Should You Try Hormone Replacement Therapy During Menopause?
There are some lucky women who never go through the ill effects of menopause. But there are plenty more who are afflicted with menopause symptoms that interfere considerably with their day to day lives. Most of those women will reach a place where they wonder if hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is worth considering as a means to get some relief.
During menopause, a woman’s body ceases the production of estrogen. This creates an assortment of symptoms that are found in most menopausal women. Many of these might have an extremely negative effect on a woman’s everyday life. For that reason, many women opt to ease their discomfort by using hormone replacement therapy to replace the lost estrogen. But you should take into account the total picture prior to deciding. Whereas HRT can be a blessing for some, it can be a curse for others. Research reveals that it can keep your bones strong and help to prevent cardiovascular disease. However, it could also raise your probability of developing breast cancer. Additionally, it often leads to unwanted effects which could be very severe. Loss of memory, sleep problems and hot flashes are only a few of them.
There are two schools of thought on using hormone replacement therapy. It has been documented that HRT is an effective remedy in decreasing a variety of symptoms of menopause. Nevertheless, if you are not experiencing any obvious menopause symptoms, HRT might decrease your physical functionality and your levels of energy. A lot of women also choose not to use hormone replacement therapy due to the latent cancer risk which has been linked to this treatment. But other women, along with their health care providers, believe that the positive effects of hormone replacement therapy outweigh the cancer risk. This therapy seems to offer the promise of protection against osteoporosis and heart problems, and also improves the quality of life.
Lately, there have been reports of health dangers associated with some types of menopause medication. Women who have used the prescription drugs Premarin or Primpro may want to think about other choices. Or try a natural type of estrogen. Other natural means of easing menopause discomfort include eating right, managing stress and taking natural progesterone products. These remedies offer substantial relief for menopause symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes, and sometimes entirely get rid of them.
The effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy over the long term is being studied on an ongoing basis. But all too often the research comes to conflicting conclusions. So that leaves women in the position of determining whether or not the benefits of hormone replacement therapy outweigh the disadvantages. Ultimately, whether or not to use hormone replacement therapy is a decision you have to make by yourself.
Do you think you might be starting menopause? If so, you need to know what the symptoms are how to treat them. Visit the Menopause Symptoms site for the menopause help and advice you need.
