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.