The body produces a hormone called estrogen, which is available in both women and men. Estrogen has an essential role to play in the management of the reproductive system. It is also known to protect the bones and helps the skin to heal itself from injury and bruises.
At times, the body isn’t able to produce enough estrogen. It could be because of several reasons. With time, the estrogen production of the body might become slow because of getting old. Certain conditions could also impact estrogen production levels.
If the estrogen levels are low, doctors might ask for a hormone replacement therapy for replacing the depleting levels and easing the symptoms. Specific research studies show that long-term hormone therapy might lead to an increase in the risk of complications, which could include cancer in rare and severe cases. If you plan to opt for estrogen therapy, it is crucial to discuss it with your doctor.
Some of the key benefits of choosing estrogen therapy include the following –
Relieving Menopause Symptoms
The natural estrogen production of the body will change with time. During the time of puberty, the body will produce more estrogen. The levels will be higher throughout the childbearing years. When menopause approaches, the levels will start dropping.
With the drop in the estrogen levels, you might experience specific symptoms. Some of them are –
• Excessive sweating
• Difficulty sleeping
• Chills
• Vaginal dryness
• Hot flashes
When you visit a medical office, your doctor might also prescribe estrogen-containing medication. When the declining estrogen is replaced using hormone therapy, it can be useful in easing these menopause-related symptoms.
Improving Vaginal Issues
Estrogen is known for maintaining vaginal health. When the levels decline, there can be changes experienced in the lining, pH balance, tissue of the vagina. It could result in various vaginal health issues, such as –
• Atrophic vaginitis (inflammation of the vaginal tissues caused by irritation and dryness).
• Vulvar atrophy (a condition causing urinary incontinence, soreness, and dryness).
• Vaginal dryness.
Estrogen therapy can help in treating these conditions.
Helping Ovary Issues
The ovaries are known for producing estrogen in the body. If they are unable to provide it or are affected because of another underlying condition, your doctor might ask you to go for hormone therapy.
Issues that might need supplemental estrogen include –
• Failure of both the ovaries
• Female hypogonadism (decreased functioning of the ovaries)
• Removal of both the ovaries (oophorectomy)
If ovaries are removed from the body, hormone therapy will be necessary for easing symptoms related to premature menopause. For some people, the uterus is also removed along with the ovaries. The condition is called a total hysterectomy.
Protecting the Bones
Estrogen is also useful in decreasing bone loss that might happen after menopause. There are new medications in the market that help in stopping and reversing bone loss. However, these medications can result in severe side effects. Therefore, many doctors choose to prescribe estrogen therapy for treating osteoporosis or bone loss.
Side-Effects of Estrogen Therapy
Just like any other treatment procedure, hormone therapy is not free from side-effects. Several complications could result from choosing this method, such as heart risks and cancer.
Some of the additional side-effects and risk factors associated with the treatment include –
• Dense breast tissue
• Birth defects
• Cancer
• Blood clots
Doctors are known to prescribe estrogen medications only to those women who have undergone hysterectomy but have their ovaries intact. Taking estrogen-only medicines is known for increasing the risk of developing endometrial cancer.
Conclusion
Estrogen therapy has to offer many short-term benefits for easing the symptoms related to many conditions, along with reducing the risk of developing other diseases. However, other health concerns also shouldn’t be overlooked. Therefore, it is best to evaluate the pros and cons and then make an informed decision keeping the doctor in the loop.
