Hormone Replacement Therapy and Menopause
Menopause, the end of the menstrual cycle, is natural, and most women transition through it without major problems — but of course, not all do. Commonly, women going through menopause experience life-altering symptoms from mood swings, hot flashes, and insomnia that affect their physical and emotional well-being.
Some of the symptoms are caused by a sudden fluctuation in hormones like estrogen — the hormone responsible for periods — that signal the body to feel and do things that lead to negative symptoms. For example, the reduction of estrogen can cause the vaginal walls to become thinner, leading to pain during sexual intercourse.
Because of this, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been found to help many women in the Detroit Metro area balance their hormone levels and weather the season of menopause.
The Onset of Menopause
The average age of women who experience menopause (no period for a year) is just over 50, but the symptoms of menopause can occur years before the actual cessation of periods. This condition is known as perimenopause, and often signals the first symptoms like the following:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Trouble sleeping
- Mood swings
- Vaginal dryness
- Pain during sex
Menopause and perimenopause can have wider-reaching consequences as well, increasing a woman’s risk for osteoporosis or increased cholesterol levels. This means that finding a treatment for your inconvenient symptoms benefits more than just your daily lifestyle, but also your overall health.
What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Menopause and perimenopause can have wider-reaching consequences as well, increasing a woman’s risk for osteoporosis or increased cholesterol levels. This means that finding a treatment for your inconvenient symptoms benefits more than just your daily lifestyle, but also your overall health.
The first hormone replacement therapy formulations were simply estrogen by itself, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems. Now, however, bioidentical hormone treatments use a combination of estrogen and progesterone that’s natural to humans and therefore decreases the risk of negative side effects.
Hormone replacement therapy is a safe and effective treatment for menopause symptoms while also providing protection against systemic diseases such as osteoporosis.
What Are the Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy?
HRT has been proven effective in treating severe menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. HRT improved average symptom ratings by 40% in clinical trials, with some women reporting 75% improvement. Menopause symptoms often resolve within 90 days, and for many women, the use of HRT eliminates the need for estrogen replacement therapy.
Like many other nutrients and toxins in the diet, too much testosterone is a problem. This can increase the risk of blood clots or stroke. For people who start HRT after midlife, their risk of dementia goes up, but if it’s taken before midlife, this risk goes away.
Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy
HRT has been proven effective in treating severe menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. HRT improved average symptom ratings by 40% in clinical trials, with some women reporting 75% improvement. Menopause symptoms often resolve within 90 days, and for many women, the use of HRT eliminates the need for estrogen replacement therapy.
Menopause Treatment in Bloomfield Hills, MI
For more information about hormone replacement therapy and to get a personalized treatment for your menopausal symptoms, fill out our online contact form to schedule a consultation with Dr. Giancarlo Zuliani from Zuliani Facial Aesthetics, Bloomfield Township, Michigan.
