Role of Estrogen and Progesterone Balance in Woman’s Health

• The balance of estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body should be balanced naturally
• Low progesterone effects can sometimes lead to difficulties in reproduction, menstruation, and physical changes
• Some women may need to increase estrogen levels or combat high estrogen levels to restore hormone balance

The hormones estrogen and progesterone found in the female body are responsible for managing the menstrual process and reproductive functions. They are produced in the ovaries although progesterone is also produced in the adrenal gland. These hormones work hand in hand and both must be available in the right quantities to achieve the desired balance in a woman’s health. In women, the hormonal supply tends to decline as they approach 40 years of age. Fewer eggs are produced by the ovaries monthly and ovulation tends to become irregular. This causes a decline in fertility which may be attributed to these hormonal imbalances. Thus, as women get into their 40s, they are bound to experience changes and irregularities in their menstrual cycles in as far as frequency, duration and volume of flow. Ultimately, the ovaries close, which in effect, is the onset of menopause in a woman.

Sickness, diet, stress and use of birth control pills may all play a role in affecting hormonal balance in the body. Declining levels of estrogen are well known to cause various discomforts in menopausal women while low progesterone effects primarily are associated with infertility in women and miscarriages.

Effects of Hormonal Imbalance

An imbalance of estrogen and progesterone in a woman can cause various conditions. Abnormal menstrual periods are one of the most typical indications of hormonal imbalance in a woman. Many women experience some irregularity or other in their menstrual cycle. There may be heavy bleeding or the flow may be very low. For some women, the period can be long, going up to 7 days while others may just have blood flow for a shorter time, even just a day.

Some women experience painful cramps or other physical discomforts that hinder them from being active during menstruation. Other women may go for a stretch without having their period. Menstrual bleeding is absent in pregnancy and once menopause sets in but some otherwise young and healthy women may miss their periods, a condition known as amenorrhea, and which is also know to be caused by hormonal imbalance.

Abnormal hair growth on the face and body, also known as hirsutism, can develop. When a woman is not nursing a baby yet her breasts produce milk, it usually indicates an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone. This is referred to as galactorrhea.

Correcting Hormonal Imbalances

Hormone therapy is frequently prescribed for menopausal women grappling with hot flashes. In many cases, hot flashes can be tolerable and many women are able to manage without any treatment strategies. But some women suffer the discomforts of menopause and need assistance to cope. Estrogen therapy has proved highly effective in many women as it works to increase estrogen in the body. The hormone is usually administered in minimal doses for a short period to relieve the discomforts of menopause.

If you suffer from low or declining estrogen levels, changes in diet are recommended as well as using certain herbs and nutritional supplements to boost estrogen levels. These measures have proved highly effective in boosting estrogen levels.

It is also possible to suffer from high estrogen levels especially common among women undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or using certain kinds of birth control pills. Such women would be better off withdrawing from HRT procedures and switching to alternative birth control methods.

For some women, insufficient progesterone which is needed to balance effectively with estrogen is the problem. Low progesterone effects can be effectively corrected through dietary measures, use of nutritional supplements and using progesterone cream or a doctor may prescribe progesterone pills.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.