You may not want to think about it, but female sex hormone levels decrease as women approach mid-life. As time passes and you age, your ovaries will cease releasing eggs, which will cause your periods to stop and prevent you from being able to conceive a child. This perfectly natural process is referred to as menopause.
There are three primary stages to menopause, perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause. Perimenopause is the time period between the onset of menopausal symptoms and one year after you have your last period. Menopause is the stage that begins one year after your last period. Postmenopause consists of all the years that transpire after menopause.
In general, women typically experience menopause in their 40s or 50s. One study of women in the United States revealed that half of the women located in the U.S. go through menopause prior to reaching the age of 52.
Symptoms of Menopause
Many women experience symptoms before and during menopause although some don’t. Irregular periods are a sign that you’re in perimenopause and headed for menopause. During this time, it can be difficult to tell when you’ll get your period, how long it will last and how heavy or light it will be. Although it can be challenging to get pregnant during perimenopause, it’s not impossible since you’ll still have your period.
While irregular periods are a classic sign that you’re on your way to reaching menopause, they’re far from the only symptom. Here are some common symptoms women experience during menopause:
- Hot Flashes
- Night Sweats
- Sleep Disturbances
- Moodiness
- Forgetfulness
- Low Sex Drive
- Vaginal Dryness
- Drier Hair and Skin
- Weight Gain
- Reduced Bone Density
- Muscle Loss
- Depression
The Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy
The symptoms of menopause can drastically affect quality of life for many women. Luckily, hormone replacement therapy can help in most cases. Also known as hormone therapy, menopausal hormone therapy and estrogen replacement therapy, hormone replacement therapy is by far the most effective remedy for the symptoms of menopause.
Hundreds of studies have shown that systemic hormone replacement therapy can alleviate symptoms like bone loss and sleep disturbances. The main symptoms that typically cause a doctor to prescribe hormone replacement therapy are hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and the prevention of osteoporosis.
Types of Hormone Replacement Therapy
There are two kinds of hormone replacement therapy, ET and EPT. ET refers to a treatment plan that only involves estrogen. EPT refers to a therapy that employs both estrogen and progestogen.
Hormone replacement therapy is administered through two general types of products, systemic and nonsystemic. A systemic product circulates through your bloodstream while a nonsystemic product only impacts a specific part of your body.
Systemic HRT products are available as tablets, patches, gels, emulsions, sprays and injections. Nonsystemic products come in the form of creams, rings, and tablets.
Contact Passer Restorative Therapies
If you’re experiencing menopausal symptoms, there’s no reason for you to suffer in silence. Passer Restorative Therapies provides hormone replacement therapy that can restore your quality of life and make you feel comfortable in our own body again. Read about our hormone replacement therapy now and make an appointment with Passer Restorative Therapies today.