The Benefits of Hormone Replacement to Deal with the Effects of Aging
As we age, our hormone levels are ever changing. The hormones that once drove us crazy hardly drive us at all anymore. As hormone production slows, we not only lose a lot of our drive, but some parts of our bodies begin to slow down. Fortunately, medical science now provides hormone replacement to give us our drives and health back.
Before jumping into hormone replacement therapy, there are factors that must be considered. Men, for example, must be careful about the relationship between prostate cancer and hormone replacement therapy. Your doctor can help you with advice on what treatment options you may want to consider.
Hormone replacement generally involves the two hormones that seem to be most important for normal life. These two hormones are estrogen and testosterone. As we age, these two hormones drop off considerably. As they decrease, our sex drives and metabolisms decline in function.
You may think that testosterone is for men and estrogen is for women. This is not really true. This common mistake stems from the fact that men generally have higher levels of testosterone. Those with a lot of facial hair, muscles, and deep voices can at least partially thank high levels of testosterone for these traits. Testosterone is also strongly associated with sexual drive.
Too much testosterone can be very damaging for the body. Heart disease and prostate disorders are commonly associated with high testosterone levels. Testosterone hormone replacement should only be done under the care of a doctor.
Estrogen is another major hormone for our health, drives, and development. Women tend to have this hormone go particularly crazy during and after pregnancy and again when menopause hits. A reduction in estrogen is correlated with the development of Alzheimer's, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
Estrogen hormone replacement is associated with a variety of side effects. Uterine cancer and breast cancer are a couple of scary side effects. Blood clotting may also occur in women getting estrogen replacement. Again, this is another hormone replacement therapy that should only be done under the care of a doctor. In some cases there may be more risks than benefits to this therapy.
The Sleep Hormone
Many people have trouble sleeping at night, particularly as they get older. In many cases this may be a result of a shortage of melatonin. This hormone is vital to controlling our sleep cycles. If we do not produce adequate melatonin, it can be very difficult to go to sleep and maintain sleep during the night hours. Melatonin supplements are available over the counter to help counteract the effects of no longer producing enough melatonin. Light therapy may also be useful.
As melatonin is a hormone, even in over-the-counter supplement form it should be taken under the guidance of a doctor. In addition to sleep, melatonin is thought to also slow down the aging process and slightly reduce the risk of breast cancer. But the side effects can range from daytime drowsiness to blood vessel constriction and heart problems. This means that melatonin can be very dangerous for those with high blood pressure or on medications to regulate blood pressure or blood viscosity.
Replacing Hormones May Promote Healthy Aging
Our body would normally produce these hormones, but the aging process has brought about a reduction it the body's ability to do so. It makes sense then that we would want to restore these hormones to keep our bodies young. However, there can be unforeseen consequences to doing so. Seeing a doctor is the first step. If your doctor thinks your body can handle replacement therapy, there are many youthful benefits that can be achieved to help you slow down the aging process and maintain your health longer.
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