Hormone Therapy For Early Menopause

Recent studies and researches have proved that hormone therapy (HT) is the best treatment for those who are suffering from early menopausal symptoms. If a woman has a uterus then this therapy should include both estrogen and progesterone since the latter gives protection against uterine cancer. Those who have gone through hysterectomy need only estrogen as a part of the hormone therapy.

This therapy not only gives relief from the symptoms but also acts as guard against osteoporosis. Many women are apprehensive of the hormone therapy because of the reports that these therapies increase the risk of cancer, cerebral attack and heart disease. Though it is partially correct, however, it mostly applies to older women.

Young women with early menopause in fact, get benefited from these therapies in many ways. Also it is seen that older women who have started this therapy within few years of menopause and are still under 60, do not have risks of heart disease. But if you have a history of heart disease or breast cancer and blood clots then the hormone therapy is not for you.

Since the risk of using estrogen increase with age, it is recommended that the lowest dose should be given for the shortest time possible to relieve the symptoms. Thus the women who suffer from early menopause which might be natural or induced the treatment can be continued till the women reach the natural menopause age. Then the doctor will reassess whether she needs to continue the treatment any further.

There are various types of hormone therapy used for early menopause. The most popular one is the systemic hormone therapy which is till date regarded as the best treatment for the early menopause symptoms. It has effects on various organs of the body and therefore it offers treatment for the whole body. It is available in various forms such as oral pills, lotion, vaginal ring, mist, gel, or patches that can be directly applied to the skin.

Those who suffer from symptoms like vaginal dryness or painful intercourse can use the direct application of estrogen cream or low dose ring to the vagina or vulva. This localized treatment involves lesser risks as the estrogen absorbed by body is much less in quantity. Another type of hormones which are used nowadays is bioidentical hormones. These hormones are so named, because these products have identical chemical structures as the hormones that are produced by the body. There are many bioidentical hormones present in the market that are approved by FDA which are safe for use. However, there are others which are not regulated by FDA and hence should not be used.