Estrogen hormone is considered to be very important in both men and women. Especially in women, estrogen is produced more than in men because it is important for regularity and proper functioning of the menstrual cycle and for the reproduction process. It also plays an integral role in most of the body functions, right from conception to digestion. However, lack of estrogen can be a cause of concern in women. It can cause a disorder like Hypoestrogenism disorder which can affect their health as well as their ability to conceive. To understand more about the disorder and how its deficiency can affect women’s health, we talked to Dr. Renuka Sharma, senior Gynecologist at Infertility Center Dehradun and here is what she explains.
Why Is Estrogen Hormone Needed?
Dr. Renuka Sharma explains that before knowing about hypoestrogenism disorder, it is important to know why it is necessary to have a balanced amount of estrogen hormone in the women’s body. Estrogen is a primary sex hormone in women, which is very important for their physical development and care. This hormone is important for the development of their bone health, cholesterol, physical and sexual development of girls reaching puberty, breast development in them and pregnant women, fat control, digestion, insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism in women of all ages and keeping the uterine lining controlled during menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
Hypoestrogenism Disorder
Hypoestrogenism disorder is caused by a lack of estrogen hormones in the body. This not only hinders the physical development in women, but also has a negative impact on their reproductive health. Dr. Sharma states that estrogen deficiency can cause disturbances in the ovulation in women and alongside, there may be irregularity in the menstrual cycle and problems in pregnancy. It can also weaken the bones and they may become more likely to break easily.
Apart from this, experts believe that lack of estrogen can increase the risk of breast cancer. And not just this, it can also affect your digestive process as well as your skin health. Due to low levels of this hormone in the body, problems like pimples, wrinkles, skin loosening, freckles may appear and premature ageing of the skin can be seen.
Low Estrogen Hormone In The Body
Dr. Sharma explains that since estrogen hormone is made in women's ovaries, in most cases the deficiency in this hormone is due to problems occurring in ovaries. Some ovary-related diseases that affect estrogen levels are as follows.
- Ovarian cysts
- Family history of hormonal problems
- Chronic kidney disease
- Premature ovarian failure
- genetic defects
- Autoimmune Medical Conditions
- Turner syndrome
- Abnormally functioning pituitary gland
- Too much exercise
- Too much dieting
- Anorexia or other such eating disorders
Estrogen Deficiency Symptoms In Women
During the age when a woman's body is going through a lot of changes such as girls who have not had their puberty, those who are in their early stages of development or women who are close to menopause, estrogen levels in their body may often vary, i.e. it can be either low or high. But ideally, when in normal state, lack of estrogen in the body is not good and its deficiency can be identified in the following manner:
- Irregularity in menstrual cycle
- Frequent UTI (urinary tract infection) due to thinning of urethra
- Reduction in bone density
- Lack of moisture in genitals
- No control over behaviour
- Stress
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Trouble concentrating
- Breast softening
- Infertility
- Sudden weight gain
- Sleeplessness and restlessness
Fulfill Estrogen Deficiency With Diet
As soon as the symptoms of estrogen deficiency are presented, it is important to seek medical advice immediately and get the treatment started soon. Dr. Sharma states that this problem can also be serious if ignored. Apart from this, eat healthy and nutritious food and exercise or practice yoga for at least 30 minutes everyday, to keep the hormone levels in control.
