How HRT Can Help After Menopause

Menopause begins 12 months after your last menstrual period, with an average age of onset of 51 for American women. It usually occurs naturally at some point in your 40s or 50s, but you may experience it sooner if you’ve had cancer treatments or a hysterectomy. As your ovaries stop producing eggs, estrogen levels fall dramatically, leading to the common symptoms associated with this time of life. 

Your menopause experience may be unique, with its own combination and severity of symptoms. Due to this potential complexity, treatment may be challenging, particularly when the effects of menopause interfere with daily living. 

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be the right choice for you. Contact our specialists at Dr. Kochert Pain & Health for a partner in the management of your menopause symptoms. 

Common signs of hormone deficiency

The classic symptom of menopause is hot flashes. While many women experience these, the strength and duration of episodes varies widely. Some women experience night sweats severe enough to disrupt sleep cycles, contributing to the negative health effects associated with sleep disorders. 

Other symptoms of low estrogen include: 

• Vaginal atrophy
• Urinary tract issues
• Weight gain
• Mood swings or depression
• Loss of breast fullness
• Thinning hair
• Dry skin

Some women also have discomfort during sex due to vaginal dryness. 

HRT benefits and risks

Supplemental hormone therapy remains the most effective way to address severe menopause symptoms for newly menopausal women. There are some statistical risks associated with HRT, but these typically apply to long-term, extended therapies, and to older women who start HRT later in life. In addition, studies suggest these risks weren’t conclusive. Menopause experts continue to agree that HRT remains safe and effective when appropriately prescribed. 

Most women who are recently menopausal and in good health can safely use HRT to manage a range of symptoms. The key benefits of HRT include treating the following conditions. 

Moderate or severe hot flashes

Estrogen replacement therapy is the most effective treatment for women adversely affected by hot flashes, which typically last between six months and two years after the start of menopause, though in rare cases they last longer or may be permanent. For most women though, HRT can safely be administered until after hot flashes stop.

Premature menopause

When menopause occurs before the age of 45, you may benefit from HRT to prevent certain conditions later in life, making up for the normal exposure to estrogen which your body otherwise misses. In this case, HRT reduces the risk of conditions like heart disease, stroke, and dementia.  Women can safely continue BHRT into later years of life as well.

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause

Vaginal and urinary problems may develop after menopause, and HRT can reduce symptoms such as vaginal dryness, uncomfortable intercourse, genital itching, urinary incontinence, and increased frequency of urinary tract infections. 

Osteoporosis

Though there are other medications used to prevent this condition that increases the brittleness of bones, HRT steps in when these are poorly tolerated or when they provide no benefit. 

Contact Dr. Kochert Pain & Health when the side effects of menopause interfere with your life. You can reach our office in Lafayette, Indiana, by phone, or you may use the online appointment request tool. Book your consultation today, and work with Dr. Kochert to determine the HRT solution that’s right for you.