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Article Series: Menopause
Menopause Symptoms and Relief
Menopause:
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Menopause can sometimes bring with it uncomfortable changes
to a woman’s body, and this new development often results
in women turning to hormone replacement therapy for help.
Hormone replacement therapy used to be the norm for
women seeking relief for menopausal symptoms, but some recent studies
sensationalized by the media suggested that the adverse effects
resulting from hormone replacement therapy might outweigh
the benefits. The studies have since received widespread
criticism, but the question remains if hormone replacement
therapy is both suitable and beneficial for the majority
of menopausal women. A dozen doctors will probably tell you
a dozen different things, but it all essentially boils down
to each woman’s particular situation.
Hormone
replacement therapy consists of two hormones: estrogen
and progestogen. Women who have an estrogen deficiency will
notice several changes with the onset of menopause, including
hot flashes, vaginal changes, loss of interest in sex, and
a general change in their mental outlook such as poor memory,
gloominess, and irritability. Hormone replacement therapy is
designed to alleviate these symptoms, and for the majority
of women it works quite well with very few side effects.
For some women, hormone replacement therapies are introduced
in the Perimenopausal stage in conjunction with birth control.
This means that if you are noticing some of the symptoms noted
above but still have your period, you may indeed be a candidate
for hormone replacement therapy.
It can be administered any number of ways similarly to birth
control such as orally, vaginally, or implanted. Women who
have certain preexisting conditions, such as diabetes, should
avoid oral therapies but can utilize other methods. Dosage
should always start at the lowest dose to first see how the
woman’s body reacts, and then slowly increase the dosage as
needed to ease symptoms. It is important to note that once
hormone replacement therapy is stopped, the symptoms you were
treating may come back in full force.
For some women, hormone replacement therapy can help prevent
certain ailments that they may a genetic predisposition towards
or otherwise be at risk of developing. Hormone replacement
therapy can help prevent osteoporosis, but this benefit stops
when the treatment stops. If the only reason a woman is considering
hormone replacement therapy is because she is at risk for osteoporosis
there are better preventative treatments that can be used instead.
Hormone replacement therapy may also lower the incidence of
Alzheimer’s in women under age seventy-five, and in some cases
can help prevent colon cancer. Currently there is a hot debate
in the medical community as to whether hormone replacement
therapy can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some
researchers are of the opinion that there are better ways to
reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease instead of relying
on hormone replacement therapy.
Hormone
replacement therapy does raise the risk for certain ailments. The risk of developing breast cancer while taking
hormone replacement therapy is higher than normal in the first
few years of therapy, but five years after the woman stops
taking hormone replacement therapy the risk returns to normal.
The rate of venous thromboembolism, which is when a dislodged
blood clot blocks a blood vessel, is higher during the first
year of hormone replacement therapy. Utilizing estrogen-only
therapy for over ten years may result in a higher likelihood
of developing ovarian cancer. Research also suggests that hormone
replacement therapy may result in a higher likelihood of incontinence,
but this research was conducted on menopausal women with heart
disease.
For women not wanting to delve into a hormone replacement
therapy program there are several excellent holistic approaches
that can be used instead. Lifestyle changes such as regular
exercise, a healthy diet, and taking herbal supplements can
reduce some of the discomfort associated with menopause, but
these healthy habits generally need to be accomplished at a
regular rate in order to reap the benefits.
Your health care professional is the best person to talk to
in order to find out if hormone replacement therapy is right
for you. Your doctor will discuss your prior health history
along with current concerns and discomforts, and then work
with you to create a therapy program that will help you feel
a little more like your old self again.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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