Estrogen Imbalance

Estrogen, while commonly believed to be “the female hormone”, is actually a term used to refer collectively to the female sex hormones (estradiol, estrone, and estriol). Stable levels of estrogen are essential for preserving the physical and psychological health of females; too much or too little estrogen (an estrogen imbalance) can lead to grave conditions such as heart disease and osteoporosis.

In the following sections, it is possible to find information about the definition of estrogen imbalance, its causes and symptoms.

What is estrogen imbalance?

Basically, a hormonal imbalance is when the body produces excessive amounts or insufficient amounts of certain hormones. Hormones influence all functions and cells within the body and so an imbalance can easily lead to many irritating symptoms or illness.

If a woman has deficient, normal or excessive estrogen, but has little or no progesterone to balance its effects in the body then this is an imbalance called "estrogen dominance". Estrogen and progesterone must work in harmony to ensure that the body remains healthy and functions as it should.

Causes of estrogen imbalance

Many factors can affect a woman's hormone levels, for example, puberty, stress, body weight, ovulation (or lack of it) time of day, prescribed medications, exercise (or lack of it) and menopause. Many women going through menopause will suffer from a host of symptoms associated with this transition such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and depression.

Hormonal imbalances linked with menopause affect estrogen levels and resulting symptoms are both physical and psychological. While these symptoms are often non-related and can begin earlier than menopause, they can also be a result of low estrogen levels and fluctuating levels of ovarian hormones.

Estrogen imbalance symptoms

Estrogen imbalance prompts a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms which can be a real burden on the daily lives of women. Some of these symptoms are listed below:

Symptoms of estrogen imbalance
	Physical: • Hot Flashes • Fatigue • Insomnia • Low sex drive • Weight gain and bloating • Headaches • Joint pain • Hair loss and facial hair growth • Dry skin	Psychological: • Depression • Mood swings • Sudden tears • Anxiety • Memory lapses • Mental confusion • Feelings of dread

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