Can you increase estrogen through diet and lifestyle?
You can often address low estrogen levels related to certain behaviors by making lifestyle adjustments.
- Aim for a healthy body weight: Being underweight is a risk factor for low hormone levels. Talk with your provider about dietary changes needed to ensure you’re getting the right amount of calories each day.
- Moderately exercise: Overexercise can contribute to low estrogen. Exercise in moderation is good. Overdoing it can deplete the important resources your body needs to function.
- Reduce stress: Too many stress hormones can cause the hormones that regulate your reproductive system to become imbalanced. Incorporating stress-reduction techniques into your daily routine is good for your overall well-being and your hormones, too.
- Get enough sleep: Sleep recharges your body so that your hormones can function properly. On average, adults need from seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
What medications treat low estrogen?
Hormone replacement therapy (HT) is a common treatment for low estrogen, especially during menopause and postmenopause. With HT, you take synthetic forms of estrogen and/or the hormone progesterone to boost your levels. There are two types of HT, estrogen therapy and estrogen progesterone/progestin hormone therapy (EPT). Providers prescribe the lowest doses possible to treat your symptoms while preventing side effects.
The only FDA-approved reasons for body-wide hormone replacement therapy are low bone mineral density and hot flash treatment, typically in the form of pills or patches. vagin*l estrogen — in the form of rings, creams, and vagin*l inserts — are formulated to treat vagin*l dryness and painful intercourse. Sometimes "body wide" estrogen can affect the vagin*l tissue. Sometimes it doesn’t. Vice versa, vagin*l estrogen is not approved for the treatment of hot flashes.
It’s not unusual to need vagin*l estrogen in addition to body-wide estrogen if you’re experiencing hot flashes and painful sex.
Estrogen therapy
You’ll take estrogen supplements only, with no progesterone. Your provider will only prescribe this therapy if you no longer have a uterus (ex., you’ve had a hysterectomy).
Estrogen progesterone/progestin hormone therapy (EPT)
If you still have a uterus, you’ll take a combination of estrogen and progesterone. Taking both is important because progesterone balances the action of estrogen in the uterus. Estrogen thickens your uterine lining. Too much thickening can also cause overgrowth in the uterus that can lead to uterine cancer. Progesterone prevents overgrowth.
HRT isn’t without risks. Research has shown that long-term use of combination therapy (5 years or more) may increase your risk of breast cancer, blood clots, heart attacks and stroke.
Discuss whether you’re a good candidate for hormone replacement therapy with your provider. They can talk you through any risks and side effects associated with any treatment you may receive. The most common reasons you may not be a good candidate for hormone therapy include:
- Menopause more than 10 years ago.
- A history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer or melanoma.
- History of blood clots in your legs, lungs and brain.
