Hormones are components in the body that make every daily function possible. In women, estrogen is a dominant hormone that is responsible for reproduction and maturation. In men, testosterone is a dominant hormone that is responsible for sexual maturity. When these and other hormones are out of balance, treatments can be utilized to treat any problems.
Significance
Other than estrogen, progesterone is another dominant hormone in women. If this is out of balance, symptoms, such as hair loss, mood swings, water retention and osteoporosis where the bones become weakened, can occur. This often happens with menopause.
Andropause is the male version of menopause. Testosterone levels slowly decline and males can see symptoms like reduced sex drive, loss of muscle, low energy levels, lower self-confidence and insomnia.
Function
The main function of hormone treatments is to elevate, lower and balance out levels of hormones that are important for homeostasis of the body. This in turn stops the symptoms that were seen when the hormone was out of balance. These treatments are also directly used for specific conditions.
Prostate
The prostate is a gland found in the male anatomy that is about the size of a plum. It is found at the bottom of the bladder and it is responsible for the production of seminal fluid. When cancer develops in the prostate, hormone therapy is utilized to suppress the production of androgens which can stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Examples of these are anti-androgens, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone antagonists and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs.
Thyroid
The thyroid is a walnut-shaped gland that sits in the front of the neck. Hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid is overactive. Hypothyroidism is a condition where it is under active. Both of these conditions can cause symptoms like unexplained weight gain or loss, fatigue, constipation, sweating, nervousness and increased appetite. Hormone treatments are given based off of a person's size, age and any other medical conditions they might have.
Warning
Side effects of hormone treatments do exist. Women should not do hormone therapy for menopause if they have a history of blood clots, heart disease or breast cancer. The risk of developing breast cancer, stroke, heart disease and blood clots also goes up when estrogen and another hormone called progestin are taken together.
In men, hormone treatments can cause fatigue, weight gain, depression, elevated cholesterol levels, fragile bones and sexual dysfunction.
