1 4 1 51.6k
Estrogen is the primary female hormone that is responsible for the development and regulation of the reproductive system and gender characteristics like underarm hair, the growth of the breasts, and the menstrual cycle. It is very important to control it and keep it on a normal level because excessive estrogen can cause cancer among women.
We at the Bright Side decided to study and write about the warning signs of excess estrogen in women.
Causes of excess estrogen production
There are 2 ways that estrogen levels rise naturally and that is during puberty and pregnancy. But it also can happen for some other reasons. We can get excessive estrogen from the environment or our diet. Nowadays it is not difficult to increase our level of estrogen, because it’s contained in foods that have toxic pesticides, herbicides, and growth hormones. Be careful when you buy products at the supermarket: check the description and where it was produced.
Except for those reasons, there can be other causes that are connected to our lifestyle: Excessive alcohol and medication consumption Heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure Stress
Signs of high estrogen in women
Pay attention to these signs and don’t hesitate to go to the doctor if you find something that’s disturbing you. If your level of estrogen is high, you might feel potential symptoms like:
1. Swelling and tenderness in your breasts
Many women feel changes in their breasts during their cycle and pregnancy because the breasts are very sensitive to hormones. If you experience sore breasts or if you’ve noticed that they’re swollen more than usual, this can be because of high estrogen.
2. Mood swings
© RobinHiggins / pixabay.com © RobinHiggins / pixabay.com
Estrogen impacts your mental state and emotions. These feelings will kind of remind you of PMS symptoms. You may feel depressed or have anxiety and your emotions can be all over the place for no good reason.
3. Fibrocystic lumps in your breasts
© shutterstock.com
If you have estrogen dominance, your breasts may become lumpy. This can be tender or painful. Don’t hesitate to go to the doctor immediately if you’ve found lumps in your breast tissue.
4. Hair loss
© Cherry Blossom Hair salon / facebook
Normally this is a male problem, but when you produce too much estrogen, you may start shedding hair more than you normally would. This can cause an even more depressive state. But you should remember, that the number of lost hairs depends on your lifestyle as well.
5. Weight gain
You’re not overeating and laying on a couch 24/7, but you’ve noticed that your hip area is becoming bigger. This can be a sign of excess estrogen. You may also suffer from bloating and struggle to lose weight even after being on a diet.
6. Irregular menstrual period
It should be an important sign for a woman when her period has always been on time and suddenly it arrives early or late. The menstrual period is carefully ruled by the levels of hormones in your body, and if there is an imbalance of one, the entire menstrual period can collapse.
7. You feel exhausted all the time
© Friends / Warner Bros. Television
If you have trouble sleeping, you may feel exhausted all the time. This is normal. But if you’ve noticed that you are tired more than usual and your lifestyle hasn’t changed, it can be a warning sign that you need to check your hormone levels.
8. Trouble sleeping
Excessive estrogen can also cause different sleep problems. You may be too talkative and not able to sleep, or the opposite, you may feel sleepy all the time. Pay attention if your sleeping habits have changed suddenly without any compelling reason or change in stress levels.
Do you ever check your hormone levels? Leave a comment below if this article was useful and interesting for you.
Illustrated by Natalia Okuneva-Rarakina for BrightSide.me