Estrogen

Recently Answered

• QWhat's the affect of lower estrogen levels during menopause?

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  A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  Lowered levels of the female hormone estrogen cause your menstruation cycles to stop. Known as menopause, or the change of life ending your fertility, low estrogen also cause vaginal dryness, irritation, and itching that can cause discomfort and pain during intercourse.
  Talk to your doctor about lubricants that can help relieve the dryness. Other effects of lower estrogen levels include:

  • Stress
  • Bladder control problems
  • Sleep problems
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Intimacy problems
• QCan lower estrogen affect emotional well being?

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  A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  As a woman approaches menopause, lower estrogen levels can affect her emotional well-being. Mood swings, depression and anxiety are sometimes issues for women approaching menopause. In addition, menopause-related symptoms, such as night sweats and trouble sleeping, may cause daytime tiredness and irritability. 
• QAt what age does estrogen production start to decline?

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  A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  A woman's production of the hormone estrogen starts to decline in her mid-30s. Most women enter menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, when menstrual periods stop and estrogen levels drop sharply. At this point, a woman’s estrogen production is only about one-tenth the amount it was before menopause.
• QWhat changes occur in women's bodies due to a drop in estrogen levels?

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  A Diana Meeks , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  When your body experiences a drop in estrogen (female hormone) levels, you may notice a variety of changes in your body. Hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness are the most common. Others changes include:

  • Urinary incontinence
  • Body aches and pains
  • Discomfort and pain during sex
  • Breast sensitivity or tenderness
  • Hair thinning or shedding
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Memory issues

  Talk to your doctor about the changes you experience, and inform your partner so that he's aware as well. 
• QDoes the lack of estrogen after menopause affect bladder function?

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  A Diana Meeks , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  The lack of the female hormone estrogen after menopause does have an effect on bladder function. Estrogen helps keep the bladder and urethra (a tube connected to the bladder that allows urine to pass from the body) healthy. When the body stops producing estrogen, the lining of the urethra can become thinner and make you more likely to experience stress incontinence and an overactive bladder. 
• QShould I avoid taking estrogen pills during perimenopause?

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  A Dr. Julia Schlam Edelman , OBGYN (Obstetrics & Gynecology), answered

  Estrogen levels are erratic in perimenopause. It is a common misconception that the discomforts of perimenopause are all caused by lack of sufficient amounts of estrogen. In fact, during perimenopause, estrogen levels often are too high. Some of the hallmarks of perimenopause, such as heavy bleeding, are a result of excess estrogen.
  
  Your body makes different types of estrogen. The most potent, estradiol, is made by your ovaries during the reproductive and perimenopausal years. If your estradiol levels are high, taking extra estrogen during this time may make you feel worse.
• QHow do estrogen levels change during perimenopause?

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  A Dr. Julia Schlam Edelman , OBGYN (Obstetrics & Gynecology), answered

  During the reproductive years, estrogen levels rise and fall smoothly like gentle hills and valleys. During the perimenopausal years, the pattern becomes erratic with sharp spikes. The spikes represent rapid, unexpected shifts from very high to very low estrogen levels. This jagged see-saw pattern creates a rocky perimenopause for many women. After rising too high, estrogen levels can plummet, sinking too low. Periodically, estradiol levels sink so low that they trigger a hot flash or night sweat. Unpredictable and erratic estrogen levels can also wreak havoc in the form of mood changes and abnormal bleeding.
• QWhat is estriol?

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  A Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered

  Estriol is one of the three main estrogens (estradiol and estrone are the other two) produced by the human body. Estriol differs from estradiol and estrone because it is only produced in significant amounts during pregnancy.
  
  Estriol is made by the placenta from 16­-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (16­-OH DHEAS), an androgen steroid made in the fetal liver and adrenal glands. Estriol is virtually undetectable in the body until pregnancy, when its levels drastically increase. It is thought that the hormone suppresses the immune system so that women’s bodies do not treat the fetus as foreign or harmful. Levels of estriol in nonpregnant women do not change significantly after menopause and resemble those observed in men. 
• QIs dermal estrogen a safer choice in HRT?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Though there's much debate about the long-term safety of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), it does appear that dermal estrogen-that is, estrogen applied to skin is safer than oral estrogen. It also appears that the pills go into the liver and have some effect in clotting proteins that can make you more susceptible to closing off arteries, while the dermal form does not get metabolized in the liver.
  
  If you choose this therapy to deal with menopausal symptoms, it seems that natural estrogen-not plant-derived estrogen-is the most effective. Why? Plant estrogens have 150 isoflavones that interact with estrogen receptors in your body; some stimulate estrogen, while others block it-so you don't really know which are having an effect and which aren't. Also, take aspirin if you're on HRT to reduce the risk of clotting.