Estrogen deficiency is all too common in women.
Wondering if you suffer from estrogen deficiency?
Check out this list of signs and symptoms from the book Natural Hormone Balance for Women – Look Younger, Feel Stronger, and Live Life with Exuberance by Uzzi Reiss, MD/OB-GYN:
- Mental fogginess. “I’ve lost my mind.”
- Forgetfulness. “I can’t remember the birthdays of my grandchildren anymore.”
- Depression. “It’s like I’m living in a dark tunnel.”
- Minor anxiety. “I can’t seem to control my worries.”
- Mood change. “Sometimes I wonder how I’m going to feel tomorrow.”
- Difficulty falling asleep. “My mind is racing and I can’t stop it.”
- Hot flashes. “This wave of heat spreads through my body.”
- Night sweats. “I wake up soaking wet.”
- Temperature swings. “I feel like a broken air conditioner.”
- Day-long fatigue. “I can’t keep my head up.”
- Reduced stamina. “I can’t push it like I used to.”
- Decreased sense of sexuality and sensuality. “I have lost all pride in my body.”
- Lessened self-image and attention to appearance. “I could care less how I look.”
- Dry eyes, skin, and vagina. “My body is like a dry summer.”
- Loss of skin radiance. “I’ve lost my skin glow.”
- Sense of normalcy only during second week of cycle: “I am myself only one week out of the month.”
- Sagging breasts and loss of fullness. “These aren’t the breasts I used to have.”
- Pain with sexual activity. “I’m not lubricating as well.”
- Weight gain, with increasing lack of concern about it. “I’m like a balloon that can’t pop.”
- Increased back and joint pain. “My body is stiff and hurts.”
- Episodes of rapid heartbeat, with or without anxiety. “Out of nowhere my chest feels strained and I get palpitations.”
- Headaches and migraines. “I seem to be controlled by pain that I never knew before.”
- Gastrointestinal discomfort. “I feel bloated.”
What’s the best way to test estrogen levels?
The best way to test estrogen levels is with a simple blood test for Estradiol.
Estradiol is usually only tested in women to confirm if they are actually in menopause or not, along with the FSH test (Follicle Stimulating Hormone).
The only other time to use the Estradiol test is in a younger women (one who is still in their childbearing years known as ‘premenopause’) who has stopped having their menstrual cycle.
In this case the Estradiol levels are tested along with some other hormones like Progesterone, FSH, and LH (Luteinizing Hormone) to help differentiate between Amenorrhea, Anovulation, and even Premature Ovarian Failure.
Still have questions about your estrogen levels?
Hormones can be very confusing. Finding the root causes of your hormonal problems requires thorough investigation from a doctor trained in Functional Medicine.
Check out my other blog posts, podcasts, and videos about hormones. They should shed a lot of light…give you many a-ha moments…and answer most…if not all…of your questions.
Please leave a comment below with any questions you have.
Dr. Carri Drzyzga, DC, ND – The Functional Medicine Doc
Find the Cause. Fix the Cause. Feel Normal Again!
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