Causes of Low Estrogen
Menopause is a normal, natural event that every woman will experience as they age. It is a transition period when the levels of estrogen decrease and menstruation becomes less frequent until it stops altogether. Menopause isn’t something that we need to ‘cure’, but estrogen therapy can help to manage the often-chronic conditions and symptoms that may come with menopause.
Rather than suffer unnecessarily with the symptoms of menopause, natural estrogen cream can relieve the symptoms safely, effectively and take preventive action against major health risks associated with decreased hormones.
What Happens During Menopause?
Menopause can span well over a decade of a woman’s life, including the time leading up to her last period (also called perimenopause or menopause transition). Typically there is about a 3-6 year lead-up to reach menopause and then about a decade ‘in’ menopause. Once post-menopause is reached, most women do not continue to suffer from the symptoms associated with hormone fluctuations.
In the months or years leading up to menopause, you might start experiencing the effects or symptoms of hormonal fluctuation such as:
Hot Flashes/Night Sweats
Sleep Disturbances/Insomnia
Mood Changes
Severe Headaches
Genital Symptoms
Urinary Symptoms
Low Libido
Vaginal Dryness
Health Risks
Healthcare providers can prescribe Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) or natural estrogen cream as a natural remedy for all of the symptoms, particularly vaginal dryness, and hot flashes. HRT is far superior to the home remedies that are sometimes used to relieve menopause symptoms. Not only is HRT safer and more effective, but it also has many benefits – both long and short term.
Unfortunately, many women try a quick fix like over-the-counter (OTC) ‘natural estrogen’ cream or herbs for relief. Typically OTC is inexpensive, fast, and easy to access, but the true benefits of OTC ‘natural estrogen’ creams are not scientifically proven, and there is little evidence to suggest that they have any real benefit.
Prescription vs. Non-prescription Natural Estrogen Creams
Estrogen is the hormone that most people talk about when they are discussing menopause. Best known for its role in reproduction and the menstrual cycle, estrogen also helps regulate mood, cardiovascular health, bone density, and the look and feel of your skin. HRT made by Winona is made from yams, provides the estrogen that your body is making less of during menopause, and is considered to be natural.
But let’s be clear about what ‘natural’ means. Estrogens produced within the body are called endogenous estrogens, while estrogens that are given as a medication or treatment are called exogenous or synthetic estrogen. Estrogen that is made or altered in the lab (regardless of the original source) is ‘synthetic’, and that includes OTC products.1
All hormones once they are in your body, whether exogenous or endogenous, act as chemical messengers (like keys) that unlock receptors (locks) that are found on cell walls. When a lock and key fit together, like a hormone and a receptor, the cell is told what to do. A hormone can tell a cell to grow, slow down, release another chemical, etc. This lock and key metaphor is commonly used when describing how hormones work.1
Like locksmiths, scientists can manufacture many different types of hormones that act as keys to unlock cells. It doesn’t mean that all the ‘keys’ are the best fit, but they can unlock to some degree. For cells needing the estrogen ‘key’ to work properly, scientists have created different ‘key’ estrogens to ‘open’ their corresponding receptors. The more ‘identical’ the key, the more effective and ‘natural’ the response.1 Winona’s HRT hormones are originally extracted from plants and are identical to the endogenous hormones naturally produced by the body.2 These identical ‘keys’ produce a natural response that is efficient and effective.
If by ‘natural estrogen’ people are referring to over-the-counter (OTC) instead of prescription medication, then the efficacy of OTC products should be discussed. Some people erroneously assume OTC’s are safer, which is not true. OTC creams are still ‘synthetic’ but what makes them very different from HRT is that they are not regulated by the FDA. Nor are the manufacturers of OTC products required to pass the rigorous testing standards that prescription medications have to adhere to. There are little to no regulations on OTC products and few repercussions for false advertising.
Because OTC products can be purchased without a medical professional’s involvement, there is no guidance based on symptoms. This do-it-yourself OTC method to treat menopause symptoms can be dangerous. If a woman waits to take HRT because she has chosen OTC first, she may experience repercussions for the delay in taking HRT that could have prevented the onset of diseases associated with untreated estrogen deficiency.2
Benefits of Estrogen
Menopause is a continuation of the estrogen story. At puberty, women start to create more estrogen, and the levels will continue to increase through the childbearing years. During perimenopause, estrogen levels begin falling. By adding back the lost estrogen, in combination with progesterone therapy, you can help ease the symptoms of menopause and reduce the risk of other diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and many more.
Most Common Use of Natural Estrogen Creams
HRT natural estrogen creams can be used to elevate levels of estrogen to treat all menopause symptoms. Natural Estrogen creams are often used for vaginal menopause symptoms. Menopause and the decreased hormones are the most common reason for vaginal dryness and irritation. It might come as a surprise to hear that about 50% of women over the age of 50 experience vaginal dryness, 25% of women experience problems with vaginal dryness during sex, and 16% experience vaginal pain.1 Vaginal dryness can be prevented and treated very easily.
Natural vaginal lubrication is driven by the hormone estrogen. Estrogen not only plays a critical role in the vagina but also in sexual health. If you are in your late 30s, the most likely cause of vaginal dryness and irritation is the drop in the hormone estrogen. Estrogen works to keep the walls of the vagina naturally lubricated by stimulating the glands present in the vagina.
When estrogen levels drop with perimenopause, the lining of the vagina becomes thinner and less elastic, and the glands less effective. Preventing vaginal dryness, itch, irritation, and or pain during sex with estrogen replacement is a great form of preventative medicine, and can reduce urinary tract infections, incontinence, and improve quality of life for women.3
A natural way to prevent vaginal dryness and irritation is to replace the estrogen by using topical prescription-grade natural estrogen creams. This form of topical estrogen requires lower doses than pills since it is absorbed through the skin and goes directly into the bloodstream. Natural estrogen creams are a great way to remedy the symptoms and improve your quality of life.3
Benefits of Vaginal Natural Estrogen Creams:
Stop urine leaks
Reignite intimacy & pleasure
Stop vaginal dryness & irritation & discomfort
Improve skin elasticity and vaginal tightening
Vaginal dryness is rarely serious, and natural estrogen creams can provide easy, healthy, and safe ways to optimize vaginal health and lubrication. Seek help if the vaginal discomfort lasts beyond a few days or if you experience discomfort during sexual intercourse. If left untreated, vaginal dryness can cause sores or crack in the vagina’s tissues.4
Before seeking out any treatment it is important to consult with a healthcare professional. They can provide a correct diagnosis before simply trying an OTC. If you do have low estrogen, it is critical to receive a proper diagnosis in order to alleviate your symptoms and protect your long-term health. Rather than relying on self-diagnosis and guesswork, please consider consulting with a Winona specialist to build a safe, effective HRT treatment.
Winona’s state-of-the-art compounding pharmacy formulates prescription hormones into several different types of products, including creams, patches, and pills that allow women to restore their estrogen levels and relieve the disruptive symptoms of menopause.
By partnering with the Winona healthcare providers, Winona subscribers receive ongoing support from a practitioner who continuously assesses treatment response, fine-tunes prescriptions, and works directly with each patient to improve their overall well-being. Winona patients can effectively, safely, and successfully treat disruptive menopause symptoms and improve their long-term health.
