What Causes Brain Fog
“Brain fog” is a common complaint even though this is not a true medical term. It is a commonly reported symptom with many potential underlying causes. Women in perimenopause and after menopause report more memory complaints and difficulty concentrating than premenopausal women. Declining estrogen levels may be to blame, but other factors may play a role. Perimenopausal and post-menopausal women often have trouble sleeping and experience hot flashes and increased depression. These, in turn, may contribute to brain fog. Thyroid disease is another common cause of brain fog. See your doctor if you are experiencing brain fog so you can find out and treat the root cause. If declining estrogen levels are to blame, hormone therapy may offer some relief and restore hormonal balance.
Why Choose Focal Point Vitality For Hormone Therapy For Women
Focal Point Vitality is a top provider of hormone therapy in Phoenix and the surrounding valley, and we offer a diverse range of options to choose from. Our estrogen treatments use bioidentical hormones for the best possible results, supporting your bodys natural function and aiming for an ideal balance. Whether you opt for treatment in the form of pills, patches, or creams, you can be confident that youre receiving the best HRT Phoenix has to offer.
But beyond the quality of our treatment options, Focal Point Vitality is also committed to caring for every guest as an individual not just any other client on our list. Customized care is the foundation of our Phoenix age management clinic, and our goal is to support you in achieving the best version of your happiest, healthiest self.
Youre Getting Frequent Headaches
Its a known fact that people with uteruses are more likely to get headaches and migraines overall the hormonal reasons why this is arent super well understood, but fluctuations in estrogen levels are one potential reason. You might notice that you get headaches during your luteal phase, right before your period starts, when your estrogen is at its lowest during your cycle. If your estrogen is low throughout your cycle, it could lead to more headaches, but its important to check with a doctor to make sure your headaches dont have another, potentially more serious cause.
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How Do I Stay Healthy After Menopause
It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially as you age and your risk for certain medical conditions increases. Some ways for people in postmenopause to stay healthy include:
- Exercising regularly. Walking, doing yoga or strength training can help lower your risk for many medical conditions.
- Weight-bearing exercises can strengthen your bones and muscles.
- Eating a healthy diet. Foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains should make up the bulk of your diet. Avoid lots of salt or sugar and limit your consumption of alcohol.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Going through menopause can be uncomfortable and present new challenges and health concerns. Speak with your healthcare provider about any symptoms you feel or questions you have. They can help make sure you are supported through this time and get the care you need.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 10/05/2021.
References
Progesterone Helps You Sleep Better
If you cant sleep or you dont get good quality sleep, hormone balance may be to blame. Progesterone is one compound released by the ovaries that helps you sleep. Low levels may make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. A small study in postmenopausal women found that 300 milligrams of progesterone restored normal sleep when sleep was disturbed. Estrogen levels decrease in perimenopause and after menopause. This may contribute to night sweats and hot flashes, which often disrupt a womans ability to sleep. See your doctor if you believe an imbalance in hormones is contributing to sleep problems.
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Causes Symptoms And Treatment
Estrogen is a hormone produced in the ovaries and commonly associated with the female reproductive system. However, it is also present in small amounts in mens bodies. Hormones are substances that regulate the activity of specific cells and organs. There are many hormones, many of which work together to release other regulatory hormones in the body.
Estrogen is considered a sex hormone because it regulates sexual development in females. There are also synthetic hormones used in supplementation for women with low hormone levelssuch as low estrogen.
Exacerbation Of Mental Health Problems
Estrogen is believed to have a protective effect on the brain. It appears to positively impact brain chemicals , cognition, and the ability to withstand stress. Dropping estrogen levels appear to be associated with an increased risk of psychosis. The age of menopause is associated with a second peak of schizophrenia onset in women. Results of preliminary research suggests selective estrogen receptor modulators may improve cognition and other symptoms in women who have psychiatric disorders. They may even reduce the frequency of manic episodes in women who have bipolar disorder. However, these drugs are not without potential risks. See your doctor if you believe decreasing estrogen levels are contributing to serious mental health symptoms.
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How Can You Test Your Estrogen Levels
Yes you can your doctor will test your estrogen levels through a blood test. A blood sample will be taken from a vein in your arm. Your doctor may test your oestrogen levels if you are experiencing symptoms such as:
- Hot flushes
- Irregular periods
- Dry skin
The best thing to do is to consult your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms. They will be able to send you for a blood test to determine exactly what is wrong. Once you are given a diagnosis, you will be able to begin receiving the right treatment to make you feel well again.
How Do I Know My Estrogen Levels Are Low Or High
As estrogen levels do fluctuate regularly throughout the cycle, its difficult to pinpoint a typical or normal level of estrogen because they tend to change almost every day . In saying that, when estrogen levels fluctuate or become low, you may experience a number of signs and symptoms. This can occur for a number of reasons – from an underlying condition or things such as age, or the use of certain medications.
Some common indicators of hormonal imbalance include:
- Irregular periods, heavier or lighter periods, or total cessation of periods
- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Feeling tired all of the time
- Mood changes
- Acne on the face, back or chest
- Hair growth on the face, chin and breasts
The most reliable way to check estrogen levels at home is with an at-home hormone test because its processed by a highly accredited network of laboratories. The process is simple:
Its recommended that you check your hormone levels if:
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Breast Changes Might Be An Estrogen Imbalance
Estrogen that is too high or too low may lead to changes in breast tissues. High estrogen may cause lumpy or dense breast tissue, even cysts. Estrogen levels that are too low may cause decreased breast tissue density. In one study, postmenopausal women who took estrogen plus progesterone hormone replacement therapy experienced an increase in breast density compared to women who took a placebo. Xenoestrogens are compounds that mimic estrogen function in the body. They are naturally occurring in some plants and fungi but they are also found in some drugs, industrial by-products, and pesticides. Non-naturally occurring xenoestrogens may produce a number of harmful effects in the body, including effects on breast density and the risk of breast cancer. They may also disrupt the endocrine system. If you notice any breast changes or are concerned about your estrogen levels, see your doctor for an evaluation.
What Causes Low Estrogen
It’s important to remember that all women will eventually suffer from low estrogen as they go through menopause.
In addition, all women will notice a slow and steady decline in estrogen as they age and this is also unavoidable.
These important factors cannot be changed and will always be playing some role in your estrogen level.
In most cases, women suffering from low estrogen tend to be older but that doesn’t mean that young women can’t experience low estrogen.
Low estrogen in young women is usually the result of some other pathological condition such as excessive exercise, severe dieting, pituitary problems and so on.
If you are a young woman it is NEVER normal for you to experience low estrogen.
You can find a list of potential causes of low estrogen below:
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What Are The Symptoms Of Low Estrogen
First off, it is worth saying that low estrogen symptoms can be also a result of smoking, hereditary predisposition, and excessive exercising. So, whenever a woman wants to prevent the fast onset of menopause, she should avoid such activities, and inform a dedicated expert about signature genetic details. In such a case, he will be able to appoint hormone replacement therapy or recommend health supplements that will stabilize the levels as much as possible. Besides, such treatment can alleviate the symptoms of low estrogen, and let the woman live a comfortable life.
Low Estrogen & Weight Gain
Does low estrogen lead to weight gain?
The answer is that yes, it absolutely has the potential to lead to weight gain .
This is well established in clinical studies which show that women who enter menopause gain on average around 15 pounds .
If you have a history of recent weight gain , you consume a lot of fat in your diet, your dietary intake of fiber is low, you consume alcohol regularly and/or you smoke, then you have a much higher risk of gaining weight.
The best way to avoid this weight gain that is often associated with menopause is to go into menopause as healthy as possible.
That means cleaning up your diet, avoiding gimmicky weight loss and fad diets, reducing or eliminating how much you drink and increasing your consumption of fruits and veggies.
We don’t know exactly why low estrogen causes weight gain, but it does appear that low estrogen results in changes to how your body metabolizes and uses fat .
These changes result in an increase in total body fat and a change in the distribution of how your fat is stored.
Women who enter menopause tend to gain more weight in general and the majority of that weight seems isolated to the stomach area.
Because it’s far more difficult to lose weight once you have it, the best solution is to try and prevent the weight gain from occurring.
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What Is Estrogen Pellet Therapy
Estrogen pellet therapy is a type of bio-identical hormone therapy designed to correct hormonal imbalances in women. With this unique hormone treatment, pellets the size of a grain of rice are inserted under the skin in the hip or buttock with a long, hollow needle. These pellets are slowly absorbed into the body, releasing a continuous flow of estrogen until they disintegrate completely.
Causes Of Estrogen Level Fluctuations
The levels of estrogen in women decrease as they approach menopause. Surgery to remove a womans ovaries can also lead to low estrogen levels. A womans estrogen levels may increase due to medications like birth control. Higher levels of the estrogen estradiol have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
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What About Testosterone
Although testosterone is thought of primarily as a male hormone, it is an important hormone for women, too. It is produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands and spikes around the time of ovulation .
Testosterone helps women maintain muscle mass and bone strength , enhances sex drive, and provides an overall sense of vitality. Just like with estrogen and progesterone production, the Goldilocks principle applies we want testosterone not to be too high or too low, but just right!
What Is Postmenopause
Postmenopause is a term to describe the time after someone has gone through menopause. When you’re in postmenopause, your menstrual period has been gone for longer than 12 consecutive months. At this stage in life, your reproductive years are behind you and you’re no longer ovulating . The menopausal symptoms youve experienced in the past may become milder or go away completely. However, some people continue to experience menopausal symptoms for a decade or longer after menopause.
There are three stages of menopause: perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause.
- Perimenopauseis the time leading up to menopause. It describes a time when hormones start to decline and menstrual cycles become erratic and irregular. You may start to experience side effects of menopause, like hot flashes or vaginal dryness.
- Menopause occurs when youve stopped producing the hormones that cause your menstrual period and have gone without a period for 12 months in a row. Once this has occurred, you enter postmenopause.
- Postmenopause is the time after menopause has occurred. Once this happens, you’re in postmenopause for the rest of your life. People in postmenopause are at an increased risk for certain health conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease.
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Bruising And Dry Skin
Estrogen plays an important role in the maintenance of your skin, as it stimulates the production of collagen and oils that keep it moist and tight. When levels of estrogen decline, this stimulation is reduced and your skin becomes drier and prone to bruising, and you may even break out into spots more often.
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Youre Having Trouble Sleeping And Feel Fatigued
Yale Medicine notes that estrogen has been linked to protective effects against sleep apnea, which is a condition where your oxygen flow gets blocked as you sleep. Because your oxygen flow is blocked, you wake up a bunch of times, sometimes imperceptibly, throughout the night, meaning you’re unable to access deep, restorative sleep.
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Find Out What Happens When Estrogen Runs Low And How To Fix It
Estrogen is likely the most widely known hormoneand possibly the most loved and hated. On the good side, it is responsible for the growth and development of female sexual characteristics and reproduction.
But, when it fluctuates wildlylike nearing puberty, during pregnancy and around menopausewomen can come to loathe what is typically thought of as a female hormone.
Men also produce estrogen, but its role in men is less clear. Women, however, may be very aware of the role of estrogen in their bodies.
Estrogen actually refers to a group of chemically similar hormones that includes estrone, estradiol and estriol. These hormones are produced in the ovaries, adrenal glands and fat tissues. They circulate in the bloodstream, affecting breasts and the uterus, as well as the brain, bone, liver, heart and other tissues.
During the first part of the menstrual cycle, estrogen controls the uterine lining’s growth. It causes changes in the breasts during adolescence and pregnancy. And it regulates other metabolic processes, including bone growth and cholesterol levels.
When estrogen is doing its job, things go smoothly. But women of all ages can experience low estrogen. Girls who haven’t reached puberty and women in perimenopause or menopause are most likely to feel the effects of low estrogen.
Symptoms Some symptoms of low estrogen include:
Causes
What Can You Do About Low Estrogen Symptoms
Getting medical help if you have symptoms of low estrogen you will need to visit your doctor to confirm a diagnosis. Your estrogen levels will be tested through a simple blood test and if your estrogen levels are low, you may be given a prescription for HRT. If you are using HRT for the menopause, you can order repeat prescription through our online service. You will need to complete a short online questionnaire, where one of our doctors will be able to check you are still suitable for the medication. If you are, your treatment can be delivered to your for free, alternatively, you can collect in-store.
Tips for symptoms you can also manage some of your symptoms with some handy techniques. For example, if you are experiencing hot flushes you could carry around a hand-held fan to help keep you cool. If you suffer from night sweats, wear light pajamas to bed and use a low tog duvet.
Keeping active exercise is an important menopause management tool and this is good for women who have low estrogen levels. Low estrogen levels can result in a low bone mineral density. Therefore, exercise can help to keep your bones strong and at less risk of fracture. Exercise also helps to reduce the risk of heart attacks and death from cardiovascular disease.
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What Causes High Estrogen Or Estrogen Dominance
In the estrogen pathway, the enzymes MAO, COMT, CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP3A4, CYP2C19, and CYP1B1 all govern the speed at which serotonin, estrogen, dopamine, and epinephrine are increased and decreased. Low and high levels of any of these neurotransmitters will lead to depression or anxiety. Certain variants in these genes can make you more genetically susceptible to poor estrogen detoxification, increasing the need for more dietary and lifestyle strategies.
One of the biggest disruptors of this pathway is chronic stress and trauma. Stress slows this pathway down, leading to high estrogen, serotonin, dopamine and adrenaline levels. The body can get stuck in fight or flight from chronic stress, causing you to feel very reactive and eventually leading to your body burning out.
Xenoestrogens are synthetic estrogens that are ubiquitous in personal care products, plastic water bottles, and the environment. These xenoestrogens act like estrogen in the body, causing excess levels that your liver struggles to detoxify. Choosing natural care products with ingredients you can pronounce, glass bottles and organic foods help reduce your exposure to xenoestrogens dramatically.