When I reached menopause, I felt a lot of symptoms, with anxiety as my least favorite. I wanted to get to the bottom of my hormonal health, and along the lines, I came across Estrogen Dominance (ED). You might have heard a thing or two about ED. But let’s get to know more about common estrogen dominance symptoms and how you can relieve them!
What is Estrogen Dominance?
When we hear about ED, we immediately think estrogen is higher than the rest of the hormones. And this is partly right! But there’s more to it.
ED is an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone ratios. According to Dr. John R. Lee, who named the condition, you can have ED if you have:
“Deficient, normal or excessive estrogen but has minimal amounts to no progesterone counteracting the effects of estrogen.”
You can draw three simple ideas from this definition of ED:
- ED isn’t just about estrogen being dominant or higher than any other hormones.
- ED happens even if you have enough low and high estrogen as long as you have low progesterone.
- Progesterone is one important hormone in ED!
Wondering why estrogen dominance happens during menopause? Let’s get to it!
Estrogen Dominance in Menopause
To start, ED may happen at any time in a woman’s life. It happens in your teens, in your adult years and in your golden years.
During perimenopause, estrogen levels don’t change that much. Estrogen levels may decrease, but you’ll still have enough to support your body. You may have estrogen dominance symptoms now and then, but it’s not estrogen’s fault.
So, who is the culprit then? Well, it might be sort of… progesterone’s fault!
Progesterone is the first hormone to roll down the drain in menopause. According to Dr. David Jockers, our progesterone levels decline by 75% between the ages of 35 to 50. On the other hand, estrogen only decreases by 35%.
Have you ever loved playing the seesaw when you were younger?
Let’s follow the seesaw analogy. Progesterone is the small kid, while estrogen is the bigger kid on the opposite end. It’s no fun to play around like this because there’s no balance. An imbalance in your estrogen-progesterone ratio causes some symptoms. You’ll immediately think menopause, but it’s actually your estrogen dominance symptoms!
For this reason, Dr. Lee suggests using natural progesterone cream to support your body. He also explains the importance of balancing your hormones with a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. Taylor or Menopause Barbie gives us an interesting view about estrogen dominance in this video (24:00):
Next up are estrogen dominance symptoms that you should watch out for!
Top Estrogen Dominance Symptoms During Menopause
Here are some of the most common estrogen dominance symptoms:
- sleep disturbances
- weight gain
- difficulty concentrating
- dry skin
- shorter menstrual periods
- abnormal bleeding
- fatigue
- edema in some parts of the body
- low libido
- mood changes
- severe PMS
If you have some symptoms of ED, take menopause tests or hormone level tests!
Dr. Berg explains estrogen dominance after menopause in this video. He also gives us information on why we have it and what we can do about it (12:40):
9 Natural Ways to Treat Estrogen Dominance Symptoms
Is your estrogen out of balance? No problem! Try these health hacks to get your hormone balance on track!
1. Increase nutrients in your food
Fill up those nutritional voids to gain back hormone balance! Eat more nutritious foods that are rich in magnesium, zinc, vitamin D and probiotics. When you have enough of these minerals in your body, you can enjoy hormone balance.
2. Try the hormone-balancing way of eating!
A hormone balanced diet is rich in fresh fruits and veggies and grass-fed protein. Healthy fats such as omega 3 and omega 6 are also important. You can get these from oily fish such as salmon, tuna, halibut and more!
3. Use healing herbs
A lot of adaptogenic (hormone balancing) herbs are available at your disposal. Take advantage of them! These herbs include Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Holy Basil and Medicinal Mushrooms. Aside from balancing your hormones, they’ll also help you deal with stress better!
4. Get rid of emotional baggage
For sure, when you saw the heading, you’re like, “what’s it got to do with hormone balance?” We know it’s unheard of, but built-up emotions can cause hormone imbalance too!
When you’re always sad, angry and fearful, you produce plenty of cortisol. Cortisol offsets your hormone balance. Turn things around by letting go of emotions that bring you down. Develop and nurture a positive mindset! It changes menopause, your health and life.
5. Relax with essential oils
Essential oils are great natural alternatives to commercialized products. They don’t have harmful chemicals, and they’re also free from toxins. They are also excellent promoters of hormone balance and a better mood! Essential oils such as clary sage, fennel, lavender, sandalwood and thyme are the best for relieving estrogen dominance symptoms.
6. Reduce stress
Stress is the mother of all diseases! When you’re always pressured, you release so much cortisol. As we’ve mentioned above, cortisol is a hormone balance wrecker. When everything’s getting out of hand, slow down and find time for yourself.
7. Detoxify your liver
Your natural estrogen is not harmful. The ones that bring danger are your environmental estrogens – synthetic and human-made. To detoxify bad estrogens, your liver has to be healthy.
Detoxify your liver by avoiding unhealthy food and consuming more raw juices. You can also eat more potassium-rich foods or do coffee enemas from time to time.
8. Get enough sleep
Your hormones are like humans. They also work on a schedule! Lack of sleep disturbs when and how they work. To avoid hormone imbalance because of inadequate sleep, try to sleep 7 to 8 hours per day (naps included).
9. Be careful with certain medications and birth controls
Medications and birth controls have potent and negative effects on hormone balance. Many women who use birth control complain about menopause-like symptoms. Do yourself a favor and opt for natural methods!
What patterns in your life aren’t helping you? Learn to let go of pressures and negative thoughts. Your body needs harmony. Look within yourself because the quality of your life depends on the inside.
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References:
https://www.drnorthrup.com/estrogen-dominance/
https://www.johnleemd.com/estrogen-dominance.html
https://nicolejardim.com/what-is-estrogen-dominance/
http://drjockers.com/factors-causing-estrogen-dominance/
https://www.virginiahopkinshealthwatch.com/2021/01/estrogendominance/
https://www.drnorthrup.com/estrogen-dominance/
https://draxe.com/10-ways-balance-hormones-naturally/
Gita is the founder of My Menopause Journey. Since 2014, she has been supporting midlife women by sharing hard-earned learnings from her own experience. To advance her knowledge, Gita puts a lot of her time and effort into understanding the broad spectrum of women’s health. She immerses in extensive research about the physical, mental and emotional aspects of menopause. Gita believes in the life-changing power of healthy, holistic living — this is where she anchors her message to all women. Learn more about her marvelous mission in About us - My Menopause Journey.