There are hormones and horrormones in our body. Estrogen belongs to the latter type. This is a female hormone produced by the ovaries. A little less estrogen in the body makes you go weak and tired and causes irritation, mood swings and physical distress too. They promote the development of female secondary sex organs, such as breasts, and are also involved in the thickening of the endometrium and other aspects of regulating the menstrual cycle. In males estrogen regulates certain functions of the reproductive system important to the maturation of sperm and may be necessary for a healthy libido.
During menopause estrogen plays an important role as the decrease of this hormone causes a lot of distress in women. Estrogen patches, pills and creams are available to supplement the estrogen level in the body. This is also spelt as estrogen and is a kind of steroid, which has side effects in women. Most of the oral contraceptives contain a synthetic estrogen, along with a synthetic progestin. This also helps like a contraceptive.
Generally estrogen and other hormones are given to prevent osteoporosis in menopausal women as well as treat the symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, urinary stress incontinence, chilly sensations, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, and sweating.
Estrogen when taken without progestin can cause breast cancer in women. Those who have undergone hysterectomy are given estrogen and progestin together to combat menopausal blues.
Most recently, estrogen has been used in experimental research to treat patients suffering from bulimia as opposed to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is a typical treatment for bulimia. The research hypothesizes that the disease may be linked to a hormonal imbalance in the brain, giving rise to the use of estrogen in the experimental treatment.
Estrogen has also been used in studies, which indicate that it may be an effective drug for use in the treatment of traumatic liver injury. Sometimes, estrogen is also used in treating men for prostate cancer.
There are some hair shampoos available in the market, which contains estrogen for hair growth. But these shampoos are believed to develop breasts in small kids. Though this is of concern the government doesn’t think so. This product is extremely popular among African Americans. Sometimes women are misinformed about their hormones, to the detriment of their health, while drug companies reap huge profits at their expense. So next time you read an advertisement do consult your doctor before going in for it.
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