Estrogen dominance

What is estrogen dominance?

Estrogen dominance refers to a condition where a woman has excessive estrogens in relation to progesterone. This hormonal imbalance can lead to unpleasant symptoms like bloating, headaches, and irregular periods.

What causes estrogen dominance?

There are a few potential causes:

• Environmental xenoestrogens - Chemicals that mimic estrogen can build up in the body through food, personal care products, plastics, etc. This leads to an overload of estrogen stimuli.


• Chronic stress - Stress causes the body to produce more cortisol, which can reduce progesterone levels and tilt the balance towards estrogen.


• Poor liver function - The liver helps filter excess hormones, so sluggish liver function allows estrogens to accumulate.


• Lack of ovulation - No ovulation means no progesterone production to balance out the estrogens. This happens in conditions like PCOS or amenorrhea.

What are the symptoms of estrogen dominance?

Symptoms can include:

• Bloating


• Breast tenderness


• Headaches and migraines


• Mood swings, anxiety, or depression


• Heavy or irregular periods

If you're experiencing any of those regularly, get checked out by a doctor or women's health clinic like Balance Hormone Solutions. They can test your hormone levels and help diagnose and treat the root cause.

How is estrogen dominance treated?

Treatment focuses on rebalancing the hormones with lifestyle changes and sometimes medications or supplements:

• Reduce xenoestrogen exposure


• Manage stress


• Support liver detoxification


• Use progesterone cream


• Take supplements like DIM for metabolism

Ideally, see a functional/integrative medicine practitioner like the doctors at Balance Hormone Solutions. They'll create a personalized plan to get your hormones into proper balance through diet, detoxifications, targeted supplementation, etc. Restoring balance is essential for overcoming stubborn estrogen dominance symptoms.

I hope this gives a helpful overview of this common but often confusing hormonal disorder! Let me know if you have any other questions.