How to Know If You Need Estrogen

Estrogen is a hormone produced by a woman's ovaries. It is what causes your menstrual cycle. That is why a woman's estrogen level drops when she reaches menopause. Her menstrual cycles slow down and eventually cease.

You will need:

List of low estrogen symptoms
Family physician
Blood test

Follow these steps:

Step 1:
Think about all the times that you have recently broken out in tears. One of the symptoms of low estrogen is crying for no reason. If you just lost a loved one and you are crying frequently, this is not due to low estrogen. If, however, you find yourself crying because a towel fell off your towel rack, you may be suffering from low estrogen levels.

Step 2:
Have you been forgetting things lately? Another symptom of low estrogen is misplacing items, forgetting the names of your acquaintances and the inability to recall something you previously learned. These sound like symptoms of an Alzheimer's patient, but they can also occur in women who are going through menopause.

Step 3:
Notice whether you are having hot flashes. If you are, then chances are you need estrogen. This is a definite and extremely common sign of menopause. In conjunction with this, you may also experience night sweats.

Step 4:
Pay attention to whether you are yawning and feeling tired more often than usual. Make sure you are getting a good night's sleep. If you are getting adequate sleep and you still feel tired, then you may need estrogen.

Step 5:
See if you are experiencing any bloating or unexplained weight gain. This can happen when your estrogen levels begin to drop.

Step 6:
Visit your family physician and ask for a blood test. The blood test will measure your estrogen levels. Normal levels range from 30 to 400. If your level is over 30, you will not need any estrogen. If your levels are lower than 30, then you need to talk to your doctor about getting estrogen.

Tips and Warnings:
Your estrogen levels can begin to drop as much as six months before your menstrual cycle ceases.

Exercising and eating a healthy diet can help with some of the symptoms that are associated with low estrogen levels.

Discuss herbal remedies with your doctor before you begin using them.