What Happens When Estrogen Levels Are Low

Are There Any Risks Related To Hormone Therapy

Like most prescribed medications, there are risks for hormone therapy. Some known health risks include:

• Endometrial cancer .
• Gallstones and gallbladder issues.

Going on hormone therapy is an individualized decision. Discuss all past medical conditions and your family history with your healthcare provider to understand the risks versus benefits of hormone therapy for you.

Estrogen Levels During Pregnancy Week By Week

Estrogen levels can vary widely during pregnancy and still be within a normal healthy range. The big takeaway is that estrogen will be much higher during pregnancy! During the third trimester, a mother’s estrogen can reach over 6000 pg/mL. To put these values into perspective, the hormonal rollercoaster of a typical menstrual cycle only fluctuates between about 30-400 pg/mL!

Getting The Right Care To Protect Your Health

If youre worried about low estrogen levels, you may want to find a practitioner who can test them. When you work with a qualified practitioner to test your hormone levels, youll gain greater insight into any symptoms you are experiencing and how to best address them and improve overall health. Depending on your needs, this may include using testosterone therapy to boost your testosterone levels and encourage estrogen production. These hormone replacement strategies may be combined with lifestyle changes to enhance physical and emotional well-being.

You deserve to feel your best, now and in the future. By reaching out to the right healthcare practitioner, you can ensure you have the supports you need to make that a reality.

BodyLogicMD can help you get started on testing your estrogen levels and improving your hormonal health. The practitioners within the BodyLogicMD network are among the top medical professionals in the nation and specially certified in treating hormone imbalances in men so that you can live the life you deserve. If you are experiencing low estrogen or low testosterone, they will work with you to craft a customized treatment plan designed to fit your lifestyle and help you reach optimal wellness. Contact a local practitioner to schedule your first appointment or take the BodyLogicMD Hormone Balance Quiz today.

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During The Follicular Phase Of The Cyclefrom The Start Of Your Period Until Ovulationestrogen Levels Are High You May Notice Some Changes Throughout Your Body

• Just before ovulation, some people may notice that their skin and hair are less oily, though we donât know for sure that the increase in estrogen causes these changes .

• Your cervical fluid changes throughout the follicular phase:

• Early-to mid follicular: dry/sticky

• Late follicular to ovulation: wet and slippery, like an egg white

• Some people notice an increase in their sex drive around ovulation

Understanding Low Estrogen Levels

Estrogen levels fluctuate throughout a woman’s life. Some of these fluctuations are normal and estrogen production will slow with the onset of menopause. Many women have a hard time adjusting to the new mental and physical changes, as well as the added stress that can be put on the body from menopausal side effects. Keep reading to find more about low estrogen side effects.

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Low Estrogen In Women: Symptoms Causes And Home Remedies

Written byBel Marra HealthPublished onMarch 7, 2017

Low estrogen in women can signify a change of physical functions in the body and many people are surprised to hear that low estrogen is responsible for their unusual symptoms.

Estrogen is a hormone that plays a big role in maintaining good health. Although men produce estrogen, it is commonly thought of as a female hormone because women produce it at much higher levels. Hormones carry messages through the bloodstream that help start, stop, speed up, and slow down chemical processes in the body. Estrogen is responsible for sexual development, bone and cholesterol metabolism, controlling menstrual cycles, and regulating food intake as well as weight, glucose metabolism, and insulin sensitivity.

How Long Does Perimenopause Last

The length of each stage of the menopause transition can vary for each individual. The average length of perimenopause is about four years. Some women may only be in this stage for a few months, while others will be in this transition phase for more than four years. If you have gone more than 12 months without having a period, you are no longer perimenopausal. However, if there are medications or medical conditions that may affect periods, it can be more difficult to know the specific stage of the menopause transition.

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Can I Get Pregnant During Menopause

The possibility of pregnancy disappears once you are postmenopausal, you have been without your period for an entire year . However, you can actually get pregnant during the menopause transition . If you dont want to become pregnant, you should continue to use some form of birth control until you have gone fully through menopause. Ask your healthcare provider before you stop using contraception.

For some women, getting pregnant can be difficult once theyre in their late 30s and 40s because of a decline in fertility. However, if becoming pregnant is the goal, there are fertility-enhancing treatments and techniques that can help you get pregnant. Make sure to speak to your healthcare provider about these options.

Causes Of High Estrogen

High levels of estrogen can develop naturally, but too much estrogen can also result from taking certain medications. For example, estrogen replacement therapy, a popular treatment for symptoms of menopause, may cause estrogen to reach problematic levels.

Your body may also develop low testosterone or low progesterone levels, which can upset your hormonal balance. If you have estrogen levels that are abnormally high relative to your progesterone levels, its known as estrogen dominance.

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Estrogen Levels For People With Regular Cycles Not Using Hormonal Birth Control

Estradiol levels in the blood can range considerably across the cycle. Whatâs ânormalâ can vary based on the lab you go to, where you live, your ancestry, and the testing technique. So you should always interpret your lab results with this in mind, but you can use these reference points below.

• Early follicular phase: 20-150 pg/mL

• Midcycle peak: 40-350 pg/mL

• Luteal phase: 30-450 pg/mL

People under 15 years old and people who are postmenopausal generally have lower levels .

Estrogen levels can differ dramatically from cycle to cycle, but also be very different from person to person .

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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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

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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How To Cope With Dropping Estrogen Levels During Menopause

The levels of estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body begin to decrease as she enters the menopause transition. Usually when people talk about menopause, they focus on estrogen decline, because researchers believe that it is declining estrogen levels that are responsible for many menopausal symptoms.

Will I Start Menopause If I Have A Hysterectomy

During a hysterectomy, your uterus is removed. You wont have a period after this procedure. However, if you kept your ovaries removal of your ovaries is called an oophorectomy you may not have symptoms of menopause right away. If your ovaries are also removed, you will have symptoms of menopause immediately.

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Major Health Risks Of Low Estrogen

Osteoporosis. Estrogen helps maintain strong bones by preventing calcium loss. Too little calcium can increase the risk of fractures in the spine, hips, and leg and arm bones. Women who drink a lot of alcohol, who smoke, who are not active, and who are thin or petite are at greater risk. A family history of osteoporosis may also increase risk.

Heart disease. Estrogen made by the body seems to protect against heart disease. It may do this by raising the level of HDL cholesterol in the blood. After menopause, the risk for heart disease rises sharply. Talk with your healthcare provider about ways to protect your heart health.

How Is Low Estrogen Diagnosed

Diagnosis and treatment of low estrogen can help prevent many health issues.

If youre experiencing symptoms of low estrogen, talk with your doctor. They can assess your symptoms and make a diagnosis if needed. Early diagnosis may help prevent further complications.

During your appointment, your doctor will discuss your family health history and assess your symptoms. Theyll also perform a physical exam. Blood tests will likely be needed to measure your hormone levels.

Your follicle stimulating hormone levels may also be tested to determine whether your estrogen is low if youre experiencing:

• hot flashes
• insomnia
• frequently missed periods

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What Do The Results Mean

If your estradiol or estrone levels are higher than normal, it may be due to:

• Early puberty in girls; delayed puberty in boys

If your estradiol or estrone levels are lower than normal, it may be due to:

• Primary ovarian insufficiency, a condition that causes a woman’s ovaries to stop working before she is 40 years old
• Turner syndrome, a condition in which a woman’s sexual characteristics don’t develop properly
• An eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa
• Polycystic ovary syndrome, a common hormone disorder affecting childbearing women. It is one of the leading causes of female infertility.

If you are pregnant and your estriol levels are lower than normal, it may mean your pregnancy is failing or that there is a chance your baby might have a birth defect. If the test shows a possible birth defect, you will need more testing before a diagnosis can be made.

Higher levels of estriol may mean you will be going into labor soon. Normally, estriol levels go up about four weeks before you start labor.

If you have questions about your results, talk to your health care provider.

Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.

How Does Estrogen Function In The Body From Puberty Through Menopause

During early puberty and the first years of menstruation, estrogen and other hormone levels are rising rapidly. This is associated with irregular menstrual periods and cycle lengths at first. Dr. Jenn Conti, MD, MS, MSc, an OB-GYN and Modern Fertility medical advisor, explains: “The irregularity is technically caused by the GnRH release from the brain being not quite smooth/regular at first.”

Luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone stimulate ovarian follicle growth, ovulation, and endogenous estrogen when at this stage.

Estrogen levels rise and peak again in your early to late twenties, often resulting in more predictable periods. During perimenopause, ovulation, estrogen, and follicle growth significantly decline.

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What Is Estrogen And Why Does It Matter

Your body naturally produces estrogen, a hormone, in small but mighty amounts. Estrogen can affect everything from your weight and body composition to your mood and energy levels and when estrogen levels are out of whack, it wreaks havoc on your body.

Usually, low estrogen levels are something that you dont have to think about until youre crossing the threshold into your forties or so. However, its not unheard of for young women to experience issues with hormonal imbalance as well. But no matter your age, symptoms, or family history of hormonal issues, you should know that you have options: an effective treatment for low estrogen is out there.

If youre a woman thats been feeling off, whether its physical, mental, or emotional symptoms that youre facing, Focal Point Vitality can help. As the leading hormone replacement therapy specialists in Phoenix, with specialized expertise in womens health and wellness, were proud to have helped countless women restore hormonal balance and reclaim their lives.

Today, the Focal Point Vitality team is here to demystify the confusing and sometimes complex topic of how estrogen production plays a role in how you look and feel and what you can do when you feel like hormonal imbalance is controlling your life.

Do Estrogen Levels Fall At Menopause

Yes. Estrogen levels fall at menopause. This is a natural transition for all women between ages 40 and 55. The decline in estrogen can happen abruptly in younger women whose ovaries are removed, resulting in so-called surgical menopause.

Perimenopause is the period of transition before menopause. The first natural decline in estrogen levels starts during this phase. Other physiological changes also start. Women going through perimenopause may experience weight gain along with other menopause symptoms. For instance, there may be irregular menstrual periods, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness.

On average, menopause occurs at age 51. When it does, a woman’s body produces less estrogen and progesterone. The drop of estrogen levels at menopause can cause uncomfortable symptoms, including:

• Hot flashes
• Loss of libido or sex drive

Some women experience moodiness. That may or may not be related to the loss of estrogen. Lower levels of estrogen may also increase a woman’s risk for heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and fractures.

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Diagnosis And Typical Estrogen Levels

Estrogen levels vary among individuals and according to a persons age and sex. These levels also fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle.

A doctor can check estrogen levels with a blood test. There are three forms of estrogen in the blood:

• estradiol
• estrone

Doctors measure these levels in picograms per milliliter .

Estradiol is the primary form of estrogen, while estriol and estrone are minor forms. Women who are not pregnant have very low levels of estriol.

Are There Treatments For Too Low Or Too High Estrogen Levels

When low estrogen levels cause uncomfortable symptoms in postmenopausal people, a common treatment is hormone replacement therapy . Through administering systemic HRT or low-dose vaginal products, synthetic estrogen can improve symptoms.

There is still a lot of hesitation in the public and among some healthcare providers about the safety of hormone replacement therapy in and around menopause and this is because of the nature in which the data were originally released back in the 90s,” explains Dr. Conti. “Thankfully, thorough reviews of that data have shown that for people without an increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, or deep venous thromboembolism , hormone replacement can absolutely be safe and effective.

Some people are more sensitive than others to the levels of synthetic estrogen in medications like HRT or hormonal birth control). If you notice unpleasant side effects, your healthcare provider may work with you to find an alternative dose or form of medication.

As for lifestyle modifications that are clinically proven to impact estrogen levels? Dr. Conti says no aside from weight loss if a higher body-fat percentage is leading to increased estrogen.

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Why Do Estrogen Levels Rise

During puberty, it’s normal for levels of estrogen to rise. Thatâs because this hormone fuels changes in a young girl’s body. For example, it plays a role in the development of breasts, a more mature curved figure, fuller hips, and pubic and underarm hair.

In addition, high levels of estrogen are seen in women who are extremely overweight. Estrogen levels rise during a healthy pregnancy, and increased estrogen levels may be seen with tumors of the ovaries, testes, or adrenal glands.

Some drugs, such as steroid medications, ampicillin, estrogen-containing drugs, phenothiazines, and tetracyclines can increase estrogen levels.

Treatments For Low Estrogen

If you suspect you have this condition, the first thing to do is see your healthcare provider. A simple blood test can determine if a low estrogen level is causing your symptoms — or if something else may be the cause. Low estrogen is usually defined as a level below 100pg/ml . There are both medical treatments and home remedies that you can try if you are diagnosed with low estrogen.

Medical Treatments

After being diagnosed with low estrogen, your healthcare provider will begin searching for the cause of the problem. For an older woman, the issue may not be a problem at all, but may simply be a result of the normal aging process. In a younger woman, your doctor will run additional tests to identify the root cause of the problem. After the underlying cause is identified, that will become the focus of treatment.

When other causes are ruled out, your healthcare provider may prescribe hormone replacement therapy . Although HRT may be effective, this treatment is controversial and is sometimes used for short periods as the underlying cause is treated. The use of HRT may increase the risk for developing heart problems, stroke or cancer.

Home Remedies

Fortunately, there are some things you can try at home to manage low estrogen symptoms.

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