Pertinent information for women in all life stages,
PMS, Perimenopause and Menopause (read to the end)
If you were in perfect hormonal balance, here is what your hormones would do.
WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN
In a healthy balanced woman, if there is such a thing anymore, both estrogen and progesterone levels are relatively low during the menstrual period. Immediately following the period, estrogen levels rise quite rapidly and dramatically, peaking at ovulation. Progesterone, on the other hand, stays relatively low during the first half of the cycle and it peaks just as ovulation occurs. It is this ovulation that triggers the release of progesterone into the body.
For the second phase of the cycle, from ovulation to the next period, progesterone should dominate over estrogen. Progesterone is needed in high amounts to retain the uterine lining to prepare the uterus for a pending pregnancy. If conception occurs, a woman will continue to produce an extremely high amount of progesterone to ensure the success of the pregnancy.
When conception does not occur, both estrogen and progesterone drop causing the uterine lining to shed, which is the bleeding that is experienced when a woman gets her period. The entire cycle then repeats itself.
BUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS
In the second half of the cycle, from ovulation to period, women either don’t produce enough progesterone OR they have elevated levels of estrogen in relationship to their progesterone.
It doesn’t matter which one you have, progesterone deficiency or estrogen excess, the actual discrepancy between the two (estrogen and progesterone) is referred to as “estrogen dominance”. A term coined by Dr. John Lee, who pioneered all the progesterone research that is still valid today.
This estrogen dominance creates the symptoms of PMS and perimenopause (the phase heading into menopause).
SOME SYMPTOMS OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE
- Mood Swings
- Breast tenderness
- Water retention
- Foggy thinking
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Weight gain
- Heavy bleeding
- Uterine fibroids
- Cold body temperature
- Fatigue
- Depression
ESTROGEN DOMINANCE AND THE MENOPAUSAL WOMAN
Even though it is true that symptoms such as vaginal dryness, hot flashes and night sweats can be caused by a deficiency of estrogen, it is the estrogen dominance which proceeds menopause that actually creates the deficiency.
I know, it sounds complicated but here are two nut shell explanations:
1. If you suffer with estrogen dominance before menopause your body will have a big adjustment to make when it goes from too much estrogen (during perimenopause) to a very little supply (during menopause). It takes your body a bit of time to make this adjustment.
2. Because you are more estrogen dominant in perimenopause than at any other time of your life, this is when you are likely to start noticing subclinical hypothyroid symptoms (thyroid issues that don’t show up in your blood work), if you haven’t noticed them previously.
When you leave perimenopause and enter menopause, you don’t leave the subclinical hypothyroid symptoms behind.
Many of the symptoms thought to be caused by menopause are actually thyroid related (which were caused in perimenopause by estrogen dominance).
HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR HORMONES?
No matter what life stage you are in, if you want to eliminate your hormonal symptoms, please refer to my book “Get Off The PMS and Perimenopausal Roller Coaster, Learn 9 Natural Fast Track Solutions To Balanced Hormones.” Available at our online store GO HERE
If you are in menopause, GO HERE for your free download “For Menopausal Women, How To Use This Book.”
The information made available in this article is provided for educational or reference purposes only. Nutritional Therapy and/or Coaching is not intended as a diagnosis, treatment, prescription, or cure for any disease, mental or physical, and is not intended as a substitute for regular medical care.
Copyright Brenda Eastwood and Megan Bocsik 2014 – Article What Is Estrogen Dominance?
MaximumResults@shaw.ca www.BrendaEastwood.com www.TotalHealthPack.com
Would you like to use this article in your E-zine or website? You may, as long as you include this complete write-up with it: Brenda Eastwood is a holistic health expert who specializes in Women’s Health Issues. Her expertise stems from over 30 years’ experience as a Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner. This includes ongoing research, 17 years running a successful private practice, presenting hundreds of seminars and workshops, as well as coaching clients through her unique online Inner Circle program. Today she is able to reach out to even more women through her regular article contributions to HANS (Health Action Magazine) and her book “Get off the PMS and Perimenopausal Roller Coaster, Learn 9 Natural Fast Track Solutions to Balanced Hormones”. For more information on Brenda Eastwood please visit www.BrendaEastwood.com or for information on her Total Health Packs visit www.TotalHealthPack.com
