Estrogen and Progesterone - It’s All About Balance

When it comes to how you feel and how your body functions, you may not realize how much your hormones play a role. These natural chemicals in the body help regulate different aspects of your health. Estrogen and progesterone are critical ones, especially for women. See what happens when they get out of balance, and what you can do to improve the problem.

The Balance Between Estrogen and Progesterone

To understand how to regulate these hormones and why you need to, let’s look at what they are. Estrogen is a hormone that helps send signals to the reproductive system, influencing menstruation, fertility and reproduction. It also helps regulate your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Progesterone is a complementary hormone that works with estrogen. Progesterone also supports healthy menstruation, as well as early pregnancy by thickening the lining of the uterus to help grow a fertilized egg while also preparing the body for breastfeeding.

Throughout life, the levels of these hormones will change. For instance, levels of both hormones will rise during puberty and drop during menopause. What’s important is that they stay in balance with each other, or you may start to experience health problems.

Imbalance Type: Too Much Estrogen and Too Little Progesterone

A common imbalance can be having too much estrogen. This happens either when your body makes too much estrogen overall, or if there is not enough progesterone to balance the estrogen. People with this issue can experience problems such as bloating, mood swings, weight gain and irregular periods. In some cases, too much estrogen can even increase the risk of certain cancers.

There can be several different causes for having too much estrogen. Your liver may not be eliminating excess estrogen from the bloodstream efficiently. Imbalances with other hormones, such as insulin, can also affect the balance of estrogen and progesterone. Stress and an unhealthy diet can also lead to problems with your estrogen levels.

If your body is making the right amount of estrogen, but not enough progesterone, you will experience some of these problems. In that case, the key is raising your progesterone levels.

Imbalance Type: Too Much Progesterone and Too Little Estrogen

You can also have too much progesterone in your system. Often, the signs are less obvious because they may seem like issues associated with the menstrual cycle:

•   Breast swelling
•   Breast tenderness
•   Bloating
•   Anxiety or agitation
•   Fatigue and more

Having progesterone levels that are too high relative to your estrogen is usually a sign of other health issues.

Restoring Estrogen and Progesterone Balance

The first step to getting back on track is getting your hormone levels tested to see exactly what you are dealing with. With that knowledge, you can move forward with balancing your hormones. Many lifestyle changes can help with this process. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, reduce your stress and improve your diet. Exercise can also help your body produce the right amount of hormones.

When your body is feeling out of sorts, take a moment and consider the symptoms of hormone imbalance. If you see signs that your estrogen and progesterone levels aren’t where they should be plan a visit or  call Holistic Vitality Center at (919) 848-3333, let us help you get back to normal.

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