogen are both used for menopausal hormone therapy. This is because estrogen alone can make the lining of your uterus thicker, which can increase the risk for endometrial cancer. Of course, in some cases you might take progesterone on its own without estrogen.
While important, it's vital we do not ignore progesterone. In fact, it's our body's most protective hormone (more on that later)! Progesterone is a hormone in the body that provides many beneficial effects for women; it protects our brain, bone, uterine and breast tissue.
Estrogen helps protect the heart from disease, potentially by maintaining higher levels of good cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), in your blood. Lower estrogen levels, especially during menopause, can increase your risk of developing heart disease.
Progesterone is necessary for pregnancy because it gets the uterus ready to accept, implant, and maintain a fertilized egg. The hormone prevents muscle contractions from happening in the uterus that would cause a woman's body to reject an egg.
Progesterone is used along with estrogen. Taking estrogen without progesterone increases your risk for cancer of the endometrium (the lining of the uterus).
The bottom line is that progesterone-alone may be a useful treatment for relieving hot flash and night sweat symptoms of menopause, although more investigation is needed. Many of the benefit and harms of hormone therapy may turn out to depend on the type of hormone, who's using it, in what form, when and for how long.
Symptoms of low estrogen can include: Hot flashes, flushes, and night sweats are the most common symptoms of low estrogen. At times, blood rushes to your skin's surface. This can give you a feeling of warmth (hot flash).
Estrogen can reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. If you have a uterus, you'll likely need to take progesterone along with the estrogen. Estrogen without progesterone increases the risk of uterine cancer.
Having low progesterone can lead to having too much estrogen, which can cause symptoms like: Weight gain. Depression. Heavy menstrual bleeding.
To relieve the symptoms of menopause, doctors may prescribe hormone therapy. This can involve the use of either estrogen alone or with another hormone called progesterone, or progestin in its synthetic form (See Box 1.). The two hormones normally help to regulate a woman's menstrual cycle.
The progestogen-only pill can be used by women who can't use contraception that contains oestrogen. For example, because they have high blood pressure, have had previous blood clots, are overweight or smoke after the age of 35. You must take the progestogen-only pill at the same time each day.
The main function of progesterone is to prepare the endometrium (lining of your uterus) for a fertilized egg to implant and grow. If a pregnancy doesn't occur, the endometrium sheds during your menstrual period. If conception occurs, progesterone increases to support the pregnancy.
This is because estrogen alone, when not balanced by progesterone, can stimulate growth of the lining of the uterus, increasing the risk of endometrial cancer. If you have had your uterus removed (hysterectomy), you may not need to take progestin.
Using large doses of this medicine over a long period of time and using it with an estrogen medicine may increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, or dementia. Talk with your doctor about these risks. Your risk of heart disease or stroke from this medicine is higher if you smoke.
It is possible to get pregnant with high estrogen levels, however, there is an increased likelihood that you will suffer difficulties with conception if you are living with high estrogen.
Follicular-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
Estrogen peaks in the days leading up to ovulation. This is your most fertile period. At the same time, estrogen thins your cervical mucus, a fluid sperm has to swim through to reach and fertilize an egg. These estrogen-induced changes make it easier for you to become pregnant if you have intercourse.
Estrogen acts everywhere in the body, including the parts of the brain that control emotion. Some of estrogen's effects include: Increasing serotonin, and the number of serotonin receptors in the brain. Modifying the production and the effects of endorphins, the "feel-good" chemicals in the brain.