Managing Hormonal Havoc Post Menopause

Menopause, just like the onset of menstruations in teenage, could be one of the most trying times of a female’s lifetime. But, unlike teenagers, a woman passing through menopause has very little espousal to bank on.

In such difficult times, resorting to a Hormone Replacement Therapy is not uncommon, which involves artificially boosting the levels of desired hormonesdefine

This treatment is essentially based upon the assumption that it will cease the discomfort caused due to reduced production of the hormonesdefine – estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body in her 40 something.

The Biology Behind Menopause

What happens during menopause is; a woman’s ovaries decrease the production of two basic hormones called estrogen and progesterone, which are responsible for making women what and how they are. This decline in hormones permanently ends menstruation and hence a woman’s fertility. This phenomenon is however accompanied by a host of other symptoms such as mood swings, hot flushes, urinary problems and vaginal dryness.

It is here that the hormone replacement therapy or simply hormone therapy as the most effective treatment for the unpleasant menopausal symptoms comes into picture.

Outsmarting Your Hormones

Hormone therapy although cannot be routinely recommended to treat the post menopausal symptoms, but those women who do administer estrogen for a short term, can overcome an assembly of other symptomatic conditions as well.
• Studies reveal that hormone therapy can prevent the loss of calcium thus avoiding the occurrence of osteoporosis.
• There is proof that risk of Colorectal cancerdefine also reduces.
• Some data suggest that small doses of estrogen when taken in the early stages of menopause can considerably reduce the risk of strokes in women. However, related studies are still underway and their results will take considerable time to be out.

Risks associated with Hormone Therapy

In the year 2002, a massive clinical trial was undertaken examining the effects of hormone therapy. This was called the Woman’s Health Initiative (WHI). Its findings reported that the therapy posed more threats and health hazards than benefits for women involved in the clinical trial. According to the study, women taking estrogen and progestin become more susceptible to blood clots, breast cancer and heart diseases.

This study further revealed that the absolute risk to a woman taking the hormones as an individual is quite low, but that to the menopausal women as a group is quite high. So, we can comfortably conclude that depending on your symptoms, you can always resort to the therapy, after consulting your gynecologist.

Who Should Stay Away from the Hormone Therapy

Women with a history of blood clots, heart disease or breast cancer should best stay away from hormone therapy for relief from post menopausal symptoms. It can be detrimental on their health. Further, even those women who are not going through menopause should avoid hormone therapy as a means of preventing memory loss or heart diseases. Instead, these women can consult their doctor with regard to an alternative medicine or lifestyle changes that when incorporated can help them fight against these conditions.

What Can You do to Protect Yourself If you Must Take the Therapy

There are various ways to reduce the inherent risks associated with hormone replacement therapy. If you have made up your mind to administer it, you can use one of a combination of following ways, in consultation with your doctor…of course.

- The risk of hormone therapy causing heart diseases increases only if it is administered after the age of 60 years. In fact, studies show that if the therapy is resorted to in the initial years of menopause, estrogen helps in considerably reducing the risk of heart diseases.

- Discover the best method of administrating estrogen. Estrogen is available in the form of gel, pill, patch, ring or vaginal cream. Depending upon the symptoms of menopause that you are going through, the doctor will recommend one of these methods to take estrogen.

- The mantra should be to take the smallest dose of estrogen, which is effective in curing the symptoms, for the shortest duration of time. However, if the problem persists, do not shy away from it. Doing so will only aggravate the whole issue.

One might reckon that commencement of menopause need not necessarily mean the onset of your doom. There are ways to address your specific problem/s, hormone replacement therapy being one of them. However, this therapy too may not be an out and out panacea for the issue at hand. It is therefore advisable to seek help of an authorized practitioner before taking the big step.