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For many years, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been the standard of care for women over 40 dealing with the well-known symptoms of menopause. As a woman’s estrogen levels fall as she approaches and enters menopause, it is very common for her to feel familiar symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. Medical experts now agree that HRT for women is the most effective way to treat menopausal symptoms. In fact hormone therapy for an help premenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal women.
As the name implies, hormone replacement therapy, or HRT for women, “replaces” or makes up for the female hormones her body no longer produces as she ages.
When it was first introduced, HRT was a welcome relief for women over 40. It was prescribed for many years by doctors as the standard of care for the hormone imbalances caused by age-related hormone loss in women. Then, it became controversial when, in the 1990s, there was a study called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) that indicated that there was a link between HRT and later development of heart disease or breast cancer. However, the study was flawed, and in the years since, it has largely been discredited. We now know that HRT not only does not increase these risks, but, in some cases, may even lower a woman’s risk of developing heart disease or her breast cancer risk.
Still, a lot of women remain confused about the safety of HRT. The truth is that hormone replacement therapy is the most effective treatment option available to help women overcome the sexual problems and other quality-of-life issues brought on by menopause.
Menopause, or the “change of life” can occurs any time after the age of 40. It is the time in a woman’s life when she is no longer able to have children. While the exact age of the onset of menopause can vary, it is technically defined as the point in time 12 months after a woman’s last period.
The time leading up to that point is known as perimenopause. It is during this time when a woman tends to start to experience the debilitating symptoms of menopause – hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, moodiness and irritability, pain during sex, and/or depression.
These symptoms are caused by the severe hormonal changes that occur once a woman’s ovaries are no longer producing eggs. During her child bearing years, the ovaries produce and release progesterone and estrogen. Just before, during, and after menopause, the production of these hormone significantly decrease. Woman’s bodies produce and also need testosterone. Testosterone levels also significantly drop once a woman reaches menopause.
In addition to the well-known symptoms of menopause, such as mood swings, night sweats, and hot flashes, menopause can also cause:
Some women can live with these symptoms, or they do not last very long. However, for most women, they can go on for years and severely impact their ability to enjoy life. For such women, hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, can be very effective in treating the most unpleasant and life-limiting symptoms of menopause.
You can usually start HRT as soon as menopausal symptoms such as night sweats and hot flushes are impacting your daily quality of life. However you will need to have your hormone levels tested before you can be prescribed HRT. Menopause comes at different times for different women. The average age right now in the US is 51. However, the most debilitating symptoms can occur as much as 10 years earlier. There have been some studies that say the younger you start HRT, the better your results may be. Ultimately, however, you are the best judge as to when it is the right time to speak to your doctor about the many benefits of HRT for menopause.
There are many benefits of hormone therapy for women over 40. HRT has been shown to reduce or eliminate the following menopausal symptoms:
Other benefits of hormone replacement include:
Even women otherwise healthy women who have not yet entered menopause can suffer from hormone imbalances. In particular, women over 35 who have not yet entered menopause are known to suffer from issues such as low testosterone.
Low testosterone in women can affect mood and sexual wellness, and a recent study indicates that it can also increase a woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Low testosterone slows fat metabolism and can cause a woman to gain weight. Low testosterone in women can also lead to common conditions usually associated with menopause such as :
Testosterone replacement therapy or TRT has been shown to have many health benefits for both pre-menopausal and menopausal women who may be suffering from low testosterone.
In addition to testosterone replacement, sometimes women may have a growth hormone imbalance and could also benefit from HGH replacement therapy. Women can sometimes be afraid of using HGH or testosterone because they think it can make them become too muscular or “manly.” However, that is simply not true, and when prescribed properly, growth hormone therapy or TRT for women can be just as positive as it can be for men.
One of the main reasons that HRT for women over 40 is so much safer now than it was during the time of the findings of the WHI is that today, we use bioidentical hormones. The therapies tested and studied under the WHI only used synthetic hormones.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) uses medications that are exact duplicates on the chemical and molecular level of those produced by a woman’s body. They are derived from all-natural sources and, therefore, are safer and better tolerated by a woman’s body. In fact, BHRT, as we prescribe it today, has been shown to reduce the chances of heart disease and breast cancer in some women.
Bioidentical hormones are the safest and most effective method we have to treat the most debilitating symptoms of menopause, such as mood swings, hot flashes, and night sweats.
In addition to the relief of sexual health issues and the other symptoms of menopause, bioidentical hormone replacement for women also has been shown to:
Recently published studies have concluded that properly administered and supervised bioidentical hormone therapy significantly improve even the most severe symptoms of menopausal and postmenopausal women.
HRT for women over 40 can be prescribed in a number of ways from hormone injections to skin patches. Our healthcare professionals will work with you to determine the best delivery method for your symptoms and lifestyle.
We want you to be able to make an informed decision about HRT for women.
With what we have learned about HRT, we are now much smarter about how and to whom to prescribe it. That does not mean that hormone replacement therapy for women is without possible side effects. However, when properly administered and overseen by certified professionals like those at Nexel Medical, HRT is actually quite safe.
At our clinics we look very closely at each woman as an individual, evaluate her symptoms, and hormone levels, and prescribe the safest and most effective treatment plan to get you back into y optimal hormone balance. By looking at every patients individual needs and unique medical history, we can minimize any potential health risks of HRT. We also minimize side effects by only prescribing the lowest dose of HRT that helps alleviate your symptoms.
Recent clinical studies have shown renewed evidence that hormone therapy is still the right choice for many women as long as doctors look closely at their overall lifestyles, risk of breast cancer and other factors. Please keep in mind that there has never been any evidence of an increased cancer risk from HRT in otherwise healthy women who do not have family history of cancer in women.
At Nexel we want to make your menopause transition as easy as possible.
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about HRT for women over 40 and the treatment of hormonal imbalances. But the truth is no woman should accept that she has to suffer or “live” with menopause or hormonal issues.
At Nexel Medical, our doctors specialize in providing the safest and most effective hormone replacement therapies so that women can keep enjoying all the things they love about life through menopause and beyond.
Now that you understand a lot more about the pros and cons of Hormone Therapy for Women over 40, why not Contact Us and find out more about the life-changing benefits of hormone replacement?
Does HRT for menopause cause weight gain?
No, in fact, because of the way that HRT can improve metabolism by helping to get your hormones back in balance, it can actually help you to lose weight!
Do symptoms of menopause ever go away?
Eventually, as your body adjusts to the changes in hormones, menopausal symptoms may get milder or go away completely. But that can take YEARS! Why suffer that long when you can enjoy the benefits of HRT and live practically symptom-free?
Is HRT necessary during menopause?
HRT is not “necessary” or “required” to treat menopause. You could choose to “just live with your symptoms,” but why should you when they can be alleviated safely and effectively with HRT?
Does HRT increase the risk of breast cancer?
There is some evidence that HRT is not indicated in women who test as genetically predisposed to breast cancer. However, to be clear, there have never been any studies that linked HRT to and increased risk of breast cancer, or any other cancers for that matter, in otherwise healthy women without personal history or family history of cancer.
Which hormones are checked for menopause?
The loss of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all can cause menopause symptoms. While not a direct cause of menopause, when your hormones are being tested, you may be checked for your growth hormone (HGH) level as well. HGH therapy can also help alleviate some menopausal symptoms.
Who treats menopause symptoms?
Any doctor licensed to prescribe medication can issue you a prescription for HRT. However, you should work with doctors like those at our clinics who specialize in age-related hormone loss and HRT treatments.
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