12 Signs of Estrogen Dominance

Music is a great way to make the little things in life more enjoyable, from work to a night with friends. But what if that music was blaring and you had no option to turn it off when it was time to go to sleep or when it was making it difficult for you to focus? It would have a negative impact on your mental health and your physical health, eventually.

The same is true for every hormone in your body. You’re glad it’s there because it serves critical purposes within your body, but too much of any one hormone will become more of a curse than a blessing.

Estrogen is no exception. It’s crucial for your body and your reproductive system, but when there’s too much of it, it becomes a problem known as estrogen dominance. Let’s take a closer look at estrogen dominance and the signs that it could be plaguing you. 

What is Estrogen Dominance?

In a woman’s body, there is meant to be a balance between two “female” hormones: estrogen and progesterone. They both have their purposes, but they also keep each other in check. When your body produces too much estrogen for the amount of progesterone you have, this is called estrogen dominance.

12 Signs and Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance

Our bodies don’t have meters that tell us our hormones’ levels at any given time, so identifying a hormone imbalance often comes down to the symptoms. If you’re fighting your way through any of these symptoms, it could be a sign that you have estrogen dominance.

1. Mood Swings

We all have moods that shift from time to time, but usually, we can identify why we’re feeling down or upset. If you have mood swings from estrogen dominance, though, your moods will change more dramatically and quickly. You might have more severe emotional reactions than you should or your mood may change for no reason.

Estrogen is linked with your mood. In fact, mood swings are especially common in the days before your period because your progesterone levels drop, letting your estrogen run unchecked.

1. Breast Changes

Have you noticed changes in the size or sensation of your breasts? Estrogen dominance can make your breasts swell or make them more tender and sensitive than they should be.

Estrogen dominance can also cause lumps in your breasts. Of course, if you find a lump, be sure to see a doctor for an exam to make sure it isn’t breast cancer.

1. Weight Gain

We all have weight fluctuations from time to time, and they’re usually not a mystery. If your diet and exercise routine has stayed the same but you’re now gaining weight, it could be a sign of estrogen dominance.

This also applies if you’re taking steps to lose weight but you aren’t losing weight or you aren’t losing as much as you should be. Interestingly, estrogen dominance tends to lead to weight gain particularly in the hips, thighs, or midsection. 

1. Low Libido

A healthy and enjoyable sex life is one of those things we tend to take for granted until it’s gone. Libido is a natural part of life, but if you have estrogen dominance, it may make your sex drive take a dive.

Keep in mind that low libido doesn’t just mean that you’re less interested in sex. You’re also likely to get less enjoyment and arousal from sex.

1. Headaches

Researchers have noticed that for women who get migraines, the migraines are more common during certain parts of the menstrual cycle when estrogen is higher. This same principle appears to hold true in estrogen dominance: women with higher estrogen levels are more prone to migraines and other types of headaches. 

1. Irregular Periods

After the first few years of menstruation, your periods should be fairly predictable. You should know when they’ll appear within a range of a few days, and you should know how heavy they tend to be on which days.

Estrogen dominance can cause your periods to be less predictable. They might change in frequency and duration, or in the flow.

1. Hair Loss

For men, hair loss is par for the course as they get older. For women, though, hair loss can come from natural hair loss or it can be the result of an underlying health condition. Estrogen dominance could be the cause.

Keep an eye out for thinning hair on your scalp. If you notice a lot of hair left behind when you wash or brush your hair, this is also a signal of hair loss that could come from estrogen dominance.

1. Insomnia

Insomnia is one of the most frustrating symptoms around. You want to sleep so badly, but your brain simply won’t cooperate. This can have far-reaching consequences for your health.

Researchers have found insomnia to be a common symptom of an imbalance between progesterone and estrogen. If you have insomnia often and you can’t pin down a cause like stress or caffeine, it could be a sign of estrogen dominance.

1. Irritability

We all have days when we’re in a bad mood, but they should be few and far between. If you’re quick to frustration and anger on a frequent basis, it could be a sign that you have too much estrogen. 

1. Mental Fog

Ever feel like your brain is trudging through mud just to learn something simple or find the right words for what you’re trying to say? This is known as mental fog.

Mental fog could mean almost anything in terms of your mental performance. It comes with a struggle to focus and difficulty memory. This drop in your cognitive strength could come from estrogen dominance.

1. More Problems with PMS and Period Flow

Most women think of PMS as being one of those unpleasant issues you have to deal with as a woman. From the headaches and the bloating to the breast tenderness and acne breakouts, it’s something we expect each month.

It turns out that if your PMS is severe, estrogen dominance could be the cause. Those symptoms come at a time in your cycle when your progesterone drops, giving your already excessive estrogen a chance to go wild.

The issue doesn’t end when your period begins, either. Estrogen dominance often causes a heavier flow during your periods and it may make your periods more painful.

1. Increased Anxiety

Anxiety goes beyond temporary stress that we tie to specific worries and events. In people with excessive anxiety, they have a prolonged feeling of dread and stress and they tend to have more severe anxiousness in situations that would cause mild worries for most people.

Estrogen dominance can cause anxiety problems or amplify anxiety that already exists, even leading to panic attacks. Researchers believe that this is because progesterone has an anti-anxiety effect which you don’t get when excess estrogen is drowning out the progesterone.

How to Treat Estrogen Dominance

It’s great to know the signs of estrogen dominance, but then what? What do you do if you believe you may have estrogen dominance?

Luckily, there are plenty of natural lifestyle changes you can make to balance your hormones. Learn how with our hormone balancing courses online.