Estrogen dominance is a condition where a woman has *too much estrogen* relative to progesterone. This hormonal imbalance can cause various symptoms like weight gain, irritability, and irregular periods. Some key things to know about estrogen dominance:
- Causes - What leads to high estrogen? Contributing factors include obesity, chronic stress, poor diet, toxicity from chemicals like BPA, and low progesterone. As women age, progesterone declines while estrogen may stay high.
- Symptoms - Signs of estrogen dominance include PMS, headaches, bloating, irregular periods, breast swelling and tenderness, fatigue, mood changes, insomnia, and weight gain especially around the hips and thighs.
- Health risks - Estrogen dominance has been linked to a higher risk of female cancers like breast and ovarian cancer. It may also increase the chance of developing conditions like endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and thyroid dysfunction.
- Diagnosis - Doctors can test hormone levels through blood, urine, or saliva samples. The ratio of progesterone to estrogen may provide clues about dominance. Testing estrogen metabolites provides insight too.
- Treatment - How do you fix estrogen dominance? Steps include:
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Lifestyle changes like more exercise, a clean diet, stress management, and toxin avoidance.
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Natural progesterone cream can help restore balance by supplying the "missing" hormone.
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Herbal supplements like Vitex, Diindolylmethane (DIM) and Calcium d-Glucarate aid hormone metabolism.
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Harmony Hormone Clinic, our functional medicine doctors offer advanced hormone testing and