Hormone-Replacement Therapy and the Beneficial Effects of Estrogen in Women's Health

One of the most crucial decisions a woman has to make the moment she senses the onset of the "change of life" (menopause) is whether or not she should begin hormone-replacement therapy. This period in a woman's life, characterized by the dramatic reduction in the production of the woman's own hormones - particularly estrogen - which results to a number of discomforting symptoms, can be helped significantly by hormone-replacement therapy. It is likewise believed that this therapy can provide significant health benefits to a woman during this critical time in her life.

In menopause, the supply of estrogen and the other hormones that trigger menstruation is greatly reduced, altering the hormonal balance in the woman's body. The woman begins to feel such uncomfortable conditions as vaginal dryness, hot flashes, incontinence, aching joints, mood swings, and insomnia, all of which are related to the depleted supply of estrogen in the woman's body. Hormone-replacement therapy was introduced primarily as a means of alleviating, nay, eliminating these symptoms of menopause by replenishing the body's supply of estrogen. In time, hormone-replacement therapy became an even more vital contributor in women's health.

The female hormone estrogen was chiefly used when hormone-replacement therapy first came into use more than forty years ago. Several research and studies reveal how estrogen plays an important role in women's health. This female hormone, for example, has been found to fend off osteoporosis, the bone-thinning condition that affects especially older women. It has also been found to reduce a woman's risk of heart disease, which happens to be the major cause of death among older women. Estrogen is likewise known to hasten the healing of wound, retard the loss of memory, and even lessen the risk of colon cancer, especially when combined with progesterone (another female hormone).

Here are the other beneficial effects of estrogen in women's health: It maintains vaginal lubrication, which is often lost after menopause; it helps in keeping collagen intact, thus making the skin's wrinkling less pronounced; it alleviates depression; and it may prevent Alzheimer's disease. Hormone-replacement therapy may also be beneficial in case any one of these conditions is present: early menopause, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.

Be aware, though, that hormone-replacement therapy also has known health risks and can present certain disturbing side effects. These include an increased risk of developing gallbladder disease and irregular bleeding. Further, long-term use of replacement estrogens alone may increase the risk of developing uterine cancer. The presence of such factors as liver disease and a history of blood clots may also mean that hormone-replacement therapy can be risky for you. It is therefore necessary for you and your doctor to carefully weigh up both benefits and risks before you start hormone-replacement therapy. [Read the Original Article]