High estrogen and low estrogen each have distinct symptoms, but some symptoms may occur with both. Here’s how to tell which signs may mean that your estrogen is high or low.
Estrogen is a key reproductive hormone. It helps regulate everything from your fertility, menstrual cycle, ovulation, and libido, to cognitive function plus bone, skin, and heart health.
But estrogen doesn’t work alone: it exists alongside other important hormones in a complex and exact balance. If estrogen increases or decreases in relation to these other hormones for extended periods of time, it could lead to high estrogen or low estrogen.
Read on to find out what it means if estrogen is high or low, and what high estrogen vs. low estrogen symptoms may look like.
What does high or low estrogen mean? Your body’s complex balance of hormones changes naturally over time. Estrogen (and other hormones) fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle and your lifetime—like in perimenopause , when estrogen levels decline.
Sometimes, though, estrogen levels may stay too high or too low compared to other hormones. When this happens, it can lead to a hormonal imbalance .
High estrogen may be a sign of estrogen dominance. Low estrogen may be related to an estrogen deficiency.
Both high estrogen and low estrogen can cause particular signs and symptoms in your body. Some symptoms overlap and may occur with both high and low estrogen. Other symptoms are distinct to one estrogen state or the other.
High estrogen symptoms If your estrogen is disproportionately high compared to your other hormones, you may be experiencing estrogen dominance .
Here are just some of the signs and symptoms of high estrogen that you may have.
Irregular cycles and irregular periods Estrogen plays an important role in regulating your menstrual cycle. That becomes difficult, though, when estrogen is out of balance with other hormones—particularly progesterone, which also regulates cycle function.
High estrogen can disrupt cycle function, leading to irregular cycles , changes in cycle length, and irregular periods .
High estrogen can make periods:
Heavier or lighter in flow Longer in duration Irregular in cycle timing Fertility problems Estrogen also impacts fertility, and periods of infertility can be a symptom of high estrogen.
This is related to ovulation. Estrogen helps control ovarian function and trigger ovulation. High estrogen can lead to ovulation issues like anovulation —when you don’t ovulate and an egg isn’t released.
Since you have to ovulate to get pregnant, prolonged periods of anovulation related to high estrogen can cause fertility problems.
More severe PMS and PMDD When you have physical and emotional symptoms before your period, you’re likely experiencing premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Some people may experience a more severe version of PMS called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
High estrogen can cause PMS and PMDD to worsen. Symptoms like cramps , nausea, headaches, back pain , mood swings , anxiety, and feelings of depression may become more severe.
Breast changes Breast changes are another symptom of high estrogen.
High estrogen may stimulate the growth of breast tissue, which can cause noncancerous lumps to develop. This is a common condition called fibrocystic breasts. Fibrocystic breasts may feel lumpy and ropelike.
Fibrocystic breast lumps are benign, and don’t increase your risk of breast cancer. However, it’s always a good idea to have your doctor check any new breast lumps.
In addition to fibrocystic breasts, high estrogen can also cause:
Breast pain Breast tenderness Breast hypertrophy (excessive growth of dense and heavy breast tissue) Uterine fibroids and polyps Uterine fibroids and uterine polyps are noncancerous growths that can develop in the uterus. Both can be symptoms of high estrogen.
High estrogen appears to trigger uterine fibroid growth, and may increase the number and size of fibroids. Small fibroids may not need any treatment, but larger fibroids may require medication or even surgery.
High estrogen may also cause uterine polyps to develop. Uterine polyps are usually benign, but some may become precancerous.
Your doctor can monitor uterine fibroids and uterine polyps to make sure you’re safe.
Other symptoms of high estrogen High estrogen symptoms may also include:
Low sex drive Fatigue Increased feelings of anxiety or depression Bloating Weight gain Sleep problems Symptoms of low estrogen If your estrogen is disproportionately low compared to your other hormones, you could have an estrogen deficiency.
These are some of the signs and symptoms of low estrogen that you may experience.
Irregular cycles and irregular periods Irregular cycles and irregular periods may also be a symptom of low estrogen.
As you know, estrogen is a key player in cycle function and regularity. Like high estrogen, low estrogen can also impact cycles and make them longer.
Low estrogen can have a particularly significant effect on periods, making periods become increasingly irregular. Your period may come less often than usual and may skip some cycles. Your period may even stop altogether (this is called amenorrhea).
Hot flashes and night sweats Hot flashes and night sweats (also called vasomotor symptoms, or VMS) are another symptom of low estrogen.
Hot flashes are intense bursts of heat in the head, face, neck, chest, and upper back, sometimes accompanied by sweating, flushing, and an accelerated heartbeat. Night sweats (nighttime hot flashes) can lead to sleep disturbances and fatigue.
Hot flashes are thought to occur when low estrogen causes your body’s internal temperature system to become more sensitive to changes in external temperature. This can make your body overreact and send you blasts of heat in response to the slightest temperature changes.
Vaginal symptoms Estrogen is crucial to vaginal health. This hormone helps keep the vagina moist, make vaginal lining thick, and keep vaginal tissue flexible and elastic.
When estrogen is low, it can’t properly regulate vaginal health. Over time, low estrogen can lead to vaginal atrophy , a condition where vaginal walls thin and cervical mucus secretions decrease.
Low estrogen and vaginal atrophy can lead to vaginal symptoms like:
Dryness Irritation Burning Itching Discomfort or pain during sex Discomfort or pain while peeing Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) Low estrogen vaginal symptoms can also lower your sex drive , since sex may be uncomfortable or even painful.
Mood changes Estrogen is an important element in how our brains regulate mood and emotion. That means that low estrogen can have an impact on mental health.
In fact, low estrogen has been shown to contribute to mood changes and mood swings . You may experience changes in your overall emotional state, or swings in your feelings moment to moment.
Low estrogen may also cause increased feelings of irritability, sadness, and even depression.
Other symptoms of low estrogen Low estrogen symptoms may also include:
What to do if you suspect high estrogen vs. low estrogen symptoms If you suspect you may be experiencing an estrogen imbalance—whether related to high estrogen or low estrogen—talk to your doctor about your symptoms. They can help you get to the bottom of things and determine whether treatment is needed.
You can also test your estrogen levels at home to get a sense of your unique hormones. With at-home hormone tests like the Oova kit and app, you can measure and track your hormone fluctuations throughout your cycle, and easily share your individual data with your doctor.
High estrogen vs. low estrogen symptoms: The bottom line When estrogen increases or decreases in relation to the other hormones in your body, you may develop an estrogen imbalance—and therefore high estrogen vs. low estrogen symptoms.
Symptoms like worsening PMS or breast changes may occur with high estrogen, versus hot flashes and vaginal symptoms with low estrogen. Some symptoms may occur with both estrogen states, like fatigue, weight gain, and changes to your menstrual cycle.
If you suspect you may be experiencing high or low estrogen, talk to your doctor about your symptoms. Your doctor can help you understand what’s causing your high vs. low estrogen symptoms, and determine next steps.
