Although the human body has a similar structure until puberty, the biological functioning and development of our body begins to differ in men and women, thanks to the sex-related hormones that begin to be produced in this period. The biological structure begins to take shape according to the gender of the person, thanks to testosterone in men and estrogen in women.
The entire development and functioning system of the body, which biologically distinguishes women from men, is carried out and regulated by the hormone estrogen. In cases where it is not produced enough, it should be checked regularly because it brings many health problems and supplements should be taken if deemed appropriate by the physician. Let’s take a closer look at questions such as what is estrogen, what is it for, how to increase it.
Let’s start by defining the hormone; What is estrogen?
Estrogen, a hormone naturally produced by our body, is one of the basic hormones that initiates the biological development of women and regulates their functioning. It is possible to talk about three different types of estrogen: E1 estrone, E2 estradiol and E3 estriol. Another female hormone is progesterone.
So what exactly does estrogen do?
Everything that comes to mind when you think of female biology is developed and regulated by estrogen. All these processes such as puberty, breast development and lactation, initiation and regularity of the menstrual cycle, sex drive and its maintenance, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, all occur thanks to estrogen. Thanks to estrogen, which begins to be produced 20 times more than before, with puberty, women also develop resistance against vaginal infections. Estrogen is accompanied by different hormones during and after pregnancy.
What should be the ideal estrogen value?
- Before puberty? – 29 pg/ml
- Puberty 10 – 200 pg / ml
- 17 – 200 pg / ml before menopause
- Postmenopausal 7 – 40 pg/ml
Estrogen values, which are generally accepted as ideal in women, are like this, but the values we share are ideal E1 estrogen ratios. For a comprehensive estrogen assessment, both E1 estrone, E2 estradiol, and E3 estriol values should be measured. All these values obtained after the test are evaluated according to the age, health status and similar conditions of the woman. For this reason, it is not always correct to talk about a precise ideal value.
What are the symptoms of low estrogen, what causes it?
- vaginal dryness
- inability to menstruate
- Irregular menstruation
- skin dryness
- Fat around the abdomen
- Severe headache
- hot flush sensation
- Decreased sexual desire
- painful intercourse
- Persistent feeling of tiredness
- pessimistic thoughts
- Depression
- irrational state of anger
Here are some of the most common symptoms seen in women due to low estrogen. Depending on the age, one or more of these symptoms may occur in different intensities. However, these symptoms are not enough to talk about a definite low estrogen, a comprehensive test is required.
What are the symptoms of high estrogen?
- Persistent bloating sensation
- breast enlargement
- breast tenderness
- Decreased sexual desire
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- instant mood changes
- Severe headache
- Unexplained weight gain
- hair removal
- sleep problems
- Constant feeling of tiredness
- mental confusion
- coldness in hands and feet
These are some of the symptoms that are generally seen in women when the estrogen hormone is high. Estrogen excess may occur as a result of adolescence, excessive lubrication, hypertension, ovarian tumors, pregnancy, steroid and similar drug use.
A regular life is the beginning of everything; How to increase estrogen?
- Exercise regularly without overdoing it.
- Try to keep your body mass index low.
- Have a healthy and regular sex life.
- Avoid stress.
- Make sure you get enough sleep.
- Limit alcohol.
- Do not smoke.
Of course, when the estrogen level is much lower than normal, your doctor may give you supplements, but it is possible to increase your estrogen level by paying attention to some small details in your daily life. When we look at the above items, it is clear that you can solve many health problems by living a regular and healthy life, as well as increase your estrogen level.
Pay attention to nutrition; What foods are estrogen found in?
- legumes
- seeds
- Sesame
- Soy
- flaxseed
- Carrot
- Apple
- Grape
- red berries
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Oregano
- Sage
Here are some of the foods that increase the body’s estrogen production when consumed. Vitamin B, vitamin D and boron mineral also positively affect estrogen production. Of course, you don’t need to eat handfuls of them all at once. You should adjust your diet accordingly and consume such foods regularly.
Sometimes estrogen hormone therapy and supplementation may be required:
In natural situations, a decrease or increase in estrogen level is normal. Lifestyle changes are generally recommended for mild changes, but sometimes supplementation with a specific treatment may be required for estrogen that cannot be increased naturally. Of course, it is your physician who will make the necessary tests and examinations.
Estrogen therapy can be administered orally, vaginally, by intramuscular injection, or by skin absorption. Estrogen therapy can be applied not only in the deficiency of this hormone, but also in the protection against some types of cancer or pregnancy. The treatment applied increases the good cholesterol, lowers the bad cholesterol and is effective in preventing coronary diseases.
Estrogen therapy can have some side effects:
- breast tenderness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- persistent swelling
- stomach cramps
- Severe headache
- Unexplained weight gain
- Hair loss
- vaginal itching
- Irregularity in menstruation
- Hypertension
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- mood disorder
- nipple discharge
Here are some of the side effects that can be seen during estrogen therapy. Of course, there is no certainty that these will be seen in every treatment, but one or more of these symptoms can be seen in different intensities depending on the intensity of the treatment and the age of the person. You should share all negative side effects with your doctor.
Men also have the hormone estrogen:
It is known that men also have estrogen hormone, although it is not as intense as in women. Although it has the feature of preventing prostate cancer, high estrogen hormone in men can cause breast enlargement, sexual impotence and infertility. For this reason, just like women, men should also have a hormone test and measure their testosterone and estrogen ratios.
We answered questions such as what estrogen is, which ensures the development and maintenance of all biological functioning of women, what it does and how it can be increased. What we describe is for informational purposes only. Do not forget that as in all health issues, you should get the most accurate and specific information about the estrogen hormone from a specialist doctor.
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