Article Reviewed By The Medical Faculty and Advisory Review Board
We talk a lot about estrogen at EvexiPEL. But what exactly is it, and why is it so important? Estrogen is one of the two primary sex hormones women have (the other is progesterone).
Estrogen is responsible for creating and maintaining female characteristics:
- Breasts
- Menstrual cycles
- Reproduction
Without estrogen, a woman (or girl)’s body would not be able to go through essential developmental functions.
Where Does Estrogen Come From?
Estrogen comes primarily from ovaries (which produce eggs). Adrenal glands also produce small amounts of estrogen, as does fatty tissue.
These are the points at which estrogen is created, but it travels through your whole body via your bloodstream.
The 3 Types of Estrogen
Women’s bodies produce different types of estrogen on different occasions. Depending on what stage of life you’re in, your body can cater your hormones to its particular needs.
- Estradiol – This is the main form of estrogen found in women when they reach childbearing age.
- Estriol – The main form of estrogen found in women during pregnancy.
- Estrone – This is the only estrogen your body produces after menopause.
These distinct forms of estrogen are necessary for bodies to form necessary processes. For example, estradiol is released during menstrual cycles, as it creates a hospitable environment for an embryo to grow and develop.
Estrone, on the other hand, does not encourage embryonic growth, and therefore would be completely unhelpful for a woman’s body to produce during menstrual cycles.
Does Estrogen Affect Anything Besides Female Characteristics?
Yes! Men have small amounts of estrogen too, and benefit from some of its non-menstrual or menopause-related effects.
Let’s not forget, estrogen is critically important to women developing female features and being capable of reproduction.
Estrogen brings about many important changes:
- Pubic and underarm hair growth
- Breast growth
- Menstrual cycles
BUT estrogen does some other pretty critical stuff too, in men and women:
- Keeps your bones healthy
- Controls your cholesterol levels
- Impacts and regulates your brain, mood, heart, bones, skin and other tissues
What Happens When Your Estrogen Levels Are Off?
This is where we come in. It’s not uncommon for women to experience an imbalance in estrogen. Sometimes your body just produces too much or too little estrogen.
Sometimes, the imbalance might come from outside factors, such as birth control – many methods of which contain estrogen.
Luckily, at EvexiPEL we can help you fix that imbalance. But first, it might be helpful to know some of the symptoms:
Symptoms of Low Estrogen Levels
- Difficulty sleeping
- Vaginal dryness
- Dry skin
- Infrequent menstruation
- Decreased sex drive
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Moodiness and mood swings
You may notice that a lot of these sound like symptoms of menopause… yep, menopause is the most common reason for low estrogen levels in women.
Symptoms of High Estrogen Levels
- Weight gain
- Non-cancerous breast lumps
- Fatigue
- Decreased sex drive
- Depression and anxiety
- Abnormal periods/increased discomfort before menstruation
We Can Help
This is all sounding pretty unpleasant, but never fear! Most women will experience an imbalance in estrogen at some point in their life, and luckily, it’s solvable.
If you’re experiencing some of these symptoms, or have reason to believe that your estrogen levels may be off, get in touch!
Our superior hormone pellet therapy has been proven to stabilize estrogen levels – we’d love to talk!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
