Is estrogen replacement therapy important in relieving menopausal symptoms?
When a woman reaches her forties, her estrogen level drops and her monthly menstrual periods end. Menopause or “change of life” has occurred – the average age is 51. Menopause is notorious for sleep disturbances, impaired bladder control, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and “hot flashes” (sudden and intense episodes of heat and sweating). These symptoms are often relieved with holistic remedies or estrogen replacement therapy. Menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, rarely last longer than six months. In time, the body adjusts to lower estrogen levels. Does menopause cause osteoporosis? Bones are a living tissue constantly being rebuilt. As we grow older, new bones are built at a slower pace. When bone loss is greater than bone replacement, osteoporosis results. The bones become extremely fragile, especially at the wrist, spine, and hip. Roughly 25 million Americans have osteoporosis, four out of five of them women. Bone loss accelerates during the earliest phase of menopause because
