What is menopause?
Menopause is a normal change in a woman's life when her period stops. That's why some people call menopause "the change of life" or "the change." During menopause a woman's body slowly produces less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This often happens between the ages of 45 and 55 years old. A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for 12 months in a row.How do hormones help with menopause?
- Reduce hot flashes
- Treat vaginal dryness
- Slow bone loss
Who should not take hormone therapy for menopause?
Women who...
Think they are pregnant
Have problems with vaginal bleeding
Have had certain kinds of cancers
Have had a stroke or heart attack in the past year
Have had blood clots
Have liver disease
What is hormone therapy for menopause?
Hormone therapy for menopause has also been called hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Lower hormone levels in menopause may lead to hot flashes, vaginal dryness and thin bones. To help with these problems, women are often given estrogen or estrogen with progestin (another hormone). Like all medicines, hormone therapy has risks and benefits. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about hormones. If you decide to use hormones, use them at the lowest dose that helps. Also use them for the shortest time that you need them.What are the symptoms of menopause?
Every woman's period will stop at menopause. Some women may not have any other symptoms at all. As you near menopause, you may have:Changes in your period--time between periods or flow may be different.
Hot flashes ("hot flushes")--getting warm in the face, neck and chest.
Night sweats and sleeping problems that lead to feeling tired, stressed or tense.
Vaginal changes--the vagina may become dry and thin, and sex may be painful.
Thinning of your bones, which may lead to loss of height and bone breaks (osteoporosis).
Who needs treatment for symptoms of menopause?
For some women, many of these changes will go away over time without treatment. Some women will choose treatment for their symptoms and to prevent bone loss. If you choose treatment, estrogen alone or estrogen with progestin (for a woman who still has her uterus or womb) can be used.What are the benefits from using hormones for menopause?
- Hormone therapy is the most effective FDA approved medicine for relief of your hot flashes, night sweats or vaginal dryness.
- Hormones may reduce your chances of getting thin, weak bones (osteoporosis), which break easily.
