Estrogen Role and Effects

Estrogen is essential to both a woman's physical and psychological well-being, affecting everything from appearance to reproductive ability. It is produced in the ovaries and formed from a combination of the corpus luteum (what remains of the follicle after ovulation) and developing egg follicles. Estrogen can also be produced by the breasts, liver, and adrenal glands, albeit in smaller concentrations (ten percent or less).

Estrogen's function in the female body is vast and complex; thus, an estrogen imbalance has the potential to affect women in a variety of ways. To learn more about the role and effects of estrogen, please continue reading.

Role of Estrogen in the Female Body

Estrogen is known as the “chemical messenger” due to its ability to pass messages between cells. Estrogen is fundamental to the formation of female sexual characteristics and reproductive function. It carries out a range of tasks for women and these include:

• Promoting the formation of female sexual characteristics
• Accelerating metabolism
• Helping to regulate the menstrual cycle
• Increasing uterine growth
• Preserving bone density
• Protecting against heart disease
• Preserving skin tension.

As well as physical effects, estrogen has been shown to play a key role in women's mental health. Several recent studies have shown a direct correlation between estrogen levels and mood. Sudden estrogen withdrawal, estrogen fluctuations, or periods of sustained low estrogen levels can all contribute to a poor mood, particularly in menopausal women.

Effects of Estrogen in the Female Body

As well as regulating the menstrual cycle, estrogen affects the reproductive tract, the urinary tract, the heart and blood vessels, bones, breasts, skin, hair, mucous membranes, pelvic muscles, and the brain.

The effects of the estrogen in each area of the body are:

• Brain: Estrogen helps to maintain body temperature. Estrogen may delay memory loss.
• Breast: Estrogen prepares the glands for future milk production.
• Heart and Liver: Estrogen helps to regulate the liver´s production of cholesterol, thus decreasing the build-up of plaque in the coronary arteries.
• Ovary: Estrogen stimulates the maduration of ovaries.
• Uterus: Estrogen stimulates the maduration of the uterus.
• Bone: Estrogen helps to preserve bone density.
• Vagina: Estrogen helps to maintain a lubricated and thick vaginal lining.

The Effects of Fluctuating Estrogen Levels

Normal estrogen levels are important as among other key functions they control like: Tissue function, Sexual function and Mood. Also, normal estrogen levels are key to the reproductive system and are critical if a woman is trying to conceive. If normal estrogen levels fluctuate in any way, it can cause a variety of negative effects.

The Effects of High Estrogen Levels

Below are some of the most commonly experienced symptoms that may indicate abnormally high estrogen levels:

Physical Conditions • Artherosclerosis • Headaches/Migraines • Vaginal Infection • Arthritis Mental Conditions • Depression • Panic Attacks • Low Self Esteem

In addition to the physical and psychological signs outlined above, high estrogen levels can lead to a host of side effects and more serious conditions. These include but are not limited to the following:

• Allergies
• Strokes
• Heart Disease
• Lupus
• Breast / Uterine Cancer
• Gallbladder Disease
• Osteoporosis
• Thyroid Dysfunction

The effects of Low Estrogen levels within the body

As well as effects from high estrogen levels, when a woman has low estrogen levels this also impacts on her physical and mental state. Examples of health problems triggered by estrogen deficiency include:

Physical Conditions • Fatigue • Hot flashes • Night sweats • Joint Pain • Vaginal Dryness • Dry Skin • Loss of Libido • Thinning tissues • Rapid heartbeat • Bloating • Thinning hair • Weight gain • Low back pain Mental Conditions • Mood swings • Memory Lapses • Difficulty concentrating

Low estrogen levels do not necessarily trigger the conditions listed above but they can indicate a lack of estrogen. Two of the most worrying side effects of low estrogen levels are an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.

Now that what the roles and effects of estrogen in the body are have been explained, continue reading to better understand how to identify estrogen imbalance using estrogen tests.

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