Low Estrogen Symptoms
by Joan
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Most of the time low estrogen symptoms are associated with menopause, but younger women who are not yet experiencing menopause can also suffer from symptoms of low estrogen. Low levels of estrogen can be caused by a few different things and the symptoms can vary depending on the age of the woman and the cause of the decreased levels of estrogen.
What Is Estrogen?
Estrogen is actually a class of hormones. The three estrogens that naturally occur in women are estradiol, estriol and estrone. Each one of these has a stronger role at a particular phase of life.
Through a woman’s childbearing years, from her first period until menopause, estradiol is the primary estrogen. This estrogen defines female characteristics and is important for bone health, but it also is responsible for female problems like endometriosis, fibroids and female cancers. Estroil, made from the placenta, is the main one produced during pregnancy. Estrone, which is weaker than estradiol, is the primary estrogen that is still produced after menopause.
Low Estrogen Symptoms And Menopause
Menopause is one of the main causes of low estrogen levels. It begins and ends at a slightly different age for each woman, but it generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 60. Estrogen is one of the main female hormones produced by the ovaries; it helps the uterus get ready to receive a fertilized egg. One of the signs that menopause is around the corner is the decreasing levels of estrogen. The average woman’s body will begin to lose estrogen and show low estrogen symptoms as early as 10 years before the start of menopause.
Low Estrogen Symptoms
The first symptoms of perimenopause and signs of low estrogen levels can seem confusing and unrelated to one another until you put the pieces together or consult your physician. These can include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Irregular periods
- Lower energy level
- Short-term memory loss
- Sudden mood swings
- Trouble Sleeping
Common Signs Of Low Estrogen And Menopause
Sometimes women don’t associate these with one another and they may not think about talking to their doctor about these symptoms until they persist or until other well-known symptoms begin to appear. This is usually when the thought of menopause and menopause night sweats comes to light. The intensity level of the symtoms will vary from one women to the next, but the symptoms can include:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Irregular periods
- Sudden mood swings
- Insomnia
- Vaginal dryness
- Thinning Hair
- Reduced concentration
- Loss of elasticity in skin
Medical Conditions Related To Low Estrogen And Menopause
Once a woman realizes she may be experiencing low estrogen symptoms and the onset of menopause she may want to speak to her doctor about the some of the other possible more serious side effects of low estrogen levels and menopause including:
- Bone density and osteoporosis. With the low estrogen levels that occur as a result of menopause the risk of osteoporosis greatly increases because bone density decreases, sometimes rapidly. This makes bones more brittle and susceptible to fractures.
- Cardiovascular disease. Low estrogen levels also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is important to know because heart disease is still a leading cause of death in both men and women.
- Urinary problems. Decreased estrogen causes the skin to lose elasticity but it also causes a loss of elasticity in the urethra, which can cause mild incontinence. This can result in a loss of urine when laughing, coughing or after a sudden, strong urge to urinate.
- Weight gain. Many women experience weight gain, particularly in the abdominal area, as a result of menopause. Eating about 200 less calories a day and exercising regularly can help counteract this.
The doctor may run tests to check estrogen levels, and based upon the findings, he or she may prescribe the appropriate hormone replacement therapy. For women who are perimenopausal or in the early stages of menopause, usually some lifestyle changes and alternative treatments can provide enough relief to help them ease into the next phase of their life with fewer unpleasant low estrogen symptoms. But some women may need something more to help them with these symptoms if they are severe enough and other methods aren’t working.
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