Articles on Menopause | Topics: menopause, menopausal
by Ulrike M. Underwood
Using Hormone replacement is considered the norm in today's society at large. The first thing women think about when they hear the word menopause is HRT. Menopause is not an illness but rather a very normal stage of the aging process in a woman, leading her out of her childbearing years. It is the physical changes and symptoms that can make a woman feel like she has a disease not to mention put her at risk for developing certain illnesses later on as she ages. Women need to make sure they know all of the information available on HRT today to make an informed decision for them. Not knowing what the issues are that concern HRT can end up causing some woman more discomfort and side effects then the menopause itself.
The hormones involved in the normal menstrual cycle and with hormone replacement are extremely complex and carry out many functions. Estrogen and progesterone are the two hormones that play the most critical role in a woman's physical and emotional state through out her life. Once menopause occurs the production of both these hormones goes down and the ovaries lose their function. This causes multiple physiological affects and changes in the body. The most common changes and symptoms are missed menstrual periods, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, increased risk of heart disease, and loss of bone density.
Hormone replacement is a full or partial replacement of the female hormones progesterone and estrogen into a woman's system once her ovaries have ceased their biological function. These replacements are available in several forms that include pills, skin patch, a cream that is vaginally inserted, or through injection at a doctor's office. The pill form of these hormones is taking in different doses through out the recreated menstrual cycle to mimic what the body would have been doing. Usually estrogen is taken daily through the entire cycle while progesterone is only taken in the later half. One the progesterone is stopped the menses begins and the HRT cycle is repeated. The actual doses will vary woman to woman and depend on the severity of symptoms as well as other issues. The patch is worn on the skin and hormones can pass directly through and not even have to be processed before they begin to work. This helps to lessen the side effects of the HRT in general. Vaginal creams are a great way to help solve vaginal dryness that can be quite irritating and cause painful intercourse. They do not help as well as other therapy types when it comes to other symptoms or prevention of menopausal diseases. Injection hormones are quite effective but can be a pain since more doctor appointments are required.
When considering whether HRT is for you really need to make sure you are fully aware of all the possible side effects and risks to your health before receiving treatment. It is important to know that using estrogen alone for women who still have their uterus is not healthy and can increase the risk of uterine cancer. For these women a progesterone supplement must also be in the mix to make sure that they get a menses each month. This sheds the uterine lining build up that the estrogen makes as well as reducing the risk of cancer. The risk of breast cancer is more prominent for those women on HRT of any kind verses the women who elect to not be on it. The studies thus far have been inconclusive with the majority of woman who now has breast cancer having been on HRT for more than 15 years. These are the same risks as for women on birth control as well. If a woman already has a form of cancer that has yet to be detected then HRT can cause its rapid growth. More common and less life threatening side effects of HRT are nausea, breast tenderness, cramping and weight gain. These can also be very annoying for a woman. Rarely, hormones can interfere with liver function and have also been associated with an increased risk of gallbladder disease in the women who use them. There are over 40 different combinations of HRT available, so if one doesn't work well for you there will be other options. You should try each method of treatment for 3 months before deciding if it's suitable for you. Possible side effects:
| Quote of the Day |
The menopause is probably the least glamorous topic imaginable; and this is interesting, because it is one of the very few topics to which cling some shreds and remnants of taboo. A serious mention of menopause is usually met with uneasy silence; a sneering reference to it is usually met with relieved sniggers. Both the silence and the sniggering are pretty sure indications of taboo.
| —Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929) |
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Nausea
Breast tenderness
Bloating, due to fluid retention
Headaches
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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Hormone Therapy for Menopausal Women – The Disadvantages" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by HealthExerciseSports.com. |
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