What is estrogen?
Estrogen is a hormone that plays numerous roles in human anatomy. It contributes to bone health, cognitive health, the function of the cardiovascular system, and other critical bodily processes. The adrenal glands, ovaries, and fat tissues produce it. Both male and female anatomies contain this hormone. However, females make more estrogen.
The following are the functions of estrogen
1. Vagina:
- Here, the estrogen upholds the thickness of the vaginal wall and promotes lubrication.
2. Ovaries:
- Estrogen aids in stimulating the growth of the egg follicle.
3. Breasts:
- The female anatomy utilizes estrogen in the development of breast tissues. Moreover, it also aids in stopping the streaming of milk after weaning.
4. Uterus:
- The estrogen maintains and enhances the mucous membrane that lines the uterus. Moreover, estrogen regulates the streaming and thickness of uterine mucus secretions.
Three different types of estrogen are there
1. Estradiol:
- During the reproductive years, this type of estrogen is most commonly present in the female anatomy. Moreover, it is found in both males and females. A high amount of Estradiol can cause:
- Acne
- Loss of sex drive
- Depression
- Osteoporosis
- Uterine
- Breast cancer
However, low Estradiol can cause weight gain and cardiovascular diseases.
2. Estrone:
- This kind of estrogen is found in the anatomy after menopause. And this is the weaker form of estrogen and one that the anatomy can change to another kind of estrogen, as required.
3. Estriol:
- This kind of estrogen increases during pregnancy and aids the uterus in preparing and growing the anatomy for delivery. The level of estriol increases before birth.
Levels of estrogen:
It is a kind of sex hormone that performs a vital role in anatomy. Varying levels of estrogen can affect many aspects of human health. Levels that exceed a normal range can make it difficult to get an erection. A serious health issue can occur if the estrogen levels stay consistently elevated. Furthermore, when estrogen quantity is high compared to progesterone in females, this is referred to as estrogen dominance.
The level of estrogen present in males and females affect them differently.
- Abnormal estrogen levels in females can cause the following issues:
- Light or heavy periods
- Weight gain, mainly around the waist and hips
- Worse PMS than normal
- Low sex drive
- Fatigue
- Fibrocystic lumps in the breasts
- Fibroids in the uterus
- Anxiety or low mood
Following are the signs of a high level of estrogen in females:
- Hair loss
- Headaches
- Bloating
- Disrupted sleep
- Abnormal estrogen levels in the male may cause the following issues.
- Difficulty maintaining or getting an erection
- Gynecomastia, known as enlarged breasts
- Infertility
Factors that can affect the estrogen level include the following:
- Puberty
- Older age
- Obesity
- Menopause
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and pregnancy
- Anorexia nervosa or extreme dieting
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Training or strenuous exercising
- The intake of some medications like ampicillin, steroids, estrogen-containing drugs, phenothiazines, and tetracyclines
- Primary ovarian insufficiency
- Some congenital illnesses like Turner’s syndrome
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOD)
- An underactive pituitary gland
- Tumors of the adrenal or ovaries glands
Possible complications of high estrogen levels
If any individual has a consistently high level of estrogen for a long time, then this can increase the risk factors of:
- Breast cancer
- High blood pressure
- Blood clots
- Cervical cancer
- Low amounts of calcium are also known as hypocalcemia.
The sources and uses of estrogen
If someone has a low level of estrogen, the healthcare advisor may prescribe the following medicines or supplements:
- bioidentical estrogen
- synthetic estrogen
- Premarin includes estrogen from the urine of pregnant mares
Estrogen therapy
Estrogen therapy aids in dealing with menopause signs as part of hormone therapy sometimes referred to as hormone replacement therapy. The treatment may include estrogen (ERT or estrogen replacement therapy) solely. Furthermore, the treatment may involve a mixture of estrogen and progestin.
The hormone treatment is available as a nasal spray, pill, patch, injection, skin gel, or ring.
Estrogen therapy can aid in managing the following issues:
- Vaginal dryness
- Anxiety
- Hot flashes
- Painful intercourse
- Sleep disorders
- Mood swings
- Low sexual desire
Furthermore, estrogen therapy also aids in reducing the risk of osteoporosis, which increases when individuals enter menopause.
Following are some of the side effects of estrogen therapy:
- Headaches
- Bloating
- Leg cramps
- Bloating
- Indigestion
- Breast soreness
- Vaginal bleeding
- Fluid retention, leading to swelling
In some cases, hormone therapy increases the risks of a stroke, breast cancer, blood clots, and uterine. The healthcare provider can only advise an individual for estrogen therapy after conducting a detailed examination on whether it suits them.
Treatment for a high level of estrogen
Mostly the estrogen treatment depends upon the causes of the high estrogen level in human anatomy. However, the healthcare advisor might advise lifestyle changes to decrease estrogen dominance that is not due to a specific medical illness. Individuals can try the following treatments:
- Consume vegetarian diet
- Maintaining a moderate weight
- Limiting the consumption of alcohol
- Reducing stress
References
https://www.novaivffertility.com/fertility-help/what-are-treatments-high-estrogen-level-men retrieved on 31 Oct. 22
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493191/ retrieved on 31 Oct. 22
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323280#treatment retrieved on 31 Oct. 22
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277177 retrieved on 31 Oct. 22
