Estrogen dominance is a term found all over the internet these days. I have had a lot of women ask about it. So what exactly is estrogen dominance?
Some women may have too much estrogen (or too much of the wrong type of estrogen), which leads to estrogen dominance. Too much estrogen can be caused by high levels of stress, hormone imbalances or genetics. If you have too much estrogen in addition to a decrease in progesterone, you can get double the estrogen ‘dominance’.
The Types of Estrogen
Women produce three types of estrogen, all varying in strengths. Most estrogen receptors are in our breasts and uterine tissue, but we also have them in our skin and on our thyroid. The three estrogen levels need to be looked at in relation to each other, as the stronger more potent form can be higher than the weaker estrogens. This leads to symptoms of estrogen dominance. The estrogen levels also have to be looked at in relation to the other female hormones, most importantly progesterone. The estrogens may look normal, however, low progesterone may produce the same symptoms of high estrogen.
A Decline in Progesterone Levels
Progesterone levels decline in times of stress and with aging. I often say that the progesterone is more delicate. This means that if the ratio of estrogen to progesterone decreases, women can oftentimes start experiencing symptoms. These symptoms include PMS, irregular periods, breast tenderness, fatigue and more.
If you are having hormonal symptoms, be sure to get your hormone levels and ratios checked. Contact us today to learn more!