What is the Purpose of Estrogen?

Estrogen is the hormone that is necessary when a girl goes through puberty. It is estrogen that is the stimulate for changes in a female including growth of the breasts, pubic and underarm hair and the beginning of the menstrual cycle.

The excess or lack of estrogen is not life threatening. It is life altering.

Purpose of estrogen

Estrogen is necessary in a person’s body. The excess or lack of estrogen is not life threatening. It is life altering. Too much estrogen or estrogen dominance can cause symptoms that make life difficult, particularly for women. Too much estrogen is called hyperestrogenism.

Estrogen regulates

Estrogen is crucial for day-to-day functioning. It regulates menstruation, hunger and satiety, insulin sensitivity, it helps a woman balance metabolism and cholesterol, and it contributes to bone density.

Estrogen produces

A woman’s body produces estrogen in the adrenal glands, brain, and in her ovaries. Men also produce estrogen in the testes. Both genders produce it in the adipose or tissues. The more fat cells one has, the more estrogen you will make. The more estrogen you make, the more fat is stored and the cycle continues until a person has too much estrogen and fat.

Hyperestrogenism can be a deterrent

Too much estrogen can create issues from fatigue and anxiety, uterine fibroids, endometriosis (when which tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus, the endometrium, grows outside the uterus), abnormal menstruation and breast cancer. The symptoms of too much estrogen include:

  • Bloating
  • Swelling and tenderness in the breasts
  • Fibrocystic lumps in the breasts
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Irregular menstrual periods
  • Increased symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) mood swings
  • Headaches
  • Weight gain
  • Hair loss
  • Cold hands or feet
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Sleepiness or fatigue
  • Memory problems

Solution for too much estrogen

Treatment for hyperestrogenism can be with medication and supplementation as well as surgery.  The treatment will depend on the cause of the excess of estrogen.  Occasionally the treatment is lifestyle related and dietary.

If you feel you may suffer from hyperestrogenism, please contact us today to set up a consultation with one of our physicians.