You have noticed a change in your mood, such as the onset of anxiety or depression · 3.Menopause is a natural and biological transition in a woman's life that marks the end of her childbearing age. In the United States, the average age of onset is 51 years, although it can occur in women's 40s. While some women have no symptoms when entering menopause, others may experience problems such as hot flashes and night sweats. Often, these symptoms can be alleviated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Hormone levels can affect the body's internal “temperature control”. As a result, blood vessels can expand and create a heat wave that causes sweating and reddening of the skin. Night sweats are also common in women during perimenopause or in the years before menopause. Everyone experiences mood changes from time to time, but during menopause, hormonal changes can make them occur more frequently.
The intensity of mood changes can make it difficult to carry out daily activities. When estrogen is lost during menopause, women may experience thinning of their hair. Of course, hair loss can be due to other causes, such as genetics, age, diseases, and nutritional deficiencies. You can undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT) if you have menopausal symptoms, including during perimenopause and after your periods stop (postmenopause).
If hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopausal symptoms make you feel sick, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help.
Here, Dr. Jennifer Howell, an obstetrician, gynecologist and certified menopause specialist, answers the most frequently asked questions about hormone therapy.
One of the most common reasons women request hormone replacement therapy is because of annoying menopausal symptoms, such as those mentioned above. From getting enough sleep to finishing work, these symptoms can make it difficult to perform normal tasks.These symptoms can even cause you to miss the opportunity to attend special events. If troublesome menopausal symptoms are disrupting your life, talk to Dr. Mohsin to find out if HRT can help. The benefits and risks of hormone therapy depend on your age, your menopausal symptoms, and any any risk factor you have.
If menopausal symptoms come back when you try to stop taking it and you decide that the benefits of HRT for your symptoms still outweigh the risks, you can keep taking it for longer. The benefits of menopausal hormone therapy may outweigh the risks if you start treatment before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause. People over 60 who start hormone replacement therapy have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and dementia, so they don't usually recommend hormone replacement therapy because the risks outweigh the benefits. You should also review the use of hormone therapy regularly with your healthcare professional to ensure that the benefits still outweigh the risks.
As you age, and especially after age 60, the risks of HRT may begin to outweigh the benefits. Hormone therapy also has some additional benefits: it prevents bone loss and reduces the chances of suffering a fracture. Research also shows that hormone replacement therapy has protective benefits against dementia and Alzheimer's disease. If you're under 60, have menopausal symptoms and aren't at high risk of breast cancer or blood clots, the benefits of hormone therapy are likely to outweigh the risks.
