When a woman reaches menopause, this means her menstrual cycles have ended and she is no longer able to bear children. Unfortunately, the journey leading to and through menopause is not always a smooth one.
This is because with menopause comes a reduction in certain hormones, and this can lead to a variety of symptoms, such as night sweats and vaginal dryness. If you’re going through menopause, hormone replacement therapy may be able to help you. Hormone replacement therapy replenishes the hormones you’ve lost, which can help alleviate your symptoms.
In this blog, the experienced gynecology team at The Guirguis Obstetrics & Gynecology Group explain what hormone replacement therapy is and how it may be able to help you.
Women can begin their menopause transition as early as their late 30s. During this transition, known as perimenopause, estrogen and other reproductive hormone levels begin to decline.
This decline is typically not a smooth or steady one, and as a result, you may experience a wide range of negative symptoms. Among the symptoms you may experience are the following:
Perimenopause-related symptoms can last as long as 10 years before you enter your post-menopausal years. Some women pass through menopause without any noticeable symptoms, while others can experience symptoms severe enough to disrupt their life.
If you can no longer function because of severe menopause symptoms, the team at The Guirguis Obstetrics & Gynecology Group can find out if hormone replacement therapy is right for you.
Hormone replacement therapy focuses on restoring your natural reproductive hormone levels with synthetic estrogen and progesterone. By increasing and stabilizing your hormone levels, you can find significant relief from your symptoms soon after treatment starts.
The hormones used in your therapy can be given in a number of ways, including the following:
These methods steadily deliver hormones into your bloodstream to help keep you symptom-free.
Hormone therapy is a highly effective way to alleviate severe symptoms of menopause. However, not every woman is a candidate. For example, if you have a history of blood clots or cancer, or if you currently smoke, hormone therapy may not be recommended.
Your doctor at The Guirguis Obstetrics & Gynecology Group will spend time evaluating your medical history to ensure hormone therapy is the best course of treatment.
If you’re a good candidate for hormone replacement therapy, your provider will monitor your progress and make changes to the dosage if needed. When you no longer need hormone replacement therapy, your provider will safely taper off your treatment.
To learn more about hormone replacement therapy and to see if it may be able to help you, book an appointment online or over the phone with The Guirguis Obstetrics & Gynecology Group today.
