What is estrogen dominance?
Estrogen dominance refers to a condition where a woman has an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone levels, with higher estrogen and insufficient progesterone to counterbalance it. This often happens when women go through perimenopause or have conditions affecting hormone levels like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Some key things to know about estrogen dominance:
- It's usually caused by things that disrupt normal hormone cycles like stress, poor diet, toxins in products, etc. This leads to an overproduction of estrogen and impaired progesterone production.
- Symptoms often include irregular periods, headaches, weight gain, anxiety, fatigue, and more. The wide variety of vague symptoms makes it tricky to diagnose.
- It can increase the risk for problems like endometriosis, ovarian cysts, infertility, and even cancers if left unchecked for many years.
- Diagnosis is done through some combination of getting hormone levels tested, evaluating symptoms and related conditions, reviewing medical history, pelvic exams, etc. There isn't an agreed cutoff for abnormally high estrogen though.
- Making lifestyle modifications is the first line of treatment before considering medications or supplements:
Here are some helpful tips:
- Reduce stress through yoga, meditation, getting enough sleep, etc. Chronic stress increases estrogen and lowers progesterone.
- Eat a clean, anti-inflammatory diet focusing on produce, healthy fats, high-quality proteins. Limit sugar, alcohol and processed foods which can exacerbate symptoms.
- Exercise regularly as being active helps metabolize excess estrogen so it doesn't build up.
- Detox your environment by avoiding BPA-products, parabens in cosmetics, phthalates in plastics, etc. as these mimic estrogen in the body.
Our experts here at Balance Health Clinic are very experienced at helping to identify and properly treat hormone imbalances like estrogen dominance through customized nutrition and lifestyle protocols. We'd be happy to offer a free 15-minute consultation call to any women currently dealing with stubborn menopause or PCOS symptoms to explore possible solutions. Reach out today to start balancing your hormones for better all-around health!