Oestrogen levels vary throughout the menstrual cycle and fall after menopause. Having too much oestrogen can increase your risk of blood clots and stroke. Having too little oestrogen can increase your risk of weak bones and menopause symptoms.
Your body needs estrogen for your reproductive, cardiovascular and bone health. Too much estrogen, though, can cause irregular periods and may worsen conditions that affect your reproductive health. Your provider can help diagnose what's causing your high estrogen levels and recommend treatments that can help.
Too little estrogen can lead to a low sex drive. Too much of it can cause infertility and erectile dysfunction. Excessive estrogen can cause gynecomastia, or enlarged breasts.
As estrogen levels drastically change in perimenopause, high levels can cause bloating, breast tenderness, and heavy bleeding. Once these levels become more consistently low, that can cause hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, changes in fat distribution (new or growing “spare tire”), insomnia, and fatigue.
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).
The body needs a suitable balance of estrogen and other sex hormones for health. High estrogen levels may cause weight gain, low mood, and severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in females. In males, it may lead to erectile dysfunction. Estrogen is considered a female sex hormone.
High estrogen levels can contribute to, or worsen, several conditions, including [1]: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) Breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer. Tumors in the adrenal glands and ovaries.
Estrogen is good for your heart by keeping cardiovascular tissue healthy. It also helps with keeping your blood pressure stable. And when your estrogen levels are high, it helps keep blood triglycerides (a type of fat) low, increases HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and lowers LDL cholesterol (the bad kind).
Genes associated with follicle growth were not significantly altered by vitamin D3. However, it increases expression of genes involved in the estrogen-biosynthesis. Further, estrogen concentrations in porcine granulosa cell-cultured media increased in response to vitamin D3.
“High-estradiol women were considered significantly more physically attractive by themselves and others,” Durante and colleagues wrote. The high-estrogen women also reported more sexual behavior -- especially outside of a relationship, although it was not linked to one-night stands.
Studies have revealed that decreased estrogen levels in the postmenopausal stage may speed up skin complications and signs of aging, such as dryness, wrinkles, and delayed wound healing.
However, modern low dose and ultra-low-dose formulations of combination birth control pills contain 20 or less micrograms of estrogen. These pills seem to be just as effective as regular birth control pills but cause fewer side effects from estrogen, such as bloating, tender breasts, and nausea.
When estrogen is balanced, the right amount of fat helps carry out female reproductive functions. However, when there's too little or too much estrogen, weight gain often results. Overweight women typically have high amounts of estrogen, as do women in the first half of pregnancy.
Anxiety and worry can disrupt daily activities, and hormonal imbalances such as serotonin or cortisol may be the root cause. Fluctuations in estrogen can also cause heightened anxiety.
Symptoms of low estrogen
As a person gets close to menopause, they may notice symptoms such as irregular periods, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness. Other symptoms of low estrogen, which may happen during or outside of menopause, include : absent or irregular periods. bone fractures due to osteoporosis.
An estrogen test can measure all three: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3). Your provider will do a simple blood draw and send it to a lab for analysis. Estrone (E1) is the primary hormone your body produces during menopause and postmenopause.
Estrogens have multiple influences that contribute to heat dissipation and a lower body temperature, while the influence of progesterone appears to primarily increase body temperature. Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone across the menstrual cycle can alter the level at which body temperature is regulated.
Many women notice an increase in belly fat as they get older even if they don't gain weight. This is likely due to a lower level of estrogen because estrogen seems to have an effect on where fat is located in the body. Genes can contribute to an individual's chances of being overweight or obese too.
High estrogen levels can negatively impact reproductive health, have unpleasant symptoms, and escalate the risk of certain diseases [6]. Elevated estrogen levels in women have been linked to conditions such as polyps, fibroids, PCOS, endometriosis pain, and ovarian tumors [1].