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Accidents Happen: A Guide to Children's Emergencies


Important Questions & Considerations: Female Hormone Replacement Therapy

For many women going through menopause, the body can no longer naturally produce female hormones (estrogen). As a result, women who lack estrogen may experience hot flashes and other undesirable menopause symptoms. To treat and reduce these symptoms, many doctors recommend hormone replacement therapy, which comes in the form of a medication, for those who are viable candidates.

Hormone Replacement Medication Options

There are several different options for hormone replacement medication, so it's important to meet with a doctor to determine which method is best for you. All of the medications available will help to boost estrogen levels in the body, which can help to reduce the occurrence of hot flashes and night sweats. Some of the more popular methods of hormone replacement therapy today include:

  • systemic hormone therapy (pill, cream, or patch)
  • lower dosage vaginal products (cream, tablet, or ring-form)
  • estrogen-progesterone combination

Generally, systemic options are best for treating menopause symptoms, whereas low-dose vaginal products and estrogen-progesterone combinations may be better suited for treating urinary symptoms.

Weighing the Risks

Like any other medication, hormone replacement therapy medications come with the inherent risk of side effects. It's important to be aware of these potential risks and to talk your specific health risks over with your doctor before deciding to go through with treatment. Some of the most common side effects of hormone replacement therapy medications include:

  • blood clots
  • stroke
  • increased risk of breast cancer
  • heart disease

Specifically, hormone therapy medications are known to make breasts appear more dense on mammogram readings, which can make the detection of possibly cancerous breast masses more difficult for doctors.

Are You a Viable Candidate?

Unfortunately, not all women going through menopause are ideal candidates for hormone replacement therapy. Specifically, your doctor will review your medical history and may consider you a viable candidate if you're in overall good health and experience some (or all) of the following symptoms:

  • mild to severe hot flashes or night sweats occurring regularly
  • you stopped having regular periods before the age of 40
  • you haven't benefited from other hormone replacement options
  • you went into menopause early or are showing signs of doing so

As you can see, there's a lot to consider when it comes to hormone replacement therapy as an option for managing your menopause symptoms. By keeping these considerations in mind and having an open discussion with your doctor, you'll ultimately be able to make the choice that's best for your health. Talk to your doctor, such as someone from Genemedics Health Institute, for more information.

About Me

Accidents Happen: A Guide to Children's Emergencies

One of the things I learned when I had children was that accidents can happen at any time. Unfortunately, my children's pediatrician was not always available when those accidents did happen. I had to learn what was considered an emergency and what could wait until the doctor's office was open. Knowing the difference and what to do in non-emergency situations can be confusing. That is why I created this blog. I wanted to provide other parents with a guide that helps them to understand when it is time to head for urgent care or the hospital and when injuries could be treated at home.