Estrogen dominance refers to a condition where a woman has excess estrogen relative to progesterone in her body. This hormonal imbalance can lead to various symptoms and health issues. Some key things to know about estrogen dominance:
- Causes
- Excess body fat
- Stress
- Exposure to xenohormones (from plastics, cosmetics, etc)
- Ovarian cysts or tumors
- Common symptoms
- Irregular periods
- Heavy, painful, or long periods
- PMS symptoms like bloating and mood swings
- Weight gain, especially around the hips and thighs
- Fatigue
- Poor sleep
- Low libido
- Associated health risks
- Infertility
- Endometriosis
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Increased cancer risk
- Testing and diagnosis
- Symptom review
- Blood or saliva tests to measure hormones
- Treatment Options
- Lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, stress management
- Herbal supplements like vitex or DIM
- Bioidentical progesterone therapy
- Consider estrogen blockers or reducing xenoestrogen exposure