Why is estrogen produced

Factors such as the type, size, and location of your fibroids can make a difference. Learn how simple actions can help prevent breast cancer, which ranks as the second leading cause of death in women. Urinary incontinence is more than an inconvenience. The condition can affect your daily routine, self-image, and quality of life. Learn about the different types of urinary incontinence and how you can manage this treatable condition. There is increasing evidence that in both men and women extraglandular production of C 18 steroids from C 19 precursors is important in normal physiology as well as in pathophysiologic states.

The enzyme aromatase is found in a number of human tissues and cells, including ovarian granulosa cells, the placental syncytiotrophoblast, adipose and skin fibroblasts, bone, and the brain, and it locally catalyzes the conversion of C 19 steroids to estrogens.

Aromatase expression in adipose tissue and possibly the skin primarily accounts for the extraglandular peripheral formation of estrogen and increases as a function of body weight and advancing age.

Sufficient circulating levels of the biologically active estrogen estradiol can be produced as a result of extraglandular aromatization of androstenedione to estrone that is subsequently reduced to estradiol in peripheral tissues to cause uterine bleeding and endometrial hyperplasia and cancer in obese anovulatory or postmenopausal women. Extraglandular aromatase expression in adipose tissue and skin via increasing circulating levels of estradiol and bone via increasing local estrogen concentrations is of paramount importance in slowing the rate of postmenopausal bone loss.

Some hereditary and other conditions can lead to high levels of estrogen in males, which can result in:. Estrogen therapy can help manage menopause symptoms as part of hormone therapy, which people usually refer to as hormone replacement therapy. The treatment may consist solely of estrogen estrogen replacement therapy, or ERT , or it may involve a combination of estrogen and progestin, a synthetic form of progesterone. Hormone treatment is available as a pill, nasal spray, patch, skin gel, injection, vaginal cream, or ring.

It may also help reduce the risk of osteoporosis, which increases when people enter menopause. Side effects include :. Some types of hormone therapy can also increase the risk of a stroke, blood clots, and uterine and breast cancer. A doctor can advise a person on whether estrogen therapy is suitable for them. In addition to menopause, estrogen therapy can also help resolve :. High levels of estrogen can increase the risk and progression of some types of breast cancer.

Some hormone treatments block the action of estrogen as a way of slowing or stopping cancer development. Hormonal therapy is not for everyone. A family history of breast cancer or thyroid issues may contradict using hormones. People who are unsure can speak to a doctor. A doctor can prescribe estrogen as part of the therapy for a person assigned male at birth who wishes to transition to female. The person may also need anti-androgenic treatment.

Estrogen can help a person develop female secondary sexual characteristics, such as breasts, and reduce male pattern hair formation. Estrogen therapy will be part of a broader treatment approach. A healthcare professional can advise the individual on the best course of treatment. Some types prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation, and they do this by ensuring that hormone levels do not fluctuate throughout the month.

They are also referred to as female sex hormones. The term "estrogen" refers to all of the chemically similar hormones in this group, which are estrone, estradiol primary in women of reproductive age and estriol. In women, estrogen is produced mainly in the ovaries. Ovaries are grape-sized glands located by the uterus and are part of the endocrine system. Estrogen is also produced by fat cells and the adrenal gland. At the onset of puberty, estrogen plays a role in the development of so-called female secondary sex characteristics, such as breasts, wider hips, pubic hair and armpit hair.

Estrogen also helps regulate the menstrual cycle, controlling the growth of the uterine lining during the first part of the cycle. If the woman's egg is not fertilized, estrogen levels decrease sharply and menstruation begins. If the egg is fertilized, estrogen works with progesterone, another hormone, to stop ovulation during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the placenta produces estrogen, specifically the hormone estriol. Estrogen controls lactation and other changes in the breasts, including at adolescence and during pregnancy. Estrogen is instrumental in bone formation, working with vitamin D , calcium and other hormones to effectively break down and rebuild bones according to the body's natural processes. As estrogen levels start to decline in middle age, the process of rebuilding bones slows, with postmenopausal women eventually breaking down more bone than they produce.

This is why postmenopausal women are four times more likely to suffer from osteoporosis than men, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Estrogen also plays a role in blood clotting, maintaining the strength and thickness of the vaginal wall and the urethral lining, vaginal lubrication and a host of other bodily functions. It even affects skin, hair, mucous membranes and the pelvic muscles , according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.