Both genders can develop Estrogen dominance, even young boys and young girls. Here’s some information on the signs and symptoms of Estrogen dominance so you can recognize the condition and find an appropriate treatment.
Young girls may experience estrogen dominance as premature puberty.
Boys may experience estrogen dominance as delayed puberty. estrogen opposes the action of testosterone. estrogen-dominant boys will experience a delayed or reduced level of masculine development. In hypogonadal boys, where testosterone production is reduced, estrogen dominance can result in breast development in boys called gynecomastia (often referred to as man-boobs). Estrogen stimulates breast growth and maturation of the reproductive organs in girls.
Girls are now entering puberty much faster than they did in past generations. Two generations ago, girls had their first period around age 14. Presently, many girls experience their first menstruation around age of 9 – 12. Precocious puberty is associated with a malfunction of the pineal gland in the brain, one of the endocrine glands disrupted by too much estrogen. The longer the girl’s exposure to high levels of estrogen throughout her lifetime, the greater her chance of developing hormonal-related disorders in later life. Initially, adult women may experience estrogen dominance as cyclical migraine headaches, irregular menstrual periods, weight gain from water retention, anxiety and irritability, and sore, swollen breasts.
Both genders can experience the following symptoms:
- anxiety
- depression
- poor thought processing
- memory problems
- insomnia
- fatigue
- irritability
- headaches
- disinterest in sex
- asthma
- blood sugar swings
- fatigue due to a preponderance of estrogen.
Allergies and nasal congestion are also worsened by estrogen dominance. Some doctors attribute autoimmune diseases, like lupus and Sgren’s syndrome, to hormonal imbalance. migraines, seizures, heart disease, blood clots and strokes due to estrogen dominance tend to concentrate in adult women.
If estrogen dominance continues untreated in women, they can develop abnormal uterine bleeding because the lining of the uterus (endometrium) is too thick (endometrial hyperplasia). The first indicator is heavy menstruation (menorrhagia). Eventually, estrogen-dominant women may develop endometriosis, fibroids, or even uterine cancer.
In 30% of women who have an untreated thickened uterine lining (endometrial hyperplasia), uterine cancer develops over time because of prolonged exposure to estrogen that is unopposed by progesterone.
Understand more on Estrogen Dominance:
Progesterone treatment and side effects
The information in this article has been taken with permission from the official Lawley booklet on Understanding Estrogen Dominance.