If you’ve been feeling a little bit ‘off’ recently with symptoms like bloating, fatigue or irritability, don’t ignore your body’s warning signals. It could be your hormones talking and a sign that you’re experiencing estrogen dominance symptoms.
Estrogen dominance symptoms can surface when your body’s estrogen levels are too high in relation to your progesterone levels.
The tricky part? Many estrogen dominance symptoms can look like a lot of other things – PMS, stress, thyroid issues and even burnout.
This article is all about correctly identifying estrogen dominance symptoms, why it happens and how to bring your body back into hormonal balance (without losing your mind in the process).
How Does Estrogen Work in the Body?
Estrogen isn’t the villain, it’s vital for healthy bones, skin and mood and plays a major role in a women’s reproductive system. It also improves circulation, quality sleep and even digestion.
But when your hormones are out of balance, it can wreak havoc. You may start to feel it in your 30s or 40s but estrogen dominance symptoms in menopause and estrogen dominance symptoms after menopause can also arise.
Here are the most common estrogen dominance symptoms to keep an eye out for:
- Heavy or painful periods
- Intense PMS symptoms
- Bloating or water retention
- Breast tenderness
- Mood swings or anxiety
- Weight gain around hips and thighs
- Fatigue or brain fog
- Low libido
If these estrogen dominance symptoms sound familiar to you, you’re not alone. Estrogen dominance symptoms can be common, especially for women going through perimenopause and menopause.
Why Does Estrogen Dominance in Women Happen?
Here’s what a lot of people get wrong. It’s not just about your body creating too much estrogen – it’s also about your body’s ability to break it down and eliminate it properly.
You may think of estrogen as a guest that overstays their welcome in your house. At first it’s nice having them there but before long they’re eating your snacks, leaving their belongings everywhere and refusing to leave.
Let’s go through some of the main contributors to excess estrogen and estrogen dominance symptoms:
Stress – chronic stress can lead to high levels of cortisol which can steal progesterone and throw the balance off between the two.
Poor liver detox – your liver breaks down estrogen so a sluggish detox may mean more hormone build up.
Gut health issues – an unbalanced microbiome can lead to estrogen being re-absorbed back into the body instead of being excreted.
Environmental estrogen – plastics, pesticides and beauty products have been found to mimic real estrogen in the body and cause an imbalance.
Hormonal contraceptives – they can shift the natural balance and sometimes suppress progesterone.
Treating Estrogen Dominance Symptoms
Now that you may have identified whether you are experiencing estrogen dominance symptoms and its causes, let’s talk about how to bring your hormones back into balance.
The Gut-Hormone Connection
If you’ve tried all the hormone balancing tricks but are still experiencing estrogen dominance symptoms, your gut health may be the missing link.
Inside your gut there is a family of bacteria called the estrobolome. These microbes help your body process and excrete excess estrogen. However, when your gut is inflamed, constipated or overloaded with processed foods, this elimination process slows down.
As a result estrogen may get reabsorbed back into your body and symptoms may worsen. Try balancing your gut bacteria by:
- Eating high fiber foods such as leafy greens, flaxseeds and vegetables daily
- Limiting processed and high sugar foods
- Adding probiotic rich foods into your meals including kefir, kraut and miso
Liver TLC
Does your liver need some extra tender loving care? Your liver is the cleaning crew of your body and helps to sort out unnecessary hormonal messes.
However when it’s overburdened with caffeine, alcohol or chemical exposure, clearing out excess estrogen may take longer.
To reduce estrogen dominance symptoms, show your liver some love by:
- Eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and kale – they contain a compound that helps to break estrogen down
- Cutting back on processed foods and alcohol so your liver has time to reset
- Trying herbal liver supporters like milk thistle or dandelion root
- Getting enough sleep – your liver detoxes best at night
Reducing the Stress Hormone Cortisol
You can eat the perfect diet, take all the right supplements and still struggle with estrogen dominance symptoms if your stress levels are high.
Cortisol and progesterone share the same building blocks in the body and when your stress levels go up, they prioritize cortisol production. This means that progesterone production gets left behind, leaving excess estrogen to run the show.
Managing your stress levels isn’t a low level priority, it’s crucial for balancing your hormones and reducing estrogen dominance symptoms. Here are some simple nervous system resets for you to try at home:
- Getting morning sunshine and stretching or going for a walk to set up a positive tone for the day
- Turning off screens an hour before bed
- Getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night and going to bed by 11pm
- Scheduling genuine downtime with no work distractions
Estrogen Dominance Symptoms Elimination Diet
It’s time to forget those diet teas and fad detox diets. Instead let’s focus on consistent and nutrient-rich eating that will help you reduce your excess estrogen levels.
A hormone balancing diet should focus on supporting liver function, gut health and keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day.
Focus on:
- Protein with every meal to support liver detox and muscle repair
- Healthy fats like avocados, salmon and mackerel, olive oil and flaxseeds for healthy hormone synthesis
- Colorful vegetables for fiber and antioxidants
- Cruciferous vegetables to naturally lower estrogen
Rebalancing Your Hormones Naturally with BHRT
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy or BHRT can be a game changer when it comes to reducing estrogen dominance symptoms. Especially for women going through perimenopause and menopause.
Unlike synthetic hormones, BHRT uses compounds that are identical to the hormones your body naturally produces. Instead of masking symptoms, BHRT helps you restore balance.
How BHRT helps with estrogen dominance symptoms:
- Increases progesterone to counter excess estrogen
- Supports your metabolism to reduce weight gain and fatigue
- Improves mood, sleep and skin health
Get Tested for Estrogen Dominance in Oak Park
If your estrogen dominance symptoms are strong or persistent, testing can help to figure out what’s happening. Instead of settling for a basic estrogen test, Synergy Integrative Health and Wellness offers comprehensive testing to assess a wide range of health biomarkers.
If you’re a little unsure, here’s what to ask your practitioner for:
- Testing both estradiol and progesterone levels – assessing progesterone helps to clarify the ratio between the two in your body
- Hormone testing – to show your body’s ability to metabolize hormones
- Thyroid function tests to clarify that your symptoms are occurring due to a hormonal imbalance – thyroid issues can often mimic hormone symptoms
Getting the right data means that you can make targeted changes with your healthcare team, not just guesswork!
Rebalance Estrogen Dominance Symptoms NOW
Feeling lighter, clearer and calmer are all within your reach. But it can be challenging to find the balance between the right diet, stress levels, sleep and removing environmental toxins.
You don’t have to do it alone. Synergy Integrative Health and Wellness have a team of hormone experts that can support you through your journey. Instead of going through a process of trial and error, we can help you get to the bottom of your estrogen dominance symptoms faster.
Book in a consultation today and watch your estrogen dominance symptoms start to fade!