We all are aware of tiny pills called birth control pills as the simplest solution to prevent pregnancy. Among various birth control methods, birth control pills are considered to be safe and effective method. Ever wondered how this tiny pill helps in preventing pregnancy. It is because, these pills contain hormones which when taken, does not allow the eggs to get matured in ovaries. They trick the body to believe that the woman is already pregnant and there is no need for the ovaries to produce eggs.
The two hormones that are considered to be doing this work are estrogen and progesterone.
Like any other pills and medications, contraceptive pills also have side effects. Some women may experience severe side effects while many others may not experience it at all. It all depends from one woman to another. But when present, the most common side effects are tenderness in breast, heaviness in head, nausea, vomiting, acne, retention of fluids leading to limb swelling, loss of libido, weight gain and so on.
All these side effects of birth control pills can be relatively controlled and curtailed by taking pills that contain low dose of estrogen.
Benefits Of Low Estrogen Birth Control Pills
A normal contraceptive pill consists between 25 to 45 micrograms of estrogen in it. However, in low estrogen birth control pill the amount of estrogen is less. It is nearly 20 micrograms. Doctors advise their patients to take these low estrogen birth control pills when she wants to prevent pregnancy. Besides, the risk of side effects also reduces.
Low estrogen birth control pills are generally useful for women who are still menstruating or in those who have excessive menstruation or other menses related problem. Taking low dose estrogen birth control pills has its own benefits. By taking these pills, the risk of becoming pregnant reduces to a great extent; at least 99 percent of women are able to prevent pregnancy.
Taking them for few cycles also helps to prevent symptoms of menstrual pain, excessive menstrual blood flow, weakness and anemia. It shortens the days of flow and extent of menses flow in a woman having heavy bleeding. In comparison to normal contraceptive pills, taking low estrogen pills is known to reduce the risk of patient suffering ovarian cancer or cyst of ovary.
Low Estrogen Birth Control Pills Side Effects
One should not construe that low estrogen content in the birth control pills guarantees cent percent safety. There are some side effects that can still occur in women taking this pill. Some of the common are tenderness in breast. The breast feels heavy and few women may feel the pain while walking.
After taking these pills some women may feel nauseated. Vomiting is very common. The side effects such as breakthrough bleeding and spotting are commonly associated with low estrogen contraceptive pills.
Low intensity headache as a result of mild retention of fluid is noted in many cases. Regular intake of low dose estrogen birth control pills may also trigger high blood pressure.
Considering the side effects and benefits, a woman should always discuss the issue with her doctor before starting the pills. This is because; the pill may not suit a woman who has deep vein thrombosis, breast cancer, heart disease.