Everyone has experience with being moody or irritable. Sometimes life just compounds up and up on us. Some people, though, feel like this constantly, and hormones might be the cause. Estrogen is a hormone that typically regulates mood, and low levels of it in some individuals can cause low mood, anxiety and irritability. Working to naturally correct poor levels of estrogen or taking estrogen supplements can be viable cures for this common mood disorder.
Moodiness
Moodiness or irritability without proper cause can be a major problem for people of both sexes and all ages; however, middle-aged women are especially affected. Some typical symptoms are waking up with a chip on your shoulder, feeling constantly on edge and being ready to snap at those close to you. Of course, some people are better than others at rationalizing bad moods and giving them a reason, but this doesn't change the fact that the mood has, at root, no real cause.
Estrogen
Estrogen is a hormone more prevalent in women than men, and it is responsible for regulating most of the body processes unique to women. The hormone has been linked to mood disorders, and according to Women Health Zone, low levels of estrogen can result in irritability, depression, emotional ambivalence and decreased interest in sexual intercourse. If your symptoms are consistent with these, and especially if they're chronic, then it is likely that your irritability is rooted in an estrogen imbalance.
Estrogen Imbalance
One cause of chronic moodiness can be hormone imbalance. Hormones are chemicals produced by the body to regulate various important body processes such as growth and weight distribution. Estrogen has been strongly linked to mood disorders. According to Revita Anti-Aging Center, increasing the body's estrogen either naturally or by taking estrogen supplements has similar effects to taking antidepressants, because estrogen blocks monoamine oxidase, a chemical that increases the activity of mood-stimulating neurotransmitters.
Natural or Supplements?
A major question even after deciding to treat moodiness as an estrogen-rooted concern is whether to undergo supplemental treatment or to work to correct estrogen imbalance within the body naturally. Both approaches have their own sets of pros and cons. According to Iron Online, taking supplements is much faster and will produce results after only a few days, but it can skew already out-of-balance hormone levels further and lead to physical dependency if the body grows used to not having to produce estrogen. Though increasing the production of estrogen naturally by decreasing body fat can take up to a year, this long-term solution can avoid dependency on supplements and work out better in the long run.
Life Issues
Moodiness can also be caused by life problems, such as unemployment, family issues and other stresses. The stress caused by these situations can be exacerbated by an estrogen imbalance, and correcting the imbalance may go a long way to fix the issue, but the root cause will still remain the life problems. Estrogen treatment is not a panacea, though, and patients are strongly encouraged to deal with their life problems first.
