Estrogen replacement therapy is also known as ERT and it is meant to increase the levels of estrogen in the body in case of the women who enter menopause.

The truth is that it can also have an impact on different systems of the body.

How the therapy of estrogen replacement works?

In the majority of the cases the hormones are introduced into the body through a patch, skin cream, vaginal gel or skin gel. It is good to know that in this case the hormone is able to enter the body without going through the liver. If it is taken in the form of pills, it has to be processed by the liver before getting into the bloodstream, and this might be stressful in case of an impaired liver.

Estrogen Replacement TherapyIf the therapy of estrogen replacement is done through the vagina, it could have an effect on the urinary and genital areas. This is usually done using low dosage.

Warning

In case you are using patches you should know that the direct sunlight or heat could make the patch release more or less hormones.

According to this, when having estrogen replacement therapy at the beginning you could have a higher dosage and then receive fewer hormones towards the end of the week.

Make sure that the patch is protected from direct sunlight. When using the patch, also see to it that a tanning bed, electric blanket, heating pad, sauna, or hot tub is avoided.

Why to use therapy of estrogen replacement?

As it has been mentioned before, ERT is used in order to increase the estrogen levels of the women who have gone through menopause or have no uterus. With the help of the treatment it is easier to avoid osteoporosis, perimenopausal symptoms and also colon cancer.

The younger women who experience early menopause as a result of the removal of their uterus use estrogen replacement therapy in order to make sure that they will be able to avoid osteoporosis or early bone loss. In the majority of the cases women have been using the therapy for years after entering menopause. Nonetheless usually they discontinue using it at the average age of menopause.

If we are talking about therapy of estrogen replacement in case of women who didn’t have their uterus removed, there is also the need of extra progestin to avoid the overgrowth of the lining of the uterus as a result of estrogen because this could lead to endometrial cancer.

When not to use estrogen replacement therapy?

There are some situations when it isn’t recommended, for example in case of pregnant women. Also in case you experience unexplained vaginal bleeding, you shouldn’t use the therapy. Liver problems could prevent you from using the therapy as well, such as chronic impaired liver function or some kind of liver disease.

You might have some problems with therapy of estrogen replacement in case you have a medical history of ovarian cancer, breast cancer or endometrial cancer.

There is a lot more that you should know about estrogen replacement therapy; so make sure you treat the topic carefully and discuss it with your doctor.