Ways to Decrease Your Menopause Symptoms to Live a Healthier and Happier Life

Systematic hormone therapy and low-dose vaginal are the two effective hormone therapy replacement options available to you.

Ladies, let’s face it — menopause puts a damper on the day sometimes.

So what can you do to effectively combat the growing terror of hot flashes, night sweats, bone loss and other problematic symptoms of menopause?

Everyday lifestyle adjustments and medically prescribed estrogen may just be the answer you are looking for to relieve yourself of those pesky symptoms and live a happier, symptom-free life.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Options

Women who experience premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency often benefit most from hormone replacement therapy. These two conditions are described as women who undergo menopause or loss their normal ovarian functions before the age of 40.

However, other women also experience benefits from hormone replacement therapy including:

• Women who experience moderate to severe menopausal symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats; and
• Women who have significant bone loss and need an alternative therapy.

If you don’t fit into any of the three categories, why is hormone therapy replacement not recommended for you?

In the 70’s to 90’s, doctors believed in the power of long-term systematic therapy for the treatment of menopausal studies. No clinical studies had shown negative effects — until one day, it did.

The clinical trial showed that women who used the menopausal treatment showed increased risks of:

• Blood clots;
• Strokes;
• Heart Attacks; and
• Breast cancer.

Women who were postmenopausal naturally also showed increase risks of uterus cancer without the use of progestin. This pill prevents the uterus lining from growing that cause potential cancerous cells to grow on the uterus from the estrogen alone.

Women who had a hysterectomy did not show an increase in breast cancer or heart attack in a similar trial conducted, but strokes and blood clots were still definitive effects of the treatment.

If you are looking to have hormone therapy, you will have two options available to you.

1. Systematic Hormone Therapy — Often given to women in a pill, patch, gel or cream form, the systematic estrogen is the most effective menopausal symptom reliever. Not only does the systematic estrogen prevent hot flashes and night sweats, but it also helps ease any vaginal issues you may be experiencing. This includes dryness, irritation and discomfort during intercourse. This also helps bone-thinning, decreasing the effects of osteoporosis.
2. Low-Dose Vaginal Products– Available to you in a cream, ring or tablet, low-dosage vaginal therapy provides relief for vaginal problems as well as urinary issues associated with menopause.

Systematic hormone therapy is more popular and effective than the low-dose vaginal issues. However, less problems were seen from the low-dose vaginal products versus systematic hormone therapy.

Other Ways to Reduce the Effects of Menopause

If you are looking for a more natural method of decreasing your menopausal symptoms, you can take several counteractive precautions to decrease the effects of the symptoms.

• Cool yourself off with a portable fan;
• Stay in cooler locations versus hotter ones to prevent hot flashes;
• Limit caffeine and alcohol consumption; and
• Practice breathing and relaxation techniques.

Staying in touch with your doctor for a biannual appointment and eating healthy are also great methods to prevent menopausal symptoms from taking over your life.