Estrogen is a powerful and necessary hormone in the functioning of the female body. However, estrogen imbalance can also be the culprit behind many unpleasant feelings that women experience. Estrogen comes in three forms. Estradiol, the form of estrogen made before menopause, Estrone, the form of estrogen made after menopause and Estriol, the form of estrogen created during metabolism.
So how does one know if they have an estrogen imbalance? Well, a hormone test is a surefire way of keeping abreast of what’s going on with the health of your hormones. But, certain symptoms can be a clear indication that you are experiencing either estrogen dominance or low estrogen.
If your estrogen levels are abnormal (high or low), talk to your healthcare provider about solutions that may be right for you, including managing the imbalance, naturally.
Low estrogen usually occurs as the body moves into
Signs of low estrogen
- hot flashes/night sweats
- insomnia
- low libido
- depression
- irregular periods
- Heart palpitation
- vaginal dryness
- painful sexual intercourse
- hair loss
- bone loss
- brain fog
- headaches
- dry skin
- dry eyes
- infertility (prior to menopause)
Factors that can cause low estrogen
- eating disorders (anorexia)
- turner’s Syndrome
- kidney disease
- POI (premature ovarian insufficiency): genetic/autoimmune
Other causes of low estrogen
- extreme dieting/yo-yo dieting
- genetics: hormonal issues
- ovarian cysts
- pituitary gland problems
- excessive exercising
Dixie Lincoln- Nichols is a biological science educator, health and wellbeing consultant and Qigong instructor. Her work has been featured in media outlets like, Oprah Mag, SELF, Yahoo and more. She is the founder of Inside Outer Beauty Market, a multi-cultutal retailer curating and creating products to support the body inside and out. Visit the site at www.iobeautymarket.com