Sometimes too much of a good thing really isn’t a good thing. Take estrogen for example. While you need estrogen for a lot of things, too much of it can cause a wide variety of health issues. It can cause everything from tender breasts to weight gain, none of which most women want.

If you’re not familiar with estrogen, it is a hormone that women produce in higher quantities when they reach puberty. These levels rise and fall at certain times during a woman’s life. There are times when it shouldn’t increase, however, and if it does, your body may produce some of the symptoms below to tell you that you should talk to your doctor.

1. Abdominal Weight Gain – Fatty tissue produces excess estrogen. As the fatty tissue produces estrogen, the estrogen produces more fatty tissue, particularly in the abdomen. If you have too much estrogen it can cause you to gain wait in your abdominal area.

2. Swollen or Tender Breasts – When you are pregnant, your breast ducts enlarge thanks to estrogen. If you notice that your breasts become swollen or sore and you’re not ovulating or pregnant, it could be due to an excess of estrogen.

3. Thyroid Dysfunction – Many women in their 30’s experience symptoms that are attributed to thyroid disease, but in reality the symptoms may be due to having too much estrogen. When the body has too much estrogen a thyroid binding protein called thyroid binding globulin increases. When this binding protein increases, the T3 and T4 thyroid hormones become low as they attach to the thyroid globulin. This prevents thyroid hormones from entering cells and can cause hyperthyroid symptoms.

4. Irregular Periods – When a woman experiences irregular periods, she may also experience weight gain. This can be a sign of hormonal imbalance caused by too much estrogen. Remember that the more fatty tissue you have the more estrogen your body will produce.

5. Fibrocystic Breasts – Over time, women’s breasts change in response to hormones made by the ovaries. If a woman has fibrocystic breasts, it could be caused by high estrogen levels and low progesterone levels. The breast tissue will become lumpy and rope-like and may be painful and tender to touch.

6. Mood Swings – A hormonal imbalance could be the cause of your mood swings. When your body has too much estrogen it could be because estrogen affects the chemistry of the brain. Women who are pregnant or going through menopause are more likely to experience this type of mood swings.

7. Memory Problems – As mentioned above, high estrogen can be a cause of thyroid issues. Hyperthyroidism can cause memory issues because the body isn’t able to produce the hormones that are essential for energy metabolism.

8. Headaches – It is extremely common for women to have headaches in conjunction with hormonal fluctuations. Birth control pills, pregnancy, and menstruation may all affect your estrogen levels which can result in headaches if your levels are too high or too low.