Estrogen dominance - Rejuvenate Clinic

What is Estrogen Dominance?

Estrogen dominance refers to a condition where a woman has excess estrogen relative to progesterone. This hormonal imbalance can lead to various symptoms like:

• Irregular periods or spotting
• Bloating, water retention, and weight gain
• Breast tenderness
• Mood changes, irritability, anxiety, or depression
• Foggy thinking and memory lapses
• Low libido
• Headaches or migraines
• Sleep problems

What causes estrogen dominance?

There are a few key factors that can tip the scales towards estrogen dominance:

• Perimenopause - As women approach menopause, progesterone levels decline faster than estrogen levels. This leads to a relative excess of estrogen.
• Chronic stress - Stress triggers the adrenal glands to produce cortisol and other hormones that disrupt normal estrogen and progesterone balance.
• Obesity - Fat cells produce some estrogen, leading to elevated levels.
• Environmental estrogens - Chemicals that mimic estrogen from plastics, personal care products, etc can increase overall estrogen levels.

How is estrogen dominance treated?

To rebalance hormones, doctors may recommend:

• Lifestyle changes like improving diet, exercising, minimizing stress, and getting enough sleep
• Progesterone therapy - Bioidentical progesterone supplements help counter the excess estrogen. This rebalances the ratio.
• Estrogen blockers - Medications that selectively block some effects of estrogen on the body.

Key takeaways:

• Estrogen dominance stems from excess estrogen relative to low progesterone. It causes a wide array of unpleasant symptoms.
• Perimenopause, chronic stress, obesity, and environmental estrogens promote estrogen dominance.
• Lifestyle measures, progesterone therapy, and estrogen blocking medications can help restore hormonal balance.