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A woman’s reproductive health is totally dependent on hormones, and everything must work perfectly for a pregnancy to happen. A good hormonal balance can even influence menopause to affect women so aggressively. There are several hormones important in these processes, but a highlight is estrogens and, among them, estradiol.
Menarche – First Menstruation
When younger, along with puberty, the increase in sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone begins. Progesterone and estradiol are responsible for the reproductive maturation of women , as responsible for breast growth, lengthening of the tubes, body hair, female curves and other female sexual characteristics.
When estradiol reaches a certain level, it is responsible for the first menstruation, the famous menarche . This means that the body is already able to mature a follicle and is already able to make the endometrium thicken , starting the woman’s fertile life. If the egg has not been fertilized, then menstruation occurs. On another occasion we will talk about the progesterone cycle through the body.
Estradiol is produced by the ovaries in the pre-ovulatory phase and stimulates the growth of follicles. But it also gives a strength to the endometrium to thicken and become receptive to the embryo. Estradiol also helps to signal LH to do its job at this stage.
Nor would it be possible to keep the endometrium thick enough for a pregnancy without progesterone. Progesterone keeps the enmdometry stable after ovulation, after the peak of estrogen. So it is important that all hormones are in balance, and the brain controls this process. The pituitary gland, present in the brain, is essential for coordinating hormones.
Headache Before Menstruation
Do you know that boring headache before menstruation? And irritability? Everything is the fault of estradiol and the other types of estrogens. But without them, it would be impossible to get pregnant . But that’s not all: without them, sexual intercourse would be painful and uncomfortable, since it is responsible for vaginal lubrication and fertile mucus. It is also responsible for keeping the skin elastic and lush.
For those who intend to get pregnant it is very important to check hormone levels, whether they are estradiol (and other types of estrogen in general), progesterone, LH FSH and prolactin . There are others, but these are the main ones for those who want to get pregnant. For example, a thinner endometrium, below 4.0, makes pregnancy very difficult. The indicated would be above 8 or 10mm.
Uncontrolled Estradiol Levels
We already know that getting pregnant requires an adequate level of estradiol, but what happens if estradiol is too low or too high? When estradiol is very high, the woman gets very wet and has some problems such as:
- Skin changes
- Fluid retention
- Swelling
- Glucose fluctuations in the body.
It can also cause changes in the menstrual cycle such as blood clots that are larger than normal during menstruation. When estradiol is far below ideal, ovulation can simply stop. The woman then enters an early menopause phase. This is because it produces more estrone, a different form of estrogen that is produced in the body’s fat cells.
Estradiol in Pregnancy
In pregnancy, estradiol is replaced by estrone , which is now produced by the placenta. This estrone makes the nipples of the breasts darker, the skin more shiny, the hair more silky. In cases of low hormone or elevated estradiol, treatment is done with synthetic estradiol, hormone replacement drugs or appropriate contraceptives .
Estradiol for Fertility
Treatment with estradiol can last approximately 3 to 6 months. There are therapies with estradiol also for those who do other fertility treatments, such as IVF (in vitro fertilization) or AI (artificial insemination) . In these cases, the woman complements the inducer treatment with synthetic hormones to help with the procedure. Some contraceptives may also contain estradiol in the formula, but it is a small amount. They are usually in conjunction with other hormones that inhibit ovulation .
Estradiol Replacement
If you need to replace estradiol, your doctor will prescribe a medication to supplement this hormone. But there are some foods that are rich in estrogen. These foods can help replenish the hormone, sometimes sufficient on their own to balance hormones. This is the case with yam , which is rich in a phytohormone called diosgenin. Diosgenin is able to stimulate hormone production in the brain , helping to balance hormone levels. It can be difficult to consume yams every day at meals, so the tip is the yam capsules , which you can purchase at our online store .
If you are already trying or thinking about getting pregnant at some point, here’s the tip: keep your hormonal tests up to date. Do them at least every 6 months to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Questions from Readers:
How to lower or increase estradiol?
There is no way to increase or decrease estradiol levels overnight. To control estradiol levels, hormonal treatment is necessary, usually based on contraceptives or medications for hormonal control. The response time of treatment varies from person to person, as it depends on the organism.
How is the test done to detect estradiol?
The test to measure estradiol levels is performed by collecting blood. It is known as an E2 test, and can detect estradiol levels in the body.
How to control estradiol?
In addition to hormonal treatment, a diet containing foods rich in estradiol may be indicated. These foods can control levels naturally and without side effects, as is the case with contraceptives and hormonal medications.
See also: Ajuda da Natureza – Yam Tea to Get Pregnant
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.