Hot flashes, flushes, and a dry vagina are common complaints.
Women often seek hormonal treatment.
Yet, the most important reasons for hormonal treatment are heart disease and osteoporosis, which is known as thinning of the bones. Estrogen is given in the form of pills or patches to replace what the body no longer makes. It relieves the hot flashes, reduces the loss of calcium from the bones, and increases the good cholesterol in our blood. Most women are able to take ERT, but the benefits and risks must be weighed. Estrogen taken alone increases the risk for cancer in the uterus.