Do You have Estrogen Dominance?

September 7, 2012 |

Estrogen (also spelt oestrogen) is considered a female hormone (even though guys make is as well) that is responsible for turning a girl into a woman.

It is beautiful when it is in balance but derails us when it’s out of balance.

It goes out of balance when we don’t make enough (run down, menopause), when we produce too much (over drive, stress, not clearing it out) or when we are low in progesterone (which balances estrogen).

HIGH Estrogen or Estrogen Dominance is on the rise.

That means women are either making too much estrogen, are being exposed to too much and/or can’t clear it out of their bodies.

And consequently diseases and conditions that are affected by high estrogen (low progesterone) are also on the rise. Important conditions such as endometriosis, PCO, infertility, obesity and reproductive cancers.

Is estrogen dangerous?

Whilst estrogen is essential for good health and the secondary female sexual characteristics (breast development, periods, pubic and arm pit hair growth, widened hips) too much can be a bad thing.

Estrogen commands the reproductive tract to develop and prepare for babies.

If you are low in vitamin D, low in anti-oxidants, low in zinc and many other factors, estrogen can be like a loaded gun inside your body and can do harm.

Problems associated with high estrogen include:

Cellulite
May interfere with B6 and cause depression
May cause endometriosis, uterine fibroids
May lead to an underactive thyroid
Can cause Premenstrual Syndrome Type A (anxiety) or PMS-A
Increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
When you have estrogen dominance you may experience:
Pre menstrual syndrome (PMS)
Weight gain around the hips and thighs
Early miscarriage
Fertility problems
Lumpy, or tender breasts
Anxiety, depression, poor memory
Dry skin
Headaches and migraines
Heavy , irregular periods
Low sex drive
Poor sleep

High estrogen has also been associated with reproductive cancers (cervical, ovarian, breast and endometrial), endometriosis, PCOS, acne, infertility, cysts, depression, anxiety and IBS (just to name a few).

This is a clip about how you may feel if you have high estrogen.

Youtube Clip on Estrogen Dominance

Treating high estrogen or estrogen dominance requires a professional trained in this area.

Be wary of getting advice from Dr google and friends. What works for them may have no consequence for you and you can waste, time, money and more importantly put yourself at risk from further harm.

Having a back ground in nursing and pharmaceuticals my opinions is that balancing your estrogen needs to be done naturally.

Medicine (ie surgery and pharmaceuticals) may offer diagnostics and surgical removal and drugs can block estrogen but none of it addresses the underlying problem.

You need someone to work out where you are getting extra from, why you are not processing it, or if your body is making excess. I think a naturopath is the best person for this.