Is Hormone Replacement Therapy Right For You?

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Is Hormone Replacement Therapy Right For You?

Friday, February 20th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

There are some lucky women who never experience the ill effects of menopause. But there are lots more who have menopause symptoms that interfere greatly with their everyday lives. Most of these women will reach a point where they wonder whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is worth considering.

A woman’s body stops producing estrogen during menopause. This causes a variety of symptoms that are found in the majority of menopausal women. Many of these can have a very negative effect on a woman’s daily life. So some women decide to replace the lost estrogen through HRT in order to ease these symptoms. But you need to consider the overall picture before you decide.

While HRT can be a blessing for some, it can be a curse for others. Studies show that it can keep your bones strong and help to prevent heart problems. However, it can also up your chances of developing breast cancer. As well, it has been known to produce numerous side affects which can sometimes be debilitating. Loss of memory, sleep problems and hot flashes are just a few of them.

There are two schools of thought on using HRT. Studies show that hormone replacement therapy is very effective at easing many of the symptoms of menopause. However, if you aren’t having any noticeable menopause symptoms, HRT might lower your physical functionality and your energy levels.

A lot of women choose not to use HRT because of the potential cancer risk that has been associated with this treatment. But other women, along with their doctors, feel that the beneficial effects of HRT outweigh the cancer risk. HRT is believed to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, and improve overall quality of life.

Recently, studies have shown that certain kinds of menopause medication might have elevated health risks. Some women who have used the prescription drugs Premarin or Primpro might want to consider different choices. Or consider utilizing a natural form of estrogen.

Some natural methods of easing menopause symptoms include eating right, stress management and taking natural progesterone products. These remedies offer considerable relief for menopause symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes, and sometimes completely eradicate them.

The effectiveness of HRT over the long term is being studied on an ongoing basis. However, all too often the various reports reach conflicting conclusions. So that leaves women in the position of figuring out whether or not the benefits of hormone therapy outweigh the risks. In the end, you will have to make the decision yourself whether or not to use HRT.

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