Education · Hormones
How hormones can affect how you feel
Interactive guide
Understanding hormones & symptoms
Biomedical view
Estrogen
Estrogens (mainly estradiol before menopause) are made largely by the ovaries. With progesterone they regulate the menstrual cycle, and they also support bone density, vaginal and urinary tissue, skin, and play a role in temperature regulation, sleep and mood.
Often associated with lower levels
- Irregular or missed periods
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Sleep disruption
- Mood changes
- Bone loss over time
Often associated with relatively higher levels
- Heavier or more painful periods
- Breast tenderness
- Bloating
- Mood changes before a period
When to talk with your medical provider
- No period for three months or more (and not pregnant)
- Any bleeding after menopause
- Very heavy bleeding or bleeding between periods
- Hot flashes, sleep or mood changes affecting daily life
How Seven Medicine approaches supportive care
Dr. Kristina may offer supportive care for sleep, stress, wellbeing and cycle discomfort alongside your provider's evaluation — and alongside hormone therapy if you use it. Research on acupuncture for hot flashes specifically is mixed, and menopause guidelines don't recommend it for hot flashes, so we don't promise that.
These symptoms can have many causes. Hormone levels require appropriate medical evaluation and testing when indicated. Nothing here is a diagnosis.
Learn more about stress, sleep & cortisolTwo frameworks
Biomedicine and TCM, side by side — not the same thing
Biomedical view
Hormones are measured with lab tests and interpreted by your medical provider. Symptoms point toward questions; testing and evaluation answer them.
Traditional Chinese Medicine view
TCM describes patterns — such as Kidney Yin deficiency or Liver Qi stagnation — from your whole presentation. These are not hormone levels: Kidney Yin is not estrogen, and the TCM Liver does not “control” cortisol.
References
General background physiology from clinical reference texts and professional societies.
- [1]Carlson K, Vadakekut ES. Menopause. StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf NBK507826). 2026. PubMed 29939603 (opens in a new tab)· clinical reference
- [2]American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists The Menopause Years (patient FAQ). ACOG. 2018. Source (opens in a new tab)· professional society patient education
- [3]Endocrine Society Menopause (patient resource). Endocrine Society. 2022. Source (opens in a new tab)· professional society patient education
- [4]Cable JK, Grider MH. Physiology, Progesterone. StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf NBK558960). 2023. PubMed 32644386 (opens in a new tab)· clinical reference
- [5]Kaur J, Gandhi J, Sharma S. Physiology, Cortisol. StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf NBK538239). 2025. PubMed 30855827 (opens in a new tab)· clinical reference
- [6]Stalder T, et al. Assessment of the cortisol awakening response: Expert consensus guidelines. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016;63:414-432. PubMed 26563991 (opens in a new tab) · DOI 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.10.010 (opens in a new tab)· expert consensus
- [7]Shahid MA, Ashraf MA, Sharma S. Physiology, Thyroid Hormone. StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf NBK500006). 2023. PubMed 29763182 (opens in a new tab)· clinical reference
- [8]The 2023 Nonhormone Therapy Position Statement Advisory Panel The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2023;30(6):573-590. PubMed 37252752 (opens in a new tab) · DOI 10.1097/GME.0000000000002200 (opens in a new tab)· clinical position statement
- [9]World Health Organization WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Chinese Medicine. World Health Organization, Geneva. 2022. Source (opens in a new tab)· terminology standard