High Estrogen Symptoms in Women: How It Affects Fertility
What is High Estrogen in Women?
Estrogen is a hormone found in both men and women. However, men have a much smaller amount of it compared to women. It plays many roles in a woman’s body. Be it bone health, heart health, or reproductive health, estrogen supports them all.
That being said, too much estrogen can cause negative effects. So, going beyond the normal levels of estrogen is harmful to the body. For women before menopause, normal levels are usually between 30 and 400 pg/mL. After menopause, they are typically between 0 and 30 pg/mL.
What are the Causes of High Estrogen Levels in Females?
High estrogen in women can stem from internal hormone issues or external factors. Some of the causes of high estrogen levels in females are:
- A common cause is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormonal problem affecting 5 to 15 out of every 100 women of childbearing age. It can cause irregular periods and fertility problems.
- An underactive thyroid could also be a reason. It disrupts the body’s overall hormonal balance.
- Some medicines can increase estrogen levels. These include hormone replacement therapy and high-dose birth control pills.
- Obesity has been a reason for some people, too. Fat tissue produces estrogen, so having more body fat means higher estrogen levels.
- Stress is well known for disrupting hormone balance. Long-term stress increases cortisol. Then, a chain reaction of one hormone affecting the levels of another occurs. This ultimately leads to high estrogen in women.
- The liver is responsible for breaking down estrogen. Therefore, if the liver is not working properly, it can lead to higher estrogen levels. Since alcohol impacts the liver poorly, it is advised to avoid drinking it.
- Being around certain chemicals in our environment can also be a problem. These chemicals are called xenoestrogens. They’re like “fake” estrogens that our bodies can react to. They are mostly present in plastics. Such sneaky compounds can mess with the natural way our hormones are supposed to work.
- Genetic conditions or tumors can cause abnormal estrogen production, but this happens very rarely.
Knowing these causes helps manage hormone health. You can prevent issues that come from too much estrogen.
What are the Symptoms of High Estrogen?
Sometimes, high levels of estrogen don’t cause any obvious signs. But these are some things women might experience if their estrogen levels are high:
- Your periods might become unpredictable.
- The breasts can start to feel sore, or their size might look bigger than usual.
- Some women notice weight gain in their bodies. Estrogen especially stores fat around the hips and thighs.
- Too much estrogen can also lead to problems like fibroids (non-cancerous growths in the womb).
- It can also be linked to endometriosis. In this condition, tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside it.
- Emotionally, high estrogen can cause ups and downs in mood.
- Some women might also experience a decrease in their interest in sex.
How to Diagnose High Estrogen Levels in the Body?
To find out if estrogen levels are high, doctors usually do a blood test. This test measures the different forms of estrogen in your blood. There are mainly estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and estriol (E3). For women who are still having periods, estradiol (E2) is the most important one. After menopause (when periods stop), estrone (E1) becomes the main type. Estriol (E3) is the primary estrogen a woman’s body makes when she’s pregnant.
If there is too much estrogen, these tests can help pinpoint the exact cause.
What is the Treatment for High Estrogen in Females?
Basically, getting your hormones back in balance often means working with doctors. It also makes you adopt healthy habits. You need to be mindful of what’s in your environment (both internal and external). This combined approach can be very effective. These are some things that help with the treatment for high estrogen in females:
Lifestyle Modifications
- Try to maintain a healthy weight in order to control estrogen levels. Exercising can lower extra estrogen stored in fat. So, you can work out or stay physically active to achieve that.
- On the other hand, handle stress in a healthy way. This is because high stress hormones can mess up other hormones, which ultimately makes estrogen become too strong.
Dietary Changes
- Even the utensils that you use matter. So containers that are made of glass or steel are all right. Just try to avoid plastic ones. This small step makes some difference too.
- Eating lots of broccoli, kale, and foods with fiber is great for hormone balance. Food items that have omega-3s can help your body balance hormones and keep your liver healthy.
- Cutting back on sugary foods and drinking less alcohol may eventually help lower estrogen. Also, keep your distance from toxic chemicals that are found in pesticides or household cleaners, etc.
- Choosing organic foods and hormone-free meat can help. This reduces contact with any xenoestrogens and supports balanced hormone levels.
- Even utensils that you use matter. So, containers that are made of glass or steel are alright. Just try to avoid plastic ones. This small step makes some difference too.
Medical Treatments
- Doctors sometimes prescribe medicines called aromatase inhibitors. These include Anastrozole and Letrozole. Such drugs help block the body from making estrogen. They are wonderful for conditions that are sensitive to hormones. For example, breast cancer is a hormone-sensitive condition.
- Another type of medication that can be used is GnRH agonists. These also work efficiently to stop the ovaries from producing excessive estrogen.
- Surgery is not the first or foremost option. In fact, it is rarely performed. However, it may be recommended if estrogen-producing tumors are found.
The Bottom Line
Estrogen dominance could be harmful. It’s important to keep track of symptoms and observe them closely. And because symptoms can vary from person to person, an expert opinion could help understand the situation better.
Contact us at Archish IVF if you feel confused. We can help figure out what’s going on and the best way to manage it.
FAQs
Generally, to measure estrogen levels in the blood, the unit picograms per milliliter (pg/mL) is used.
Yes, high estrogen levels can create some fertility issues. However, it does not mean that pregnancy is impossible with high levels of estrogen.
There are three types of at-home tests available to check your estrogen levels. These are a blood test, a urine test, and a saliva test.
Avoid foods that fall into these five categories. These include excess carbohydrates, alcohol (or coffee), processed and red meat, sugar, and dairy products. All of these can raise estrogen levels.
Try to support your liver and gut health. This can be done through diet and certain lifestyle choices.
Yes, men can also experience estrogen dominance. In this situation, they may experience breast enlargement. This happens because estrogen levels exceed testosterone levels.