Start with a blood test
By Mike Kocsis | 7 minutes read | Last updated: June 3, 2021 Categories: Oestrogen Women's Health
Medically Reviewed by Dr. George Touliatos
For women that have dealt with menstrual cycles their entire life, you would think that it would bring happiness to enter menopause. In fact, it can sometimes actually cause more issues, or at the least different issues than the ones that you previously went through. Women that are going through menopause can often experience symptoms of low estrogen, which can range from severe to mild and have a drastic effect on women. If you want to have the best chance at combating the symptoms of low estrogen, one of the most important steps is identifying the potential symptoms of low estrogen following menopause. Thousands of women each year experience these symptoms and this guide to the most common symptoms of low estrogen will help you to identify if that is the struggle that you are facing.
Estrogen Hormone Balance
To help understand how to fight the symptoms of low estrogen following your menopause, you must first understand exactly how it works. Estrogen is the most important hormone in the female body and it is responsible for keeping many of the body’s functions in a state of normalcy. When you have low estrogen following menopause, this can mean that you start to feel some of the side effects that come along with having a hormone balance that is out of order.
The reasons behind low estrogen can be multiple, but most commonly it is the result of the body needing less estrogen as you age. This is usually the result of that fact that your body no longer has a reproductive system to keep active. Though this is completely natural, it can cause some side effects that are less than ideal.
Does Menopause Come to an End?
If you are currently going through the symptoms of menopause and lowered estrogen, then you probably want to know whether menopause is ever scheduled to end. This is natural to wonder, but the answer is not so simple. There are a variety of factors that go into whether menopause will “end” for you. Officially, menopause is considered over once you have gone through one year without a period. However, this is just the beginning. After a year, you enter a stage that is known as post-menopausal life. There are a unique set of symptoms that come along with post-menopausal conditions. So, while menopausal does technically come to an end, a new set of symptoms arises with life beyond menopause.
Is There a Solution?
For those that are experiencing menopause and the associated symptoms, it is common to wonder if there is indeed a solution. Living with the symptoms of low estrogen and menopause is undoubtedly not fun, so many women wonder if there is a solution to managing or eliminating the symptoms of low estrogen. As it turns out, there are a variety of potential treatments for low estrogen and the menopause that can be used to manage low estrogen levels and the side effects. These treatments always start with a consultation that involves a blood test to determine the level of estrogen in the bloodstream. Only from this place of knowledge can you know which treatment is suitable for you for low estrogen.
Symptoms of Low Estrogen
If you hope to treat low estrogen, you first need to know how to identify low estrogen. The best way to do this is through familiarizing yourself with the symptoms of low estrogen. With our easy-to-understand guide to the symptoms of low estrogen, you’ll know exactly how to identify low estrogen and what steps should be taken to treat low estrogen.
Painful Sex
Painful sex is one of the most common side effects of low estrogen. It usually occurs because low estrogen leads to a lack of vaginal lubricant being produced. If you are having painful sex and are in a menopausal or post-menopausal state, it may be because of low estrogen that you are experiencing the symptoms.
Increased Risk for UTI
As women get older and go through the symptoms of low estrogen and menopause, the urethra can often become much more narrow. This means that women who have low estrogen are often at risk for urinary tract infections. The fact that the body is going through physical changes means that women have an increased chance for these infections.
Irregular Periods
Irregular periods are already a common side effect for women that are going through menopause, but they become even more common and the potential for discrepancies is even larger when they also have low estrogen. Women that have low estrogen levels could experience irregular or nonexistent periods.
Mood Swings
Estrogen is the most important hormone in the body of any female, and when hormones are out of balance, it can lead to large and drastic swings in mood. This is common for women going through menopause or decreased estrogen to experience, but is not exclusive to the condition of low estrogen.
Hot Flashes
Hot flashes are one of the most well-known symptoms and can often be associated with menopause. This is usually the cause of the physical changes that happen when women have low estrogen whether it is natural or brought on by external factors.
Headaches
Headaches are another common side effect of those that are suffering from low estrogen. As hormones have a heavy impact on the physical and mental well-being of the individual, headaches are a common indicator that you have a hormone imbalance and not having a positive impact on the body.
Depression
Depression is a common indicator that hormones and other chemicals are out of balance. When the body doesn’t have enough estrogen, it can have a drastic impact on the overall chemical balance of the body. Depression can develop over time if this issue isn’t addressed.
Fatigue
A lack of estrogen in the body can have plenty of effects and they are not just isolated to mental effects. Fatigue is a very real side effect that can occur when the body does not have sufficient levels of estrogen. Fatigue is a common side effect among women that are going through menopause or do not have enough estrogen in the body.
Causes of Low Estrogen
So, you now know many of the common side effects of low estrogen and this can help you to identify low estrogen if you are experiencing it. However, the next step is really what is important. This step is determining the cause of why you have low estrogen. When you know the cause of the low estrogen that you are experiencing, it gives you a lot more power over the condition and how you can approach treatment. Here are some of the most common causes of low estrogen.
Excessive Exercise
Exercising is generally thought of as a great thing for your health and fitness, but there is a point that you can reach that is too much exercise. When you get too much exercise, you aren’t giving your body enough opportunity to recover. This can lead to several issues, which includes low estrogen. If you are experiencing low estrogen and are a very active person that exercises a lot, you might consider scaling back the exercise for the time being to see if it has a positive effect on your estrogen and the side effects that surround low estrogen.
Eating Disorders
Nutrition and general health are very important in maintaining healthy hormone levels. The estrogen in your body is partly dependent on how in shape you are and the food you are putting in your body. However, when you have an eating disorder, this can mean that your body isn’t getting the nutrition that it needs to function normally and healthy. Those that have an eating disorder may need to seek treatment for the eating disorder before they see a healthy return to normal estrogen levels.
Pituitary Gland Malfunction
The pituitary gland is one of the most important parts of the body when it comes to producing and regulating hormones. In women, it is partly responsible for the amount of estrogen in the blood. If your pituitary gland is malfunctioning or experiencing a disorder of some kind, this can leave your estrogen levels out of sync with what they are supposed to be.
Ovarian Failure
The ovaries are a crucial part of the reproductive system and if they are failing, then it could be causing your body to send signals that no more hormones are needed. In this even, your body will listen and not create enough estrogen. If you are experiencing low estrogen and the side effects that come along with it, then you might explore whether it is the result of ovarian failure.
Next Steps
Dealing with the side effects and fallout from low estrogen is not the most fun experience, but there is a way that you can remedy the situation. Thousands of people each year find success in working with a doctor that specializes in low estrogen such as the ones at Balance My Hormones. With the guidance of a medical professional that works with women that have low estrogen, you can overcome low estrogen and get your hormones back in balance.
Study Material / References / Reports on Low Estrogen
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321064
https://www.verywellhealth.com/low-estrogen-levels-4588661
Evidence Based Research
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About the Author: Mike Kocsis
Mike Kocsis has an MBA with a focus on healthcare administration and is an entrepreneur and medical case manager for Balance My Hormones Ltd which offers medical services in the UK and Europe. Mike has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare sector, much of that working with people who have hormone imbalances. Mike has appeared on podcasts and radio and is an expert speaker on the subject of hormone imbalance. He specialises in Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and has helped thousands of people suffering from hormone imbalances recover and regain control of their lives. You can follow him on LinkedIn and on the Balance My Hormones YouTube Channel.
Last update: June 3rd, 2021
