What do you think of when you hear the word menopause? There’s a good chance that the word fills you with dread, worries about hot flashes, or maybe just a sense of relief because you won’t need to worry about birth control anymore.
John Whitfield, MD, offers hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women who are experiencing symptoms of menopause. You may not know what to expect as your body begins to produce fewer hormones, and the effects can be surprising. HRT can offer relief, but many women don’t understand the benefits or have been misinformed about the risks.
As you approach menopause your body begins to produce less estrogen along with a few other hormones. You may associate estrogen with reproductive health, but it’s crucial for many other bodily functions. For example, with less estrogen, you may experience symptoms such as:
Lower levels of hormones can affect your physical health, and dealing with all of those physical symptoms can take a toll on your emotional well-being. HRT can help.
HRT supplements your natural hormones with bioidentical hormones, reducing symptoms and providing all the benefits of natural hormones. Today, HRT uses a patient-centered approach based on your individual needs, ensuring maximum benefits with minimal risk.
A large study by the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) was released about 20 years ago. This study found that there were possible risks associated with HRT, particularly for breast cancer or heart attack. More recent studies have shown that those results were not applicable to everyone.
The WHI study included women who had been in menopause for at least 10 years. However, HRT is typically prescribed far earlier, either during perimenopause — the years leading up to menopause — or within the first few years of menopause.
The risk of developing breast cancer or heart attack may be higher for women who have been in menopause for a decade, the risk for women who are in the earlier years of menopause is much lower. The benefits outweigh the risks in many cases.
In fact, more recent studies have shown that “when initiated within 10 years of menopause, HRT reduces all-cause mortality and risks of coronary disease, osteoporosis, and dementias.”
Medical research societies, including the North American Menopause Society, agree that HRT is safe and effective for treating the diverse symptoms of menopause and for decreasing certain health risks, as long as it is offered at an appropriate age and the dosing is tailored to individual women’s needs.
The symptoms of menopause can disrupt your life, but HRT can help and significantly improve your overall quality of life.
The most important factor when considering any new therapy is your individual health and life. Talking to an expert like Dr. Whitfield can provide context. If you’re experiencing any of the indications of menopause, we encourage you to make an appointment to discuss your symptoms.
