Content
- Than menopause threatens
- When to see a doctor
- The goal of hormone therapy
- Competent approach to therapy
- Side effects and contraindications
- The benefits of estrogen pills
With the advent of menopause and a decrease in estrogen levels, many women experience a lot of discomfort. Some let the situation take its course and continue to suffer from the effects of hormonal changes. The rest take hormonal drugs for menopause, switch to the correct diet and follow all the recommendations of the gynecologist. The result is obvious: those who love suffering age quickly and acquire a whole bunch of incurable diseases. While their adequate peers flaunt radiant skin, and enjoy every day. Is it really the merit of hormones? Let's figure it out together.
Than menopause threatens
About a third of a modern woman's life is deficient in sex hormones. This is not surprising, because the decline in estrogen levels begins at age 35 and rapidly accelerates after age 40. So the first signs of reproductive decline "debut" long before menopause.
Menopause manifests itself in different ways: someone just gets off the menstrual cycle, and someone suffers from nighttime hot flashes and sudden surges in blood pressure. In many ways, the condition of a woman is due to the stage of the climacteric syndrome:
- Early. Unstable psycho-emotional state, hot flashes, turning into chills, etc.
- Average. The skin becomes dry, thinner, covered with a network of wrinkles, bone tissue becomes thinner, mucous membranes lose elasticity, etc.
- Late. Pathologies of a neurodegenerative nature develop, leading to the death of nerve cells.
The feasibility of replenishing the estrogen deficiency depends on the presence of characteristic symptoms and the results of a woman's examination. Here is a list of indications for menopausal hormone prescribing:
- a decrease in the level of estradiol, an increase in FSH, LH (simultaneously);
- systematic hot flashes: excessive activity of sweat glands, sudden surges in blood pressure, dizziness, etc.;
- increased excitability, causeless irritability, nervousness;
- depression, unstable psychoemotional state, sleep disturbances;
- urogenital dystrophy, sexual dysfunction;
- premature or early menopause;
- decrease in intellectual abilities: memory impairment, inability to concentrate, etc.
Menopausal disorders, let go by themselves, make a woman vulnerable to all kinds of pathological conditions. Moreover, at the late stage of climacteric syndrome, the risk of the formation of tumor processes increases.
Osteoporosis becomes one of the main problems in menopause. This is why most women over the age of 50 get fractures in a way where the younger ones get off with a slight fright. Fortunately, the problem is not insoluble.
Doctors assure that correctly selected hormonal drugs inhibit the process of bone tissue destruction.
When to see a doctor
After 40 years, a woman should be more careful about her health so as not to miss the "first bells" of the impending menopause. The reason for contacting a gynecologist should be:
- chronic fatigue, weakness throughout the body;
- systematic headaches with tinnitus;
- muscle, joint pain, decreased mobility;
- itching in the vagina, uncomfortable (painful) sensations during intercourse;
- frequent urge to urinate (some have urinary incontinence);
- insomnia, frequent nocturnal awakenings;
- an increase in fat in the waist area (the appearance of a tummy, sides).
In some, menopause occurs without pronounced symptoms and the woman does not even know that her body is on the verge of aging. But such lucky women are few. Basically, hormonal fluctuations do not pass without leaving a trace, affecting the state of the whole organism. Constant changes in health and mood, as well as uncomfortable sensations poison life, turning a woman into a "wreck". And if climacteric syndrome develops, numerous health problems are pouring in like a cornucopia. Most often, the following factors lead to the development of severe menopause:
- genetic predisposition;
- complications during childbirth or severe pregnancy;
- overweight (obesity);
- sedentary (sedentary) lifestyle;
- the presence of bad habits, etc.
Hormonal drugs during menopause will smooth out the consequences of a lack of estrogen and progesterone. Their reception will have a positive effect on the well-being and appearance of a woman. The skin will not quickly dry out and become covered with deep wrinkles, the curls will retain their shine, and the nails will retain their strength.
Many women refuse to take pharmaceutical preparations to normalize hormonal levels and switch to herbal hormones during menopause. Firstly, it is more pleasant to make up for the lack of estrogen with the help of garlic, peaches or sesame seeds, and secondly, it is a little safer. The approach is competent, but not always effective. The fact is that herbal medicine works only if the climax is easy and painless. In the event of menopausal syndrome, natural hormones for menopause are useless for women and it is unsafe to refuse HRT.
The goal of hormone therapy
The main task of hormonal therapy in menopause is the partial replenishment of deficient sex hormones. For this, the minimum permissible dosages of hormonal drugs are used, which can improve the general condition of patients, and ensure the prevention of complications. An adequate approach to treatment allows you to increase life expectancy and improve its quality.
Only the doctor knows which hormones are best for his patient with menopause. The therapy is selected individually for each case. Moreover, the name and dosage of the prescribed drug depend on preferences, age, duration of postmenopause, risk of venous thromboembolism, stroke, presence / absence of the uterus, etc.
Before you "sit down" drugs for menopause, it is important to understand that this is only part of the strategy, which includes lifestyle correction, physical activity, rejection of bad habits, enrichment of the diet with vegetable hormones.
Competent approach to therapy
It is impossible to give a definite answer to the question: what hormones to drink after confirming menopause. Hormonal pills, pills, patches or suppositories are taken strictly according to the instructions and scheme developed by the doctor for a particular case. This not only increases the effectiveness of therapy, but also reduces the risk of complications.
Ignoring the help of a specialist, and taking drugs recommended by a friend, neighbor or a seller in a pharmacy, you are unlikely to improve your condition. On the contrary, the uncontrolled use of hormones can provoke the formation and development of oncological pathologies.
According to research, 5 out of 1,000 women taking hormonal drugs develop breast cancer. The risk of a tumor increases under the following conditions:
- bad habits;
- overweight;
- inactivity;
- late menopause (after 55 years);
- genetic predisposition.
Scientists say that hormones by themselves cannot cause the appearance of malignant cells, they only accelerate the development of those that are already in the body. Are statistics lying? The fact is that many people do not even know about the presence of a problem, and diagnostic measures do not always reveal small neoplasms the first time. Therefore, do not take risks and before drinking hormonal pills with menopause, undergo detailed diagnostics.
Side effects and contraindications
A significant minus of hormonal drugs is that their intake is almost always accompanied by side effects:
- headache, lumbar pain;
- swelling of the mammary glands;
- swelling;
- thrush;
- dyspeptic disorders: nausea, bloating, exacerbation of pancreatitis;
- allergic reactions;
- an increase in the volume of vaginal secretion.
What can happen with uncontrolled intake:
- growth of a tumor in the uterus or breast;
- rejection of contact lenses;
- varicose veins of the lower extremities;
- exacerbation of liver ailments, pathologies of the gallbladder;
- resumption of menstruation, accompanied by PMS;
- decrease / increase in body weight.
It is generally accepted that HRT leads to the acquisition of extra pounds and with menopause, women are asked to prescribe hormonal drugs that do not cause weight gain. This is a misconception, because studies have shown that the appearance of body fat during menopause has nothing to do with taking hormonal drugs. Weight gain in menopause, as well as an increase in blood pressure or sweating, is associated with a decrease in estrogen levels. And correctly selected HRT allows you to maintain weight or reduce it.
It is better to refuse hormone replacement therapy for menopause under the following conditions:
- Intolerance to the components of the drug.
- Uterine bleeding of unexplained etiology.
- Tumor processes in the body.
- Liver failure, hepatitis.
- The tendency to form blood clots.
There are also conditional contraindications (when the intake of hormonal drugs can be allowed by the attending physician). These include:
- fibroids;
- endometriosis;
- epilepsy;
- genetic predisposition to the occurrence of tumors, thrombus formation;
- the presence of stones in the biliary tract.
Important! A woman taking estrogen drugs should visit her gynecologist at least 2 times a year. This will allow keeping the patient's condition under control, and, if necessary, adjust the treatment in a timely manner.
The benefits of estrogen pills
According to the survey data, the specialist chooses hormonal drugs for the treatment of menopause from the following groups:
- Pure estrogen - Klimara, Klymen, Livial.
- A combination of estrogen: progesterone - Climodien, Angelique, Pauzogest, Cyclo-Proginova.
If there are contraindications, phytoestrogens (a plant substance with an estrogen-like effect) are recommended for a woman.
With the onset of menopause, hormones help improve the quality of life. More specifically:
- remove the exhausting symptoms of climacteric syndrome;
- normalize libido (improve the quality of intimate life);
- improve performance;
- improve the appearance.
Timely administration of HRT supports the functionality of all organs and systems, reduces the risk of developing senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease. The main thing is not to be late with treatment. Over the age of 60, HRT will have the opposite effect.
If there are no restrictions, treatment is continued for up to 5 years (patients with a removed uterus require a longer course). The duration depends on the composition of the medicine and the condition of the woman. After a persistent decrease in the symptoms of menopause, the dosages are reduced, and then the drug is canceled altogether.
In many ways, the condition of a woman with menopause is due to the qualifications of her gynecologist. A competent doctor will definitely select the appropriate HRT aimed at maintaining the patient's health. Strictly follow the treatment regimen, undergo a preventive examination at least once every 6 months and be healthy.