Benefits of Estrogen Replacement Therapy

When a woman reaches the menopausal stage or if her ovaries have been removed, her body stops producing estrogen naturally. As a result, she begins to suffer from menopausal symptoms.

Generally, estrogen production drops drastically after the age of 45, although decline in hormone levels begin much earlier on in life. In the beginning, the declining levels of estrogen in the body are not noticed. However, as women age, the steadily declining levels of estrogen affect the body in more telling ways. Physically, the menstrual period stops. This the beginning of the uncomfortable experiences associated with menopause.

Menopause brings with it many physical and psychological problems. The most popular among these is hot flashes, depression and extreme mood swings. There is also a steady decline in vaginal lubrication. In addition, some women also start suffering from osteoporosis at the time of menopause. This is serious because women begin to lose their bone mass as early as 35-40 years of age. However, in the absence of estrogen, calcium depletion speeds up and bone mass erodes quickly. That is why older women are more susceptible to bone fractures.

The best way to make up for the imbalance in estrogen levels in the body is to replace it as it gets depleted. This is what estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) does.

Estrogen replacement therapy aims at increasing the levels of estrogen in the body. It may be administered through a patch, vaginal ring, gel or skin cream. It has been seen that administering estrogen transdermally is perhaps the most effective way of taking in estrogen. In this method, estrogen enters the bloodstream directly without it being metabolized by the liver.

However, even though estrogen replacement therapy was highly sought after in the beginning, interest in the therapy began to wane as high incidences of cancer, heart problems and other undesirable side effects began to be associated with estrogen replacement therapy. Synthetic hormones, it was found, could lead to serious side effects. That is what led to the development and use of natural hormones in hormone replacement therapies.

Natural estrogen has a number of beneficial effects. Its greatest appeal is its molecular structure which is similar to the molecular structure of human hormones. Natural estrogen also has a modulating effect on the hormones in the body. This allows the even metabolism of hormones in the body. This has potent therapeutic effects.

Specifically, ERT helps cut the risk of developing osteoporosis, colon cancer and perimenopausal symptoms. Other remarkable effects associated with ERT include youthful looking skin, better sex life, sharper mind and lower risk of developing Alzheimer's.

For estrogen replacement therapy to be effective, it is necessary that patients undergo highly customized treatments. It is also true that women who benefit the most from this therapy include those who are most affected by symptoms like hot flashes and those who are most likely to develop osteoporosis due to a slim frame or the regular use of tobacco or alcohol.

Estrogen replacement therapy can help relieve symptoms of the climacteric (menopause), including hot flashes. This treatment may help prevent perimenopausal symptoms, colon cancer, and osteoporosis.