Hormone Replacement Therapy Benefits And Risks

Hormone replacement therapy has been helping women to find relief from menopause symptoms for over sixty years. It is the most effective treatment available for symptom relief. With any medication or treatment there are benefits as well as some risks and side effects. Below is a list of Benefits that women receive from hormone replacement therapy.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Benefits

  • Relief of Hot flashes and Night sweats
  • Decrease in vaginal dryness
  • Protection against bone density loss
  • FDA approved
  • Effective and quick relief within a few weeks
  • HRT is not a lifetime commitment

Hormone Replacement Therapy Risks

  • Heart attack
  • Breast cancer
  • Stroke
  • Blood clots

These risks were placed in a study testing HRT against a placebo and the results were close to matching. Many of the above risks are rare occurrences.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Side Effects

  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • Breast Tenderness
  • Weight gain
  • Vaginal discharge
  • Fluid retention
  • Headaches

Many of the above side effects are hormonal imbalance symptoms that are naturally associated with menopause and studies have not been entirely conclusive in the exact cause of each side effect.

Hormone replacement therapy can be found in three methods including pill/tablet, patch, and creams. Each of these methods delivers estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progestin. Progestin is a hormone that is knows for protecting against cancer of the uterus. This type of HRT is used mainly for women who have not had a hysterectomy and still have their uterus intact. It is up to your physician to know what is the proper dosage and duration for your specific treatment but it is suggested that the lowest dosage and duration be used to protect against any side effects or risks involved.

The symptoms associated with menopause do not have to disrupt women’s lives. There are effective treatments such as hormone replacement therapy available. It is best to read up on HRT and estrogen therapy so that you have a better understanding and can get together a solid selection of questions to discuss with your physician. It will be helpful to both your physician and yourself. It is better to be prepared with a list of questions and concerns since it can be an uneasy topic for some women. Once you are seated on the table in the doctor’s office the questions that were heavily on your mind can disappear like a puff of smoke. With knowledge and questions prepared your consultation with your physician will be a much more comfortable situation.

You will walk away with a peace of mind having your question s and concerns discussed and answered. This will assist you in creating a proper treatment plan, set your goals in place and discuss your health history for a safe transition into menopause. Take your time to search websites on the Internet or read over some very helpful books at your local library. Your physician may even offer you some pamphlets with such websites and even helpful menopause support groups. Menopause can be a very frustrating and stressful time in a woman’s life and support groups let you know you are not alone. You can find great safe and natural products online, such as HotFlashFreedom, to help you cope with your symptoms.