High estrogen in women is becoming increasingly common. Here’s everything you need to know about this condition and what you can do
At any point in time, a hormone imbalance can affect many aspects of your overall health and can cause you to be confused as to what is actually the problem. Unlike other diseases and conditions, a hormone imbalance does not manifest in the form of a single physical symptom but has multiple ways of showing up.
Here is everything you need to know about high estrogen and how to tackle it.
What is Estrogen?
Going back to the basics of genders and hormonal differences between the sexes, estrogen is the female hormone that is present in higher concentrations in women.
Testosterone is the male hormone that is present in higher concentrations in males. These hormones are responsible for the secondary sexual characteristics of both genders and have a role to play in the development of the sexual organs.
Hormones, such as estrogen, testosterone, cortisol and insulin are created by endocrine glands and work as chemical messengers throughout your body to accomplish a wide range of important physical and chemical functions – from turning on/off hunger cues to running your reproductive systems, and even influencing emotional states and mood.
What are the Causes of High Estrogen in women?
Hormonal imbalances are created by a combination of lifestyle factors — such as diet, exercise, environment, genetics, stress, and exposure to xenotoxins from plastics, makeup, cleaning supplies and even residual pesticides in food. Some of the major causes of hormonal imbalances include:
- Estrogen replacement therapy that is done during menopause
- Birth control and contraceptives
- Certain antibiotics
- Drugs that are used to treat emotional disorders
- Certain foods
- Cosmetics or skin care products
It is essential that this condition be diagnosed at the earliest as if allowed to proceed, it could affect the person’s physiological and psychological well being.
What are the Symptoms of High Estrogen in Women?
The symptoms of high estrogen are widespread and some of these are common to other hormonal imbalances too. Pay attention to these.
- Mood swings: With a hormonal imbalance come mood swings wherein the person shifts abruptly from a low state followed by anxiety and irritability.
- Headaches
- Bloating: This condition occurs when the abdomen is filled with air or gas and when felt, has a tight distended feel.
- Hair loss: During menopause the levels of estrogen are low. This contributes to thinning of hair and in some cases hair loss. The hormones estrogen and progesterone are responsible for hair growth. Thus, with a decline in their levels during menopause, the hair is affected.
- Irregular menstrual periods: The menstrual cycle varies for different women with respect to the duration of the period, the intensity of the bleeding, the frequency of each period etc. High estrogen in women causes irregular menstrual periods.
- Weight gain: The most common symptom caused by hormone level imbalance is weight gain. When the hormone levels are managed, the weight too can be managed. If you are looking to lose weight, detox and weight loss are coupled at Melbourne’s premier My Vital Health Solutions.
What are the High Estrogen Symptoms in Men?
In men, the hormone testosterone is predominant. However, there are fair amounts of estrogen too and the two in sync account for proper growth and development.
In males, the following symptoms are indicative of high estrogen:
- Gynecomastia: The development of breasts in males. This occurs when the hormone estrogen is present in concentrations higher than what they should be.
- Infertility: In order for a good sperm count and quality, the estrogen hormone should be controlled. If this is higher than testosterone levels, this can contribute to infertility.
- Erectile dysfunction: Men who have a heightened amount of estrogen cannot hold an erection for a long time.
How does Naturopathy Diagnose High Estrogen?
My Vital Health Solutions is a naturopathy clinic that treats the body as a whole. Instead of addressing the symptoms, there is a focus on the root cause.
In order to determine if a person has high estrogen levels, a hormone panel is done. The sex hormones can also be measured by a saliva test. This is a non-invasive test and once it is determined if the estrogen levels are high, therapy can begin.
At My Vital Health Solutions, naturopath Domenic Pisanelli will recommend dietary changes and lifestyle changes to support the therapy to balance hormone levels. Since estrogen is a hormone, the levels are very responsive to external factors, diet, exercise, etc.
What are the other conditions that My Vital Health Solutions can help with?
Naturopathy is a natural way of letting your body function better. There is a range of conditions for which you can find help here at My Vital Health Solutions.
Some of these are:
- Adrenal dysfunction
- Diabetes
- Digestive problems
- Gluten sensitivity
- Fatigue
- Regenerative medicine
Why is Naturopathy Gaining Immense Attention?
A form of alternative medicine, naturopathy aims to put into focus a holistic approach of dealing with diseases and conditions, eliminating the need for surgery, focusing on the entire state of well-being of a person – physical and emotional.
The beauty of naturopathy is that there are no side effects and thus, the only probable result is that you will receive the help you are seeking. Naturopath Domenic Pisanelli has helped so many others in their journey to get better.
You may have noticed that health is not a one-size-fits-all subject. There is a different approach needed for every person that is suited to their daily lifestyles. You can rest assured that this personalised kind of approach to health is followed at My Vital Health Solutions.
You will begin to see the difference once you pay attention to your diet and the products you use in your usual lifestyle.
It is easy to fall into unhealthy habits, whether these are smoking, binge eating, excessive drinking etc. It is also easy to fail to see how these have an effect on health.
It’s time to set that right. Let us help you.
Domenic Pisanelli
Domenic Pisanelli is a qualified Naturopath and has helped hundreds of people regain their health back as an experienced naturopath with over 18 years of clinical experience.