I have changes in hormones due to aging

I see a lot of women who have changes in hormones due to aging. Many have either been on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or are advised to do so by their physician, yet very, very few of them have ever had their hormone levels tested. It is truly unbelievable when you consider that these tests are readily available today through blood analysis, and more accurately and cost effective, through saliva testing too. However, most physicians are just going by the symptoms that the woman reports: hot flashes, vaginal dryness, fatigue, “not feeling herself,” etc. The synthetic hormones have been shown to be extremely harmful, and even natural “bioidentical” hormones can cause health problems too. With the dramatic increase in breast cancers, and the link between both breast and ovarian cancers with estrogens, you should be very careful and well informed. Most often once the hormone levels are tested, a woman who has been taking either estrogen or an estrogen compound is found to have extremely high levels of these hormones. Most women who actually require hormone replacement therapy are told to take estrogen however more often than not they are in need of progesterone (which can convert into estrogen, but estrogen cannot convert into progesterone). Many women do not require hormone replacement at all. Either way, changes in diet and lifestyle are necessary so the body can make the necessary estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels needed at ANY time throughout your life.