Estrogen is the female reproductive hormone and it plays a major role in a woman’s fertility, more specifically ovulation. Estrogen is the hormone that initiates each menstruation cycle, as well as playing a large role in the second half of menstruation. Hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, and vaginal dryness are all signs of an estrogen deficiency.
These low levels of estrogen can cause more than just annoying symptoms, but the imbalance also throws off the natural menstruation cycle. This is because the lining of the uterus becomes less hospitable to pregnancy and, more often than not, these women will not ovulate.
Ovulation and Estrogen Levels
If ovulation is not occurring in a woman because of low estrogen levels, there are two possible causes for this problem. Either the ovaries are not being told properly what to do, or the ovaries are incapable of releasing eggs.
1. Ovaries are not being told what to do. If you participate in excessive exercise, have low body weight, or are suffering from an eating disorder, you may be adversely affecting the pituitary gland, so that it cannot send proper signals to the ovary. Women who are suffering from these conditions are found to have very low levels of estrogen and their bodies do not release an egg, hence no ovulation. And without ovulation there is no chance for an egg to be fertilized, and the woman cannot get pregnant.
2. The ovaries are incapable of producing an egg. If a woman has been diagnosed with having low estrogen levels, the next step would be to test the blood level of the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH); a hormone produced by the pituitary gland serves to tell the ovary to make estrogen hormones and to ready the eggs for ovulation. When one ovary doesn’t have any eggs, or if it can’t release them, the pituitary gland sends out more and more FSH in an attempt to get the ovary to respond. For the woman who is found to have high FSH levels, it’s a sign that the pituitary gland is trying to stimulate the ovary, but is not having any success. Ovulation, or the releasing of eggs, goes hand in hand with hormone production. So, if eggs are not present, estrogen won’t be produced.
Although this may seem very discouraging if you are trying to get pregnant, it is still possible to conceive. However, it can make becoming pregnant much more difficult. You should talk to your doctor about your fertility and low estrogen levels if you are trying to get pregnant. If you want to learn more, click on the following link about estrogen and how to manage it.
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