You can have low estrogen in your 30s due to excessive exercise, a problem with your thyroid, an autoimmune condition, or another condition. If you are experiencing symptoms of low estrogen in your thirties, talk to your healthcare provider. You may need to be evaluated for the possibility of an underlying condition.
Signs of low estrogen are often very similar to those of menopause. However, what many don't realize is that you can be affected by low estrogen well before you enter perimenopause. Even women in their 20s and 30s may require hormone replacement therapy for many different reasons.
What causes low estrogen levels? The most common cause of low estrogen is age. It's natural for your estrogen levels to fall as you get older. Low levels unrelated to menopause may be a sign of a condition.
Of course, every woman is different, and there is no set age at which levels of estrogen drop off. Low estrogen can also affect women in their teens, 20s, and 30s. Non-age-related causes of low estrogen include: Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
Perimenopause occurs during the 40s for most women, but some notice changes as early as their mid-30s. Even before perimenopause occurts, women may expereince subtle changes in menstrual cycle length, duration and flow. This is when fertility begins to decline, and hormone patterns start to fluctuate.
Major health risks of low estrogen include: Osteoporosis. Estrogen helps maintain strong bones by preventing calcium loss. Too little calcium can increase the risk of fractures in the spine, hips, and leg and arm bones.
There is no specific age cut-off for starting HRT.
You take the medication to replace the estrogen that your body stops making during menopause. Hormone therapy is most often used to treat common menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and vaginal discomfort. Hormone therapy has also been proved to prevent bone loss and reduce fracture in postmenopausal women.
Genes associated with follicle growth were not significantly altered by vitamin D3. However, it increases expression of genes involved in the estrogen-biosynthesis. Further, estrogen concentrations in porcine granulosa cell-cultured media increased in response to vitamin D3.
Women in their 20s or 30s may experience hormonal imbalance long before menopause. Early menopause is when a woman experiences menopause before age 45 and is one possible reason why you might suffer from hormone imbalance symptoms in your 20s and 30s. Early menopause only occurs in about 5% of women.
Foods that reportedly increase estrogen include flax seeds, soybean products, chocolate, fruit, nuts, chickpeas, and legumes.
Best Time to Start Hormone Replacement Therapy
So the best practice guidelines currently state that the ideal time to start HRT is within 10 years of the initiation of menopause, or under the age of 60.
While you may start feeling a difference within a few days or weeks, it usually takes longer for HRT to achieve its full effects. Three to six months is a reasonable trial period for systemic HRT, which includes pills, patches, sprays and gels. If you haven't seen an improvement by this point, speak to your doctor.
Chronically low estrogen increases your risk of developing osteoporosis later in life. Low estrogen can also negatively impact your reproductive system and fertility. Low estrogen causes your periods to become irregular or cease altogether. Over time, untreated low estrogen can leave your fertility damaged.
Poor technique when applying gels can prevent good absorption – remember to apply to normal temperature skin and allow to air-dry well before dressing. Fake tans and body lotions can affect absorption for some women. Patches need to stick well, not irritate, and be changed on the correct days.
Stress and hormonal levels
Psychological stress may aggravate natural falls in estrogen during the menstrual cycle and reduce peak levels. The decreased estrogen levels in younger women and post-menopausal women result in decreased expansion of regulatory cells.