Low Estrogen Symptoms: Identification, Treatment, and More

Estrogen is known as the “female” hormone. Testosterone is known as the “male” hormone. Although each hormone is identified with a specific sex, both are found ... HealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectShopSubscribeWhatAretheSymptomsofLowEstrogeninWomenandHowAreTheyTreated?MedicallyreviewedbyAngelicaBalingit,MD—WrittenbyDanielaGinta—UpdatedonJune17,2021SymptomsCausesRiskfactorsDiagnosisTreatmentWeightgainOutlookWhydoesyourestrogenlevelmatter?Estrogenisahormone.Althoughpresentinthebodyinsmallamounts,hormoneshavebigrolesinmaintainingyourhealth.Estrogeniscommonlyassociatedwiththefemalebody.Menalsoproduceestrogen,butwomenproduceitinhigherlevels.Thehormoneestrogen:isresponsibleforthesexualdevelopmentofgirlswhentheyreachpubertycontrolsthegrowthoftheuterineliningduringthemenstrualcycleandatthebeginningofapregnancycausesbreastchangesinteenagersandwomenwhoarepregnantisinvolvedinboneandcholesterolmetabolismregulatesfoodintake,bodyweight,glucosemetabolism,andinsulinsensitivityWhatarethesymptomsoflowestrogen?Girlswhohaven’treachedpubertyandwomenapproachingmenopausearemostlikelytoexperiencelowestrogen.Still,womenofallagescandeveloplowestrogen.Commonsymptomsoflowestrogeninclude:painfulsexduetoalackofvaginallubricationanincreaseinurinarytractinfection(UTIs)duetoathinningoftheurethrairregularorabsentperiodsshiftsinmoodhotflashesbreasttendernessheadachesoraccentuationofpre-existingmigrainesdepressiontroubleconcentratingfatigueYoumayalsofindthatyourbonesfractureorbreakmoreeasily.Thismaybeduetoadecreaseinbonedensity.Estrogenworksinconjunctionwithcalcium,vitaminD,andothermineralstokeepbonesstrong.Ifyourestrogenlevelsarelow,youmayexperiencedecreasedbonedensity.Ifleftuntreated,lowestrogencanleadtoinfertilityinwomen.Whatcauseslowestrogen?Estrogenisprimarilyproducedintheovaries.Anythingthataffectstheovarieswillendupaffectingestrogenproduction.Youngwomenmayexperiencelowlevelsofestrogendueto:excessiveexerciseeatingdisorders,suchasanorexiaalow-functioningpituitaryglandprematureovarianfailure,whichcanresultfromgeneticirregularities,toxins,oranautoimmuneconditionTurnersyndromechronickidneydiseaseInwomenover40yearsold,lowestrogencanbeasignofapproachingmenopause.Thistimeoftransitioniscalledperimenopause.Duringperimenopauseyourovarieswillstillproduceestrogen.Productionwillcontinuetoslowuntilyoureachmenopause.Learnmore:Whatcancausebleedingaftersex?RiskfactorsforlowestrogenThemostcommonriskfactorsforlowestrogenlevelsinclude:age,sinceyourovariesproducelessestrogenovertimefamilyhistoryofhormonalissues,suchasovariancystseatingdisordersextremedietingexcessiveexercisingissueswithyourpituitaryglandchemotherapyandradiationtherapysubstanceusedisorderHowislowestrogendiagnosed?Diagnosisandtreatmentoflowestrogencanhelppreventmanyhealthissues.Ifyou’reexperiencingsymptomsoflowestrogen,talkwithyourdoctor.Theycanassessyoursymptomsandmakeadiagnosisifneeded.Earlydiagnosismayhelppreventfurthercomplications.Duringyourappointment,yourdoctorwilldiscussyourfamilyhealthhistoryandassessyoursymptoms.They’llalsoperformaphysicalexam.Bloodtestswilllikelybeneededtomeasureyourhormonelevels.Yourfolliclestimulatinghormone(FSH)levelsmayalsobetestedtodeterminewhetheryourestrogenislowifyou’reexperiencing:hotflashesnightsweatsinsomniafrequentlymissedperiods(amenorrhea)Insomecases,yourdoctormayorderapituitaryhormonetesttocheckforanymedicalconditionsthatmaybeaffectingtheendocrinesystem.Ifyourpituitaryhormonesareabnormalwithoutclearexplanation,yourdoctormayfollowupwithabrainscan.Howislowestrogentreated?Womenwhohavelowlevelsofestrogenmaybenefitfromhormonaltreatment.Hormonaltreatmentisthestandardforlowestrogen.Therearenon-hormonaloptionstohelprelievesymptoms.Non-hormonaloptionsarepreferredforwomenathighriskforbreastcancer,bloodclots,stroke,orliverdisease.EstrogentherapyWomenbetweenages25to50yearsoldwhoareestrogendeficientaregenerallyprescribedestrogen,whichcanreducetheriskof:bonelosscardiovasculardiseaseotherhormonalimbalancesIn2002,theFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)urgedwomentotakethelowestpossibledosefortheshortestamountoftime.Sincethen,highdosesarenotgenerallyprescribedanymore.Theactualdosewilldependontheseverityoftheconditionandthemethodofapplication.Estrogencanbeadministered:orallytopicallyvaginallyviainjectionInsomecases,long-termtreatmentmaybeneededevenafteryourestrogenlevelsreturntonormal.Thismayrequirelowerdosesofadministeredestrogenovertimetosustainyourcurrentlevel.Estrogentherapymayalsoeasetheseverityofmenopausalsymptomsandreduceyourriskforfractures.Estrogentherapyisonlyrecommendedfor1to2years.Thisisbecauseestrogentherapymayincreaseyourriskforcancer.Hormonereplacementtherapy(HRT)HRTisusedtoincreaseyourbody’snaturalhormonelevels.YourdoctormayrecommendHRTifyou’reapproachingmenopause.Menopausecausesyourestrogenandprogesteronelevelstosignificantlydecrease.HRTcanhelpreturntheselevelstonormal.Inthistherapy,hormonescanbeadministered:topicallyorallyvaginallyviainjectionHRTtreatmentscanbeadjustedindosage,length,andthecombinationofhormones.Forexample,dependingonthediagnosis,progesteroneisrequiredifawomanstillhasheruterus,butit’snotrequiredifshe’shadahysterectomy.TheWomen’sHealthInitiative,a2002women’shealthpreventionstudythattheNationalInstitutesofHealth(NIH)conducted,concludedthatwomentakingcombination(estrogen+progesterone)hormonetherapyformenopausehadanincreasedriskforbreastcancer,heartdisease,stroke,bloodclots,andurinaryincontinence.Checkout:Dealingwithearlymenopause.Lowestrogenlevelsandweightgain:Isthereaconnection?Sexhormones,suchasestrogen,influencetheamountoffatinthebody.Estrogenregulatesglucoseandlipidmetabolism.Ifyourestrogenlevelsarelow,itcanresultinweightgain.Researchsuggeststhatthismaybewhywomenapproachingmenopausearelikelytobecomeoverweight.Beingoverweightcanincreaseyourriskforobesity,diabetes,andcardiovasculardisease.Ifyourestrogenlevelsarelowandit’saffectingyourweight,speakwithyourdoctor.Theycanassessyoursymptomsandadviseyouonnextsteps.It’salwaysagoodideatotrytoeatabalanceddietandexerciseasoftenaspossible.Talkwithyourdoctoraboutdevelopingadietandexerciseplanthat’srightforyou.OutlookHormones,suchasestrogen,playakeyroleinyouroverallhealth.Age,certaindiseases,orinheriteddisorderscancauseyourestrogenlevelstodrop.Lowestrogenlevelscaninterferewithsexualdevelopmentandsexualfunctions.Theycanalsoincreaseyourriskforobesity,osteoporosis,andcardiovasculardisease.Treatmentshaveevolvedovertheyearsandbecomemoreeffective.Yourindividualreasonforlowestrogenwilldetermineyourtreatmentaswellasthedosageandduration.ReadthisarticleinSpanish.Keepreading:Whatyouneedtoknowaboutvaginalhealthateveryage.LastmedicallyreviewedonJune17,20215sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.CleggDJ.(2012).Minireview:Theyearinreviewofestrogenregulationofmetabolism.doi.org/10.1210/me.2012-1284FDAStatementontheResultsoftheWomen'sHealthInitiative(Posted8/13/2002).(2016).wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20170112130359/http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm135331.htmHart-UngerS,etal.(2011).Estrogensandobesity:Isitallinourheads?doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2011.09.003Largestwomen'shealthpreventionstudyever–Women'sHealthInitiative.(2019).womenshealth.gov/30-achievements/25LizcanoF,etal.(2014).Estrogendeficiencyandtheoriginofobesityduringmenopause.doi.org/10.1155/2014/757461FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyAngelicaBalingit,MD—WrittenbyDanielaGinta—UpdatedonJune17,2021ReadthisnextSignsandSymptomsofHighEstrogenMedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHTHighestrogencanoccurnaturallyormayhappenbecauseofotherfactors.Increasedlevelscanhavesignificanteffectsinbothgenders.Learnmore…READMORERiskFactorsofHavingHighorLowEstrogenLevelsinMalesMedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHBothhighandlowestrogenlevelscancausesomelong-termcomplicationsorindicatethatthere’sanunderlyingconditionthatshouldbetreated…READMORE4BenefitsofEstrogenTherapyMedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHREADMOREDoesEstrogenCauseWeightGain?MedicallyreviewedbyPeggyPletcher,M.S.,R.D.,L.D.,CDELearnhowthedeclineinestrogenatmenopausecontributestoweightgain,andhowtokeepthepoundsoff.READMOREUTIsinAdults:EverythingYouNeedtoKnowLearnaboutdifferenttypesandtreatmentsofurinarytractinfections,theriskfactors,andpreventionforbothmenandwomen.READMOREUnderactivePituitaryGland(Hypopituitarism)MedicallyreviewedbyDebraSullivan,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,CNE,COIREADMOREOvarianCystsMedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,PhD,MSN,RN,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHTMostwomenwilldevelopatleastonecystontheirovariesduringtheirlives.Inmostcases,thesecystsarepainlessandcausenosymptoms.READMORE