Hormone Therapy for Women Q&A

A hormone replacement therapy is a medication that contains female hormones. During menopause, your body stops producing estrogen, medications are available to replace it and relieve symptoms. Hot flashes and vaginal discomfort are two of the most common menopausal symptoms treated with hormone therapy. In postmenopausal women, hormone therapy has also been shown to reduce fractures and prevent bone loss.

The primary goal of hormone replacement therapy is to replace the estrogen your body no longer produces after menopause. Estrogen therapy can be divided into two types.

In systemic hormone therapy, estrogen is administered in pill, skin patch, ring, gel, cream, or spray form, and is absorbed throughout the body at a higher dose. You can use it to treat any of the common symptoms of menopause.

A low-dose vaginal product consists of creams, tablets, or rings that minimize estrogen absorption. Consequently, low-dose vaginal preparations are usually reserved for treating menopause-related vaginal and urinary symptoms.

A doctor will usually prescribe estrogen along with progesterone or progestin (progesterone-like medication) if you have not had your uterus removed. The reason for this is that estrogen alone, without progesterone to balance it, can stimulate uterine growth leading to endometrial cancer. Progestin may not be needed if you have had your uterus removed (hysterectomy).

Symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and pain or itching during intercourse may indicate a need for hormone therapy. Low sex drive, irritability, mood changes, sleep problems, and bone loss can also indicate the need for hormone therapy.

Hormone treatment can help if you have moderate to severe hot flashes. Night sweats and hot flashes caused by menopause can be alleviated with systemic estrogen therapy.

Other symptoms of menopause can be treated with hormone replacement therapy. Menopause symptoms such as dryness, itching, burning, and discomfort with intercourse may be eased with estrogen.

Hormone treatment can help if you need to prevent bone loss or fractures. Osteoporosis is a bone-thinning disease that is prevented by systemic estrogen. To treat osteoporosis, doctors usually prescribe medications called bisphosphonates. If other treatments do not work or cannot be tolerated, estrogen therapy may help.

Hormone treatment can assist while experiencing early menopause or estrogen deficiency. It is likely that your body has been exposed to less estrogen than that of women who experience typical menopause if your ovaries have been removed surgically before 45, you have stopped having periods before 45 (premature or early menopause), or your ovaries have lost normal function before 40 (primary ovarian insufficiency).

You can reduce your risk of certain health conditions by taking estrogen therapy, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and mood swings.

In the body, hormones are chemicals that move through the bloodstream. Certain cells or organs are controlled by them. Hormone changes can interfere with specific body functions and cause side effects. Many body functions are affected by hormones, so hormone therapy can have a variety of side effects.

There are many side effects associated with different types of treatments and drugs. The body may experience symptoms associated with menopause if treatments prevent estrogen from being made or used by the body. Even on the same prescription, hormone therapy side effects can differ from person to person.

What age you will start hormone therapy varies on several health factors. Staff at the G Spa will help patients determine whether hormone therapy is right for them. Women who start hormone therapy at 60 or older or after 10 years of menopause are more likely to develop these conditions. The benefits of hormone therapy seem to outweigh the risks if it is started before age 60 or 10 years after menopause. For more information, call us or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 490 Post St, Suite 1703, San Francisco CA 94102. We serve clients from San Francisco CA, Oakland CA, Pacifica CA, Brisbane CA, Millbrae CA, and San Francisco Bay Area CA.