When perimenopause symptoms arise, hormone replacement therapy with estrogen is one of the first places women look. But, did you know that perimenopause symptoms may come from TOO MUCH estrogen?
Excess estrogen is not usually a result of over-production from your body but from external sources in your environment.
Where Does the Excess Estrogen Come From?
You have probably heard of a chemical called BPA (Bisphenol A) that has been added to plastic bottles and used in the lining of some canned foods. Once the public learned that it acts as an estrogen in the body, food manufacturers started removing it from canned foods and water bottles.
But you can still find it in: nail polish, CD’s, insulation, flooring and many other products we interact with every day. Scientists state that everyone is the United States will have BPA in their urine from years of multiple exposures.
BPA is one example of estrogenic compounds we are exposed to regularly. Of course, the other most common source is the Birth Control Pill (or patch, or IUD with hormones.)
Estrogen Dominance
In a healthy body estrogen production is balanced by progesterone. But when estrogen exposure is greater than what your body produces it is referred to as “estrogen dominance”.
Women’s health expert Dr. Christiane Northrup states that estrogen dominance is common among perimenopausal women. Symptoms that indicate that estrogen is relatively high include:
- Water retention including breast swelling
- Irregular periods
- Hair loss
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Premenstrual Headaches
- Mood swings
- Sleeplessness
- Fatigue
Other perimenopause symptoms linked with estrogen dominance, that involve other parts of the endocrine system also include:
- Lowered metabolism
- Thyroid issues
- Weight gain, especially in the belly and hips
- Cold hands and feet
How Do You Find Out If You Are Estrogen Dominant?
Experienced Functional Nutrition practitioners may be able to tell from taking your history and doing an exam whether you have too much estrogen or too little. They may also want to order lab work.
It’s important to know that blood tests for hormones are not reliable or useful in this case
The most widely used estrogen test in this case is from a saliva sample. Several labs offer salivary hormone testing. The latest advancement is hormone testing now uses a simple urine test you can do at home.
Next Steps?
One of the best ways to understand the underlying nutritional cause of your symptoms is to know which foods and nutrients you have trouble digesting and those you are deficient in.
Click below to take Dr. Rose’s Nutritional Profile Quiz and get an overview of what your nutritional imbalances could be. You’ll get your results immediately.
Dr. Marina Rose has a Chiropractic and Functional Nutrition practice in the San Francisco area and helps women with perimenopause symptoms and other challenging health conditions to find natural solutions.
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