by Omoruvwie Ejiroghene

Created on: September 24, 2008

Estrogen Replacement therapy (ERT) is the hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) used in the treatment of menopause symptoms. It is the administering of the hormone, estrogen that might sometimes also include the use of progestins to replace the hormones that the ovaries no longer produce or produce in insufficient amount and provides relief from unpleasant symptoms associated with the decline of the reproductive hormones.

A hormone is a chemical substance produce by ductless glands or organs in the body and regulate various body functions. They act as catalyst in every chemical reaction that occur in the body and too much or too little can either speed up body functions or lower functions with corresponding effects.
Estrogen and Progesterone are the two hormones associated with the female reproductive life cycle.
Your body to stimulate the release of eggs uses estrogen. Once there are no eggs to release, the level of estrogen in your body will begin to fall. However, estrogen also helps regulate many other bodily functions other than egg production, including bone density, the temperature of your skin and keeping your vagina moist. It is the reduction of estrogen that causes most of the symptoms associated with the menopause.
These include:
Vaginal dryness,
Hot flashes,
Loss of sex drive,
Mood changes such as irritability or depression,
Stress incontinence - leaking urine when you cough or sneeze,
Night sweats which in turn can interfere with sleep,
Thinning of the bone which can lead to brittle bones (osteoporosis),
Back pain, and
Joint pain.
Most of these symptoms will pass within two to five years, though symptoms of vaginal dryness are likely to get worse if they are not treated. The risk of osteoporosis will also increase with age.
The main function of progesterone is to get the womb ready for a possible pregnancy. It also helps to protect the lining of the womb (endometrium). The falling levels of progesterone do not have the same wide-ranging effects on your body as the falling levels of estrogen. However, it does increase the risk of you developing cancer of the womb lining (endometrial cancer).
Administering ERT
ERT can be administered based on the purpose of the therapy. It can be taken orally as a pill, as a skin patch, vaginal tablet or cream, vaginal gel, or get an IUD (intrauterine device) implant, shot or vaginal ring insert.
For instance, a vaginal estrogen cream or cream can ease vaginal dryness, urinary leakage or vaginal or urinary infections, but does not relieve hot flashes. Patches and pills can reduce hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness and also slow osteoporosis.
ERT has its side effects and risks and one has to think a lot before deciding on what ERT to use.
Some side effects include:
Breast tenderness or enlargement
Spotting or a return of monthly periods
Cramping
Bloating
Headache
Nausea
Mood changes
Its risks includes breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. A woman who have done hysterectomy might not be concerned with the risk of cancer of the uterus, women with womb have a high risk though therapy now include progestins with estrogen to prevent the overgrowth of cells in the lining of the uterus to prevent cancer. Certain types of ERT have a higher risk, and each woman's own risks can vary depending upon her health history and lifestyle.
However there are alternatives means to ERT, one has to calculate the risks involves before embarking on which way to cope with menopause.

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