I hope to highlight some the specific hormones this week and what each does for us as women. Today we'll talk ESTROGEN. Ladies, we love our Estrogen right? Right!! If you haven't realized it yet from reading these blogs, there is a tremendous impact on the body when hormones are out of balance. And what about aging more gracefully? Studies show that women on hormone therapy look younger when evaluated by random spectators assigning an age to a person. I did a blog just on that...check it out if you have time. But that's not the reason for the note to you today.
Estrogen is a hormone primarily secreted by the ovaries. We also take estrogens (altered forms) in from our environment (plastics, pesticides, chemicals), and through food sources. This is why we see the trending and training towards healthier habits including BPA free, Paraben free, free range food sources, elimination of dairy products, pesticide free, etc. etc. The reasons for these lifestyle changes comes down to endocrine disruption and hormonal imbalance. We live in a hormone saturated environment.
Estrogen helps protect against heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and memory disorders. It also helps protect against urinary incontinence and vaginal atrophy which are common complaints of post-menopausal women. Estrogens are also the common fix to squealching those horrible hot flashes and temperature swings. So if you don't have enough estrogen in your body, guess what's likely going to happen? Not just that, but estrogen also has multiple neurologic benefits, helps with macular degeneration and cataracts, and helps reduce cancer risk when appropriately balanced. Estrogen also helps with moisture to skin, hair, and nails. I can't tell you the number of times throughout the years that women have shared their improvements in these areas. No more eye drops, clarity in thought, bladder benefits, etc. etc.
If a woman finds themselves in a state of estrogen deficiency, besides the urogenital complaints, she also will likely develop sagging skin and breasts, increased skin wrinkles, fatigue, depression, mood swings, and decreased libido. You'll be saggy, baggy, foggy, crabby, and _______(fill in the blank). It's important to consult with a professional who understands the nature of the various types of estrogens to determine the best "fix" to the symptom or concern. Each person is unique in their symptoms, family history, medical history, and goals of resetting the balance of hormones. All estrogens are NOT created equal and that's why a customized Bio-Identical formulation is the BEST choice for each person. The "synthetics" are BAD MEDICINE in my professional opinion (increased cancer risk and side effects), and finally and thankfully, the medical literature now supports bio-identical hormone replacement therapy because of less side effects and complications. If you want to spend a day reading with me, just stop by. (smile)
What if Estrogen is high? Yep, sometimes women test and have too much estrogen. I actually see it pretty often around here. This can happen when estrogen is not appropriately balanced by progesterone, by eating poorly, by being overweight, or by exposure to these endocrine disruptors that I mentioned. These Estrogen Dominant gals will often complain of anxiety, water retention, fibrocystic breasts, weight gain, bleeding changes, irritability, fatigue, and so on.
Can I get any witnesses? Are you raising your hand saying that's me?
So, what do you do with this information?... Get tested!!
If you have any kind of a family history of "female trouble", cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, eye disease etc then that warrants assessment. Get tested!!
If you can relate to any of the symptoms noted in this blog, get tested!!
If you have had a hysterectomy, get tested!!
If you are having abnormal menstrual cycles, infertility issues, unexplained weight gain, or ANYthing that you suspect might be hormonal, get tested!!
To your good health,
Dr. Sonja
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