Estrogen: Hormone, Function, Levels & Imbalances

Estrogen is a sex hormone that's necessary for maintaining your sexual and reproductive health. Estrogen levels naturally fluctuate during ... ThinkyoumayhaveCOVID-19? Findoutwhereyoucangettested Needavaccineorbooster? Scheduletoday ComingtoaClevelandCliniclocation? Visitationandmaskrequirements Home / HealthLibrary / BodySystems&Organs Estrogen Estrogenisasexhormonethat’snecessaryformaintainingyoursexualandreproductivehealth.Estrogenlevelsnaturallyfluctuateduringyourmenstrualcycleanddeclineduringmenopause.Consistentlyhighorlowlevelsofestrogenmaysignalaconditionthatrequiresyourprovider’sattention. Appointments216.444.6601 Appointments&Locations RequestanAppointment HaveMyBabyatClevelandClinic Overview Function Anatomy ConditionsandDisorders Care Estrogen Overview Function Anatomy ConditionsandDisorders Care BackToTop Overview Whatisestrogen? Estrogenisoneoftwosexhormonescommonlyassociatedwithpeopleassignedfemaleatbirth(AFAB),includingcisgenderwomen,transgendermenandnonbinarypeoplewithvaginas.Alongwithprogesterone,estrogenplaysakeyroleinyourreproductivehealth.Thedevelopmentofsecondarysexcharacteristics(breasts,hips,etc.),menstruation,pregnancyandmenopauseareallpossible,inpart,becauseofestrogen. Estrogenplaysanimportantroleinotherbodysystems,too.Forthisreason,althoughAFABpeoplehavethemostestrogen,allgendersmakethishormone. Whatarethetypesofestrogen? Therearethreemajorformsofestrogen: Estrone(E1)istheprimaryformofestrogenthatyourbodymakesaftermenopause. Estradiol(E2)istheprimaryformofestrogeninyourbodyduringyourreproductiveyears.It’sthemostpotentformofestrogen. Estriol(E3)istheprimaryformofestrogenduringpregnancy. Function WhatroledoesestrogenplayinreproductivehealthforwomenorDFAB? Estrogen,likeallhormones,isachemicalmessenger.Ittellsyourbodywhentostartandstopprocessesaffectingyoursexualandreproductivehealth.Theseprocessescauseimportantchangesinyourbody. Puberty Estrogenlevelsriseduringpuberty.Theincreaseleadstosecondarysexcharacteristicslikebreastsandchangesinoverallbodycomposition(likecurves). Menstrualcycle Alongwithhormonesmadeinyourbrain(FSHandLH)andprogesterone,estrogenplaysanimportantpartinyourmenstrualcycle.Thesehormonescoexistinadelicatebalancetokeepyourperiodsregular.Estrogenplaysaroleinovulation(whenyourovariesreleaseanegg)andthickenstheliningofyouruterus(endometrium)toprepareitforpregnancy. Pregnancy&Fertility Estrogenpeaksinthedaysleadinguptoovulation.Thisisyourmostfertileperiod.Atthesametime,estrogenthinsyourcervicalmucus,afluidspermhastoswimthroughtoreachandfertilizeanegg.Theseestrogen-inducedchangesmakeiteasierforyoutobecomepregnantifyouhaveintercourse. Regardlessofwhereyouareinyourmenstrualcycle,thepresenceofestrogenmakesitmorecomfortabletohaveintercourse.Itkeepsyourvaginalwallsthick,elasticandlubricated,reducingpainassociatedwithpenetrativesex. Menopause Estrogenlevelsdropduringperimenopause,thetimerightbeforemenopause.Perimenopausemaylastseveralyearsbeforemenopause.Menopauseofficiallybeginswhenyoudon’thaveaperiodfor12months.Itusuallyhappensaroundage51.Withmenopause,yourestrogenlevelsdropandyounolongerovulate.Thedecreaseinestrogenmayleadtosymptomslikevaginaldryness,moodchanges,nightsweatsandhotflashes. Theprimaryestrogeninyourbodychangesfromestradiol(E2)toestrone(E1)duringmenopause. WhatroledoesestrogenplayinreproductivehealthformenorAMAB? Estrogenaffectsthereproductivehealthofpeoplewhoareassignedmaleatbirth(AMAB),too.Incisgendermen,transgenderwomenandnonbinarypeoplewithpenises,estrogenimpactssexdriveandtheabilitytogetanerectionandmakesperm. Toolittleestrogencanleadtoalowsexdrive.Toomuchofitcancauseinfertilityanderectiledysfunction.Excessiveestrogencancausegynecomastia,orenlargedbreasts. Ifyou’reassignedmaleatbirthandconcernedaboutyourestrogenlevels,speakwithanendocrinologistorafunctionalmedicinespecialistforhelp. Whatisthenon-reproductivefunctionofestrogen? Estrogenregulatesimportantprocessesinyourskeletal,cardiovascular,andcentralnervoussystemsthatimpactyouroverallhealth.Estrogenaffects: Cholesterollevels. Bloodsugarlevels. Boneandmusclemass. Circulationandbloodflow. Collagenproductionandmoistureinyourskin. Brainfunction,includingyourabilitytofocus. Anatomy Whereisestrogenlocatedinthebody? Yourovariesmakemostofyourestrogenduringyourreproductiveyears.Youradrenalglands(theglandsonyourkidneys)andadiposetissue(bodyfat)secreteestrogen,too.Theplacenta(theorganthatallowsnutrient-sharingbetweenparentandfetus)secretesestrogenduringpregnancy. Onceit’sreleased,estrogentravelsthroughthebloodstreamuntilitreachesthepartofyourbodythatneedstobespurredintoaction.There,estrogenbindstoaprotein,calledanestrogenreceptor,thatgetstheprocessmoving.Estrogenreceptorsarelocatedthroughoutyourbody. ConditionsandDisorders Whatarethecommonconditionsanddisordersassociatedwithestrogen? Estrogenplaysaroleinmostconditionsthatfallundertheumbrellaofwomen’shealth.Someofthemostcommoninclude: Anorexianervosa:Conditionslikeanorexianervosaareassociatedwithlowestrogenlevels.Toolittleestrogencancauseirregularandmissedperiods(amenorrhea).Peoplewithverylittlebodyfat(models,athletes)orengageindisorderedeatingmayalsohavelowestrogen. Breastcancer:Studieshaveshownthatincreasedexposuretoestrogendoesnotincreasebreastcancerrisk,butitmayworsenbreastcanceronceit’sformed. Endometriosis:Estrogendoesn’tcauseendometriosis,butestrogenmayworsenendometriosispain. Femalesexualdysfunction(FSD):Fallingestrogenlevelscancausephysicalandemotionalchangesthatmakesexlessenjoyable.However,estrogenisnotconsideredforhormonereplacementuntilyou’remenopausal. Fibrocysticbreasts:Fluctuatingestrogenlevelsduringyourmenstrualcyclemaymakeyourbreasttissuefeellumpy,tenderoruncomfortable. Infertility:Lowandhighestrogencandisruptyourmenstrualcycle.Underlyingcausesthatcanleadtolowandhighestrogenmaybeassociatedwithinfertility. Obesity:Estrogenlevelsareoftenhigheramongpeoplewithmorebodyfat. Osteoporosis:Lowestrogenlevelscanweakenyourbonessothattheyfractureandbreakmoreeasily. Polycysticovarysyndrome(PCOS):PCOSisaconditionthatoccurswhentheovariesproducetoomanyandrogens(hormonesassociatedwithbeingassignedmaleatbirth).SometimeswithPCOS,estrogenlevelsaretoohighinrelationtoprogesteronelevels. Primaryovarianinsufficiency(alsoknownasprematuremenopause):Withthiscondition,theovariesprematurelystopproducingeggs(beforeage40).Asaresult,yourovariesdon’tsecretetheestrogenyourbodyneeds. Premenstrualsyndrome(PMS)andPremenstrualdysphoricdisorder(PMDD):Thecyclicalhormonechangesassociatedwithmenstruationcanleadtounpleasantphysicalsymptomsandmoodchanges.DipsinestrogenfollowingovulationareapotentialcauseofPMSandPMDD. TurnerSyndrome:OvariesareoftenunderdevelopedinTurnersyndrome,resultinginlowestrogen.Asaresult,peoplewiththisconditionmaynotdevelopbreastsorgettheirperiods. Uterinecancer(endometrialcancer):Highestrogenlevelsmaycausetheliningofyouruterustobuildup.Eventually,cancercellsmaystarttogrow. Uterinefibroidsandpolyps:Toomuchestrogenmaybeassociatedwithnoncanceroustumorscalledfibroidsorpolypsthatgrowinyouruterus. Vaginalatrophy(atrophicvaginitis):Toolittleestrogenmaycausetheliningofyourvaginatothinandbecomedry.Vaginalatrophyismostcommonduringmenopauseandpostmenopause. Researchisongoingaboutestrogen'sroleinconditionsaffectingotherbodysystems.Forinstance,estrogenhasbeenlinkedtosomeendocrinedisordersandgastrointestinaldiseases. Whatarenormalestrogenlevels? Estrogenlevelsriseandfallthroughoutlife.Thefluctuationisnormal.Forinstance,it’snormalforestrogenlevelstoriseduringpubertyanddeclineasyouapproachmenopause.It’snormalforestrogenlevelstoriseduringovulationsothatyourbodycanprepareitselfforpregnancy.It’snormalforlevelstodipduringyourperiodwhenthepregnancychangesaren’tneeded. Levelsthatareconsistentlyloworhighmaysignalanunderlyingconditionthatrequiresyourprovider’sattention. Whathappenswhenestrogenlevelsareconsistentlylow? Lowestrogenisoftenatell-talesignthatyou’reapproachingmenopause.Lowestrogenmayalsosignifyafertilityproblem,anutritionaldeficiency,aconditionlikeTurnersyndrome,etc. Symptomsmayinclude: Breasttenderness. Weakorbrittlebones. Hotflashesandnightsweats. Irregularperiodsornoperiods. Headaches,troubleconcentrating. Fatigue,drowsiness,troublesleeping. Moodchanges,irritabilityanddepression. Vaginaldryness,leadingtopainfulintercourse(dyspareunia). Whathappenswhenestrogenlevelsareconsistentlyhigh? Excessestrogeninyourbodycanbeassociatedwithmultipleconditions:polyps,fibroids,PCOS,endometriosispain,ovariantumors,etc.).Yourlevelsmaybehighbecauseyouhavetoomuchestrogeninrelationtoyourothersexhormone,progesterone.Medicationsyou’retakingthatcontainestrogenmaycauseyoutohavetoomuchofitinyourbody. Symptomsmayinclude: Decreasedsexdrive. Weightgain,especiallyinyourwaistandhips. Irregularperiods(unpredictabletiming,lightorheavybleeding). WorseningsymptomsassociatedwithPMSorPMDD. HowdoIknowmyestrogenlevel? Anestrogentestcanmeasureyourlevelsofestrone(E1),estradiol(E2)orestriol(E3).Yourproviderwilldoasimpleblooddrawandsendittoalabforanalysis. Whatarecommontreatmentsforestrogen-relatedconditions? Hormonereplacementtherapy(HT)isacommontreatmentforlowestrogen,especiallyforpeopleexperiencingmenopause.WithHT,yourproviderprescribessmalldosesofestrogentoboostyourleveloracombinationofestrogenandprogesterone(orthesyntheticversionofprogesterone,progestin).HTcomeswithrisks,though,andisn’tforeveryone.Talktoyourprovideraboutwhetheryou’reagoodcandidateforHT. Care HowcanImaintainhealthyestrogenlevels? Youcan’talwayspreventtheconditionsassociatedwithhormoneimbalances.Still,youcanputgoodpracticesintoplacetohelpmaintainyouroverallhealth. Getenoughsleep.Gettingadequate,uninterruptedsleepeachnighthelpsyourbodymaintainthehealthyhormonelevelsneededtocarryoutimportantfunctions. Manageyourstress.Highstresscancauseyourbodytoproducetoomuchofthestresshormonescortisolandadrenaline.Excessstresshormonescancauseahormoneimbalancethatnegativelyimpactsyourestrogenlevels. Gettherightamountofexercise.Ahealthyamountofexercisecanhelpyouregulatehowmuchyoueatandhowmuchbodyfatyouhave.Itcanhelpyousleepbetter,too. Limityouralcoholintake.Alcoholcanraiseyourestrogenlevels.Overtime,toomuchexposuretoestrogenmayraiseyourcancerrisk. Practicegoodeatinghabits.Monitoryourfoodintaketohelpbalanceyourhormones.Reducingfoodswithsugarandeatingfoodshighinfiberandhealthyfats(fatsfoundinoliveoil,nuts,seedsandfish)canhelpwithhormonebalance. AnotefromClevelandClinic Estrogenisanessentialpartofyourreproductivehealth—andyouroverallhealthforthatmatter.It’snaturalforestrogenlevelstovarydependingonyourageandmenstrualcycle.Ifthey’reconsistentlyhighorlow,youmayexperienceunpleasantsymptomsworthdiscussingwithyourprovider.Treatmentsareavailablethatcanhelp,mostoftenintheformofcontraception,lifestylemodificationsorhormonaltherapiesaftermenopause. Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Getuseful,helpfulandrelevanthealth+wellnessinformation enews ClevelandClinicisanon-profitacademicmedicalcenter.Advertisingonoursitehelpssupportourmission.Wedonotendorsenon-ClevelandClinicproductsorservices. 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