Low estrogen levels in women can cause symptoms including irregular periods, hot flashes, painful sex, headaches, mood swings, and more. The most common cause of low estrogen is menopause. But too much exercise, disordered eating, or complications with your ovaries could also lead to lower levels.
Low estrogen levels can impact many aspects of overall health and wellbeing, including physical, emotional, and sexual health. They may also increase the risk of serious conditions, including heart disease, osteoporosis, and obesity.
Signs & Symptoms of Low Estrogen
Weight gain. Thinning hair. Dry skin/lips. Vaginal dryness (which may make sexual intercourse painful)
B Vitamins
Because B vitamins play a vital role in the creation of estrogen, low levels of B vitamins can result in reduced production of estrogen. Vitamins B2 and B6, in particular, are associated with healthy estrogen levels.
In perimenopause, the first stage of menopause, estrogen levels begin to decline. Some health conditions can also decrease estrogen. In females, any condition that affects the ovaries may decrease estrogen levels. In males, conditions that cause low testosterone may also cause low estrogen.
Lack of estrogen may also cause the body to use starches and blood sugar less effectively, which would increase fat storage and make it harder to lose weight. Other age-related factors. As women age, many other changes happen that contribute to weight gain.
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.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Grasp 4-5 inches of the muscle between your thumb and first finger. Inject the hormone by inserting the needle at a 90 degree angle, and pushing the plunger. FOR SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTIONS: The most common locations for injections in the fat is the stomach and the outer thigh.
Vitamin B12 it is used to break down estrogen so that it can be excreted from the body. As a result, women with B12 deficiency may experience infertility or irregular cycles because high estrogen levels can cause lack of ovulation, embryo implantation failure, and difficulty maintaining pregnancy.
When the levels of estrogen and progesterone drop, hair grows more slowly and becomes much thinner. A decrease in these hormones also triggers an increase in the production of androgens, or a group of male hormones. Androgens shrink hair follicles, resulting in hair loss on the head.
Blood tests – At-home estrogen blood tests are quick and easy. You just need to prick your finger and collect a small blood sample in a vial. After that, you can send your sample to a lab for testing. Urine tests – Estrogen tests that use urine take a little longer to administer.
Everyone experiences treatment differently, with some patients reporting an improvement in symptoms within days, and others reporting relief after two to three weeks. On average, however, the full effect of treatment is expected by the eighth week.
Fatigue and Sleep Issues
Estrogen is intimately linked to serotonin, and serotonin makes melatonin. Melatonin is the primary sleep hormone. This means, if you've been sleeping less and feeling fatigued, you could have low estrogen.
Estrogen imbalance: Vitamin D deficiency may lead to lowered estrogen levels, which can cause depression, hot flashes, mood swings and more. Impaired immune system: Vitamin D deficiency may lead to an impaired immune system, putting women at an increased risk of infection and illness.
Estrogen stimulates the body's production of collagen and oils, which keep the skin naturally moisturized through most of a woman's life. Once your estrogen levels begin to decline, your body's ability to produce oil slows down, leaving your skin dry and itchy.
Low estrogen levels can interfere with sexual development and sexual functions. They can also increase your risk for obesity, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. Treatments have evolved over the years and become more effective.
It depends on your situation. Not all women need, want or are candidates for estrogen therapy. 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 levels rise during the mid-follicular phase and then drop precipitously after ovulation. This is followed by a secondary rise in estrogen levels during the mid-luteal phase with a decrease at the end of the menstrual cycle.