Are There Any Health Risks Associated With Postmenopause
People in postmenopause are at an increased risk for several conditions:
Cardiovascular disease
Estrogen helps protect against cardiovascular diseases like heart attack, heart disease and stroke. It is also common for people in postmenopause to become more sedentary, which contributes to high cholesterol and high blood pressure. These factors combined can increase a womans risk for cardiovascular diseases after menopause. A healthy diet, not smoking and getting regular exercise are your best options to prevent heart disease. Treating elevated blood pressure and diabetes as well as maintaining cholesterol levels are also ways to lower your risk.
Osteoporosis
People lose bone more rapidly after menopause due to decreased levels of estrogen. You may lose up to 25% of your bone density after menopause . When too much bone is lost, it increases your risk of developing osteoporosis and bone fractures. The bones of the hip, wrist, and spine are most commonly affected. Bone mineral density testing, also called bone densitometry, can be done to see how much calcium you have in certain parts of your bones. The test is used to detectosteoporosis and osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis.
Vaginal atrophy
Mental health issues
How To Correct Low Estrogen
You now know that having low estrogen affects our bodies far beyond just reproductive health.
But if youre suffering from symptoms of low estrogen, youre not doomed to living like this forever!
Working with a qualified medical professional who has experience in womens health is the best way to correct any hormonal imbalances.
In the meantime, there are some general lifestyle corrections that you can start to make. These changes will benefit you whether you have low estrogen or not.
Low Estrogen Levels And Weight Gain
When it comes to low estrogens side effects, one of the biggest issues talked about by women is weight gain. Estrogen influences the amount of fat in the human body. The hormone helps regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, which is why low estrogen levels can lead to weight gain. Of course, women do have to be careful since being overweight can increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
If you have low estrogen and think it is affecting your weight, dont be afraid to discuss it with your doctor. He or she can give you advice on how to deal with it. Keep in mind that its always good to eat a nutritious, balanced diet and get regular exercise.
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How You Know Your Estrogen Is Low
The symptoms of low estrogen can seem confusing when they first develop, because estrogen contributes to so many of your physical functions. You could see symptoms including:
- Mood swings or depression
- Disruptions in your menstrual cycle
- Painful or uncomfortable intercourse
- A decrease in your bone density
In addition to being uncomfortable to experience, low estrogen can also permanently damage your fertility. Get your symptoms checked out by a medical professional sooner, not later!
Once weve tested and confirmed your low estrogen, the care team at Morris Medical Center can get started re-balancing your hormones. With treatment, you can improve your quality of life and prevent the development of health issues related to your low estrogen.
What You Can Do Today About Low Estrogen Issues
When your estrogen levels start to drop, the development of unpleasant symptoms often comes on fast and furious. In other cases, women describe a slow and steady decline that they assumed was just a part of middle age. Whatever your personal experience is with imbalanced hormone levels, know this: you can start taking steps to feel better today.
There are several different hormone therapy options, and the right match for you will depend on many factors. Thats why your first step should always be to schedule a consultation with an experienced and knowledgeable expert, like the ones at Focal Point Vitality.
Not only does our consultation process include pinpointing your hormone levels and the possible causes of imbalance, but it also dives into your family, medical, and personal history. Together, well talk about your goals , then explore the treatment options that are best suited to you. Simple, straightforward, and hugely informative, a consultation at our Phoenix hormone replacement therapy clinic is a must and something you can tackle today.
From there, the treatment process will be completely tailored to your needs. Whether its estrogen, progesterone, or another replacement therapy thats right for you, youll have a Focal Point Vitality professional with you every step of the way. And because we customize every treatment plan, youre free to choose the options that fit your lifestyle and goals.
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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
Irregular Or Absent Periods
Emilija Manevska/Getty Images
“Estrogen levels are usually lower when ovulation doesn’t occur regularly or at all, for example during hormonal changes such as perimenopause/menopause, lactation, polycystic ovarian syndrome , or an eating disorder to name a few,” Dweck explains. In this case, you’ll notice missed or irregular periods.
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Treatment For Low Estrogen
One way to prevent symptoms of low estrogen is to replenish your estrogen supply. You can increase the levels of estrogen in your body through estrogen replacement therapies. At the Center for Womens Health, our team, led by Sharon Breit, MD, diagnoses and assesses your estrogen levels and symptoms in order to prescribe the best options for your issues.
Hormone replacement therapy comes in many forms, including pills, creams, patches, and injections, and with the hormone progestin or estrogen-only. Another option is BioTe® Hormone Pellet Therapy, which contains bioidentical hormones derived from plant extracts.
For more information on how estrogen affects your body and what you can do about it, call us at the Center for Womens Health in Wichita, Kansas, or make an appointment online.
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Symptoms Of Low Estrogen
As weve learned, estrogen affects a multitude of functions and systems in our bodies. So it would only make sense that when our estrogen is low, the effects would be wide-reaching.
Here are five surprising symptoms of low estrogen that I think every woman should be aware of!
Getting your hormones tested is a great next step if you resonate with any of these symptoms.
I would recommend partnering up with a trained practitioner who has experience balancing womens hormones.
Hormonal balance is extremely delicate. And as youre about to learn, even the slightest change in that balance can cause a host of symptoms. Thats why working with someone who has experience in this area is your best bet to getting back on the road to full hormonal health!
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Hair And Skin Problems
Estrogen also affects the skin and hair growth. With low estrogen levels, the skin tends to be dry and this can predispose it to irritation and infections. In addition, thinning hair is another common complaint. However, it is important to note whether other conditions may also be responsible for these symptoms like hypothyroidism .
How Low Estrogen Can Affect Your Body
Estrogen is a very busy hormone for women throughout their lives. Men have some too, but women have more. Estrogen is primarily active in reproductive development and health for women, but its role is far greater than that.
Estrogen is actually a group of sex hormones, each of them performing different roles in womens health and development. Estrogen helps make women curvier than men by making their pelvis and hips wider, and their breast grow.
Estrogen is part of your menstrual cycle, helps you get pregnant, and plays a role in helping you develop bones and grow hair. It also helps regulate your moods and impacts your brain development and structure.
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Youre Having Trouble Getting Pregnant
If youâre trying to get pregnant and you have low estrogen, it could be a challenge to conceive. This is connected to symptom #1 â if you donât have enough estrogen in your body for it to grow a thick uterine lining, you wonât have enough nourishment to grow a baby. Similarly, if you’re not ovulating, your body isn’t releasing an egg, meaning there’s nothing for sperm to fertilize.
Signs Of High / Low Estrogen
With all the artificial hormones and AI’s and serms we put in our bodies, I was looking to get some feedback on some signs you all see either when estrogen is too high or Too low.. I know the obvious answer here is bloodwork, but in reality I’mNot getting blood work done weekly. For me it seems my joints are the best indicator when estrogen is low and I usually get acne when it is high. Any other tells of high or low estrogen?
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Problems With The Master Gland
The pituitary gland is a small structure located at the base of the brain. It is known as the “master gland” because it produces several hormones that affect many bodily processes and other endocrine glands. Hormones produced by the pituitary gland include prolactin, growth hormone , thyroid-stimulating hormone , luteinizing hormone , adenocorticotropin , and follicle-stimulating hormone . The pituitary gland also releases antidiuretic hormone and oxytocin. A pituitary gland tumor is the most common kind of pituitary disorder. They are usually benign . Sometimes these tumors secrete more or less of hormones made by the pituitary gland. Other tumors don’t secrete anything. Some pituitary tumors produce symptoms because they grow large enough to affect the functioning of the pituitary gland or surrounding brain structures.
Youre Feeling Down Or Depressed
Estrogen helps your body produce serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that helps boost your mood. If you have low estrogen, your serotonin is likely lower, too.
“Low estrogen can affect your mood by influencing neurochemical pathways linked to depression” says Dr. Eyvazzadeh. “Animal and human studies have shown how estrogen and progesterone affects brain regions involved in mood. Both estrogen and progesterone influence known regions in the brain.”
Estrogenâs connection to serotonin also explains why you might be experiencing depression. Estrogen boosts serotonin, which helps your body combat depression. So if you have low estrogen, your low serotonin levels canât stave off sad feelings.
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Signs Of Low Estrogen Levels In Women
Posted by Dr. Chris
Estrogen is a hormone present in the body of both males and females. However, the levels of estrogen are much higher in the female body and where it play several important roles, mainly relating to fertility. When estrogen levels are low, it can have a wide range of effects in the female body beyond just impacting on fertility.
Supplements To Balance Hormones
DIM is one of the top researched compounds for healthy hormone balance and estrogen. But to get the full benefits of healthy estrogen balance, , DIM should be used together with other researched ingredients that can work together to provide powerful benefits for hormone balance and long-term health defense.
BreastDefend is a researched hormone-balancing supplement that combines clinical doses of DIM, together with powerful antioxidant herbs, medicinal mushrooms, and nutrients including quercetin, curcumin extract,Chinese skullcap,and astragalus fornatural support for healthy estrogen balance and long-term health. This expert blend of natural ingredients gives you synergistic hormone benefits that come from combining DIM with a powerful array of antioxidant-rich compounds.3-6
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Low Estrogen Symptom #: Depression/anxiety
Those mood changes you experience around the start of your period are NOT all in your head!
PMS is a real thing. And lower levels of estrogen during that phase of your cycle are to blame.
But if you have low baseline levels of estrogen, the common symptoms of PMS like depression and anxiety could be a constant reality.
Estrogen is a regulator of neurotransmitters that affect our mood. Serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine are all controlled to some degree by estrogen.
Low levels of estrogen also mean low levels of these feel-good hormones. Leading to potential feelings of anxiety and depression.
Estradiol is the one specific form of estrogen that is the most supportive of normal serotonin levels. When estradiol plummets, specifically like right after childbirth or during menopause, our serotonin levels can struggle to adjust. This can leave us feeling depressed or anxious.
This interaction between estradiol and serotonin is the main reason why postpartum and menopause-related depression is so common.
These are the two most common times in a womans life where her estradiol drops significantly, leaving her susceptible to mood-related symptoms. But even if youre not postpartum or menopausal, your estrogen levels can be in the tank for other reasons.
These consistently low estrogen levels can affect your mood stabilizing hormones, resulting in symptoms like anxiety and depression.
Estrogen and Trauma
Youre Getting Hot Flashes And Night Sweats
Youâve probably heard of these symptoms through menopause. These really annoying symptoms occur during perimenopause , but they can also occur at other times when your estrogen is low. People can “start having perimenopausal symptoms in their late 30s,” Dr. Minkin says, so it’s not something to rule out.
Hot flashes and night sweats happen because low estrogen messes with your hypothalamus, the part of your brain that controls your body temperature, among other things. When you donât have enough estrogen, your body is tricked by this part of your brain to think itâs too hot. In an attempt to get rid of the fake excess heat, your body expends heat in a hot flash â opening the blood vessels in your head and neck skin more than usual. These may be another reason why youâre having trouble sleeping â because itâs hard to sleep when your body is on a temperature rollercoaster.
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The Function Of Estrogen
Estrogen is the hormone that is primarily responsible for the sexual development in girls as they reach puberty age. Other functions of estrogen include:
- initiates changes in breast tissue during adolescence and pregnancy
- helps to regulate menstrual cycles
- regulates bodyweight by helping to control metabolism involved in the development and growth of healthy bone tissue
- may play a role in promoting healthy cardiovascular activity, according to the American Heart Association
Hormone Problems That Start In The Brain
The hypothalamus is the portion of the brain that lies near the pituitary gland. It helps regulate hormone secretion in various parts of the body, controlling functions like body temperature, mood, hunger, thirst, sleep, fatigue, sex drive, and circadian rhythms. Dysfunction of the hypothalamus may produce many symptoms depending on which hormone systems are affected. Supplementing hormone levels that are low may help relieve symptoms. If the hypothalamus is malfunctioning due to the presence of a tumor, treating the tumor may provide relief.
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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.
Hot Flashes And/or Night Sweats
These vasomotor symptoms are associated with the perimenopause or menopause time of life, however they can occur earlier in life if estrogen is abnormally low. Speak to your ND or your health care provider if you are consistently getting hot flashes or night sweats and you are younger than age 40.
P.S. If youre age 40 or above and getting bothersome hot flashes or night sweats, you should also speak to an ND. Dont suffer with these symptoms just because youre in your late 40s or 50’s and this is considered “common”! There are LOTS of ways we can soothe hormones during the perimenopause years.
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How Often Do I Need To See My Doctor After Menopause
You should still see your healthcare provider for routine gynecological care even though you aren’t menstruating. This includes Pap tests, pelvic exams, breast exams and mammograms. You should continue to schedule annual wellness appointments. Since you are at an increased risk for osteoporosis, providers usually recommend bone density screenings as well. Talk to your healthcare provider to determine how often you should make check-up appointments based on your health history.