Naturally produced by the body, estrogen is a hormone that is found in men and women both. This particular hormone assists in the management of the reproductive system, helps the skin heal from bruises, and protects the bones. For some women, their bodies don't produce enough of this hormone—especially as they get older, though it can also be due to medical conditions. If you are dealing with low levels of estrogen, you may want to consider hormone replacement therapy. Here are a few benefits of estrogen hormone replacement therapy.

Relieves Menopause Symptoms

Over time, the production of your natural estrogen will change. For example, your body will begin to product more estrogen when you hit puberty, and this will continue throughout your childbearing years. Once menopause begins to get closer, those estrogen levels will begin to decrease.

As this occurs, your menopause symptoms will start. These symptoms include things like hot flashes, trouble sleeping, chills, excessive sweating, and vaginal dryness. As a general rule, your physician will prescribe you a medication that contains estrogen, but hormone replacement therapy may be able to relieve some of your menopause symptoms.

Helps Ovary-Related Issues

Estrogen comes from your ovaries, so when they are unable to produce the proper amount of estrogen or they are affected by a medical condition, hormone replacement therapy is often necessary. Some issues that could require supplemental estrogen include failure or removal of both of your ovaries and female hypogonadism (decreased ovary function). If your ovaries have been removed, then hormone replacement therapy can often ease the symptoms of premature menopause.

Improves Vaginal Problems

Estrogen also has the ability to help maintain your vaginal health. As estrogen production declines, changes to the lining, tissue, and even the pH balance of the vagina will likely be noticed. This can result in a number of health issues related to the vagina, including:

  • vaginal dryness
  • atrophic vaginitis – inflammation of vaginal tissues often caused by irritation and dryness
  • vulvar atrophy – a medical condition that can cause soreness, dryness, and urinary incontinence.

Luckily, estrogen hormone replacement therapy may be able to help with all of these things.

 Protects Your Bones

Last, but not least, estrogen hormone replacement therapy may help reduce the risk of bone loss following menopause. Of course, there have been advancements in medications over the years, so physicians tend to rely more on those nowadays. In some cases, though, the side effects are too severe or the medications are not as effective as they need to be in which case hormone replacement therapy may be used to help treat bone loss.

For more information, reach out to companies like Bayview OB GYN Women's Care Florida.

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