We had some information about hormone replacement therapy a couple weeks back, and we had a BSN nurse from Ohio send us some information that we thought would be a good idea to post here on the site.  We will break this up into two parts because it is kind of long… maybe the bad news first then the good news

Things To Know About Hormone Replacement Therapy

by Tamara Carmichael

Women world over dread the word “fifty”. While men get naughty at forty, women get confused at fifty! This age is the age when a woman experiences menopause. For many women, menopause is a dreadful period that is marked by hot flushes, profuse sweating, insomnia, vaginal dryness and mood swings. During menopause, a woman’s body undergoes great physical and mental changes as well. Diminishing levels of estrogen and progesterone cause a lot of problems for women. These hormones are not only responsible for the menstrual cycle but also protect them from serious diseases of the heart and the bone like osteoporosis. The modern day science has a perfect solution for these problems called the “Hormone replacement therapy”.

Hormone replacement therapy can be defined as replacing the natural hormones such as estrogen and progesterone with synthetically manufactured hormones. Hormone replacement therapy is a boon for women who experience the nightmarish symptoms of menopause. The benefits of HRT or Hormone Replacement Therapy are many. They include a respite from hot flushes, insomnia and vaginal dryness. It has also been discovered that Hormone Replacement Therapy can help prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, colon cancer and muscular degeneration or paralysis.

However like everything else hormone replacement therapy has a lot of risks too. There are many side effects such as atypical vaginal discharge, bleeding, headaches, fluid retention, swollen breasts and an increased risk of breast and endometrial cancer. These side effects have raised one of the most debated questions in the history of medicine. Is hormone replacement therapy safe? The answer from the umpteen researches indicates that synthetic hormone replacement therapy seems to be safe for a window of two to four years and not more. A longer period of synthetic hormone replacement therapy is full of questions and doubts. In such a scenario what is the alternative for a woman who is suffering from the symptoms of menopause?

Part 2 coming soon.

Sponsors