A woman’s estrogen level decreases with age; this is just a part of the natural aging process. Unfortunately, low estrogen can cause uncomfortable symptoms that leave you feeling horrible. We can help with bioidentical hormone therapy that is safe and designed to restore your estrogen level to the level it was at when you were younger. Let’s talk about the signs of low estrogen.
Dry Skin and Hair/Brittle Bones
Things will start to get brittle as your estrogen level falls. Unfortunately, this includes your bones which will be more prone to breakage. Your skin and hair will also dry out, leaving you with tight, itchy skin and brittle hair. Thankfully, there is calcium for bone health and plenty of moisturizers and conditioners.
Moodiness/Depression
You may also find yourself feeling depressed or moody more often when your estrogen plummets. In addition, low estrogen can make concentrating difficult. You may feel as if you are in a fog all the time. In some cases, some women experience what is called menopausal rage due to the low estrogen.
Fatigue/Insomnia
It won’t help that you feel fatigued all the time and have trouble sleeping. Unfortunately, low estrogen can make it hard to sleep soundly. Consequently, you may find yourself waking up several times during the night and awakening feeling tired and disheveled. Night sweats do not help the situation.
Night Sweats/Hot Flashes
Speaking of night sweats, these are hot flashes that you experience while you sleep. You will wake up feeling as if you are burning up. You will be covered with sweat and your sheets may even be wet. Hot flashes are the same thing, but they happen throughout the day and leave you feeling too hot.
Weight Gain/Tender Breasts
As if the above were not bad enough, many women gain weight when their estrogen levels begin to fall. Most of the time, the weight gain is focused around the middle, leaving you feeling like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Your breasts may also feel tender and sore. In some cases, they may swell.
Period Problems/Headaches
Low estrogen can also cause headaches before your period, irregular periods, or no periods at all. The stages of this estrogen reduction are called peri-menopause and post-menopause. Peri-menopause means your estrogen is starting to go down. Post-menopause is when you have stopped menstruating.
Dry Vagina/Painful Sex
Finally, you may start to notice that your vagina feels dry and sex has become uncomfortable. This is normal in women who are in menopause. Unfortunately, the low estrogen level disables the vagina’s ability to produce the natural lubrication needed for comfortable sexual intercourse.
If you are experiencing any of the signs of low estrogen listed above, call us to schedule an appointment. We will test your estrogen level and recommend the correct dosage of bioidentical hormone therapy.
