Hormones are important for our body because they carry information from one group of cells to another. When their production in the body is disrupted, not only can unpleasant sensations begin to trouble you, but the function of certain organs and the production of substances important to the body can also be impaired. Oestrogen is the best-known sex hormone, produced in the ovaries. Unfortunately, the level of this hormone in a woman's body fluctuates throughout her life and, over the years, inevitably declines. With age, ovarian function fades, less oestrogen and progesterone is produced, until finally the ovaries almost completely stop producing oestrogen. Most often (8 women out of 10) complain of increased sweating (especially at night) and hot flushes, and sleep disorders, insomnia and mood swings also occur. A shortage of this hormone encourages faster hair growth in unwanted places: the arms, legs and face. It also affects the skin and its condition, can cause heart disease and vaginal pain, and benign breast conditions begin to develop. Such symptoms particularly affect a woman's quality of life, so this problem needs treatment. Instead of enduring unpleasant symptoms, hot flushes, tearfulness and mood swings, and risking osteoporosis (a disease characterised by low bone mass and changes in the bones) or even its most dangerous complication – a spinal fracture – it's better to use hormone replacement therapy. Come and register for a consultation with obstetrician-gynaecologist Inga Rudzikienė!