Open Access

Estrogen

Estrogen is a hormone that plays various roles in the body. In females, it helps develop and maintain both the reproductive system and female characteristics, such as breasts and pubic hair.

The ovaries, adrenal glands, and fat tissues produce estrogen. Both female and male bodies have this hormone, but females create more of it.

In this article, we look at estrogen in more detail, including how it works, what happens when the levels fluctuate, and medical uses.Both males and females produce estradiol, and it is the most common type of estrogen in females during their reproductive years.

Estrogen levels vary among individuals. They also fluctuate during the menstrual cycle and over a female’s lifetime. This fluctuation can sometimes produce effects such as mood changes before menstruation or hot flashes in menopause.

Factors that can affect estrogen levels include:

pregnancy, the end of pregnancy, and breastfeeding puberty menopause older age

If a person has low levels of estrogen, a doctor may prescribe supplements or medication.

Estrogen products include:

synthetic estrogen bioidentical estrogen Premarin, which contains estrogens from the urine of pregnant mares

Birth control pills contain either synthetic estrogen and progestin or progestin only.

Some types prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation, and they do this by ensuring that hormone levels do not fluctuate throughout the month