Menopause Frequent Questions

What is hormone therapy?

Menopause is a year around the last menstruation. The symptoms, it can bring with them, because the ovaries’ ability to produce the female hormones estrogen and progesterone reduced and gradually ceases. It is especially estrogen deficiency, leading to discomfort.

The purpose of hormone therapy in menopause is to replace the hormones that the body no longer produces. Treatment consists in other words of drugsContaining substances which have the same effect as the body’s own hormones.

There are compositions which act only locally on the mucous membranes in the lower abdomen, and preparations having an effect in the body in general. It is important to distinguish between the two treatments. Local treatment with estrogen acts on the mucous membranes and overcomes example. Not hot flashes. It can be used by anyone with the exception of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Local treatment may continue as long as it should be – without risk.

Is there a need hormone therapy?

Some women have yet so much inconvenience that it may be well to relieve symptoms with general hormonal treatment. At the same time obtains a certain preventive effect against osteoporosis (Osteoporosis) in the period, taking medicine.

Some women reach menopause earlier than others, and some women who have ovaries removed because of disease, can come very early in menopause. In such cases, we usually recommend hormones until 52 years of age, which is the time when most women reach menopause.

The benefits of hormone therapy?

Most women who use hormones during menopause, do it to dampen the genes that low estrogen levels causes. A common annoyance is hot flushes that 4 of 5 women have, to varying degrees. It can be so bad that it interferes with nighttime sleep and social life. If you sleep very bad at night, it can affect mood and ability to concentrate during the day. Some also believe that depression may be a result of hormonal changes during menopause, but no scientific studies have proven this.

The low estrogen leads after some years to mucous in the abdomen becomes more dry and vulnerable. This can lead to irritation and soreness during intercourse and it can increase the risk of urinary leakage and urinary tract infections. This can be countered effectively with local estrogen treatment in the form of creams, suppositories, estrogen, or a ring.

After menopause women lose calcium in the skeleton faster than before menopause. Previously recommending that women should use general HRT for several years to prevent osteoporosis. However recent studies show that this therapy may be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, blood clots, biliary tract disease and breast cancer in older women. It’s a very small increase in risk but therefore recommend you now rarely hormones alone for this purpose.

How hormone protect against osteoporosis?

osteoporosis (Osteoporosis) is a condition of weakened bone structure and a higher risk of fractures. Estrogen deficiency increases the development of osteoporosis, and the supply of estrogen slows down the development. This takes place in that the estrogen increases the absorption of calcium from the intestine, slows the breakdown of bones and promotes the development of new bone.

The risk of breast cancer?

General treatment with estrogens for up to seven years does not seem to increase the risk of breast cancer. By using the combination of estrogen and progestin for a long time, there is a slightly increased risk. The risk is greater, the more years you are using medications. In combination therapy for five years is equivalent to the increased risk two to three extra cases per year per 1000 women aged 50-70 years. It is less than the risk by drinking two drinks of alcohol a day, smoking or being overweight. Without hormone will over 100 out of 1,000 women get breast cancer at some point in life.

On the positive side it has been found that women using hormones and breast cancer, have a better survival compared to other breast cancer patients. This means that although the risk of getting breast cancer is slightly higher, the risk of dying from breast cancer is not increased among these women.

The risk of uterine cancer?

Hormone therapy, which consists of estrogens, provides only for women who have had hysterectomies. Women who have not had hysterectomies have both estrogen and progestin / progesterone simultaneously. This treatment protects against cancer of the uterus, so women receiving estrogen + progestin has a lower risk than those who did not receive hormones.

Side effects of hormone therapy?

The side effects depend on the composition and vary from woman to woman. As a general rule, the compositions that only have local effects, no side effects, while the compositions having general effect may have side effects, depending on the dosage. For example. Be:

• irregular vaginal bleeding
• breast pain
• Increased fluid content in the body
• The growth of fibroids in the uterus
• Increased incidence of acne,
• mood swings
• Nausea

If you get these side effects, you get probably too high dose hormones.

Discontinuation

Duration of treatment varies from woman to woman. It is not possible to foresee how long the genes will last. If you use hormone medicine for the transition generation, one can decide for themselves when to stop treatment. You can stop abruptly. Withdrawal is not necessary. When you stop the treatment, you soon discover whether a gene is back. Do not use a treatment longer than necessary. Local treatment of mucosal problems can last a lifetime without risk.

Alternatives to hormone therapy?

There are really good alternatives for the relief of menopausal symptoms. If you do not want to take hormone replacement therapy with general effect, you can use products with local effect (usually creams or suppositories). These have a positive effect on dryness in the abdomen and the changes in the urinary tract but has no effect on hot flashes and osteoporosis. There are other medications that can prevent osteoporosis but have no effect on the symptoms of menopause.

There are several types of herbal medicines and alternative treatment for menopausal symptoms, but none of them has shown efficacy in biological experiments.