Here at We Are The City, we talk a lot about career issues. Today we’re going to talk about an important women’s health issue: the hormonal changes that occur as we age.
The truth is that more women are working longer and postponing retirement until later in life. This is true of women in the United States and in the UK, and there are several reasons for this, such as women changing careers and starting new careers later in life. Additionally, as of 2020, the state pension age is rising from age 60 for women, to age 66.
Unfortunately, postponing retirement does not postpone the natural changes that your body goes through as they age. This means that more women are going through menopause while they are still trying the juggle the responsibilities of career and family.
What is Menopause?
Most women of a certain age are familiar with the idea of menopause, and also have an idea of what it entails. However, what actually happens during menopause can vary greatly from one woman to the next.
Essentially, menopause is the period of time when your normal sex hormone production changes, which causes women to stop producing eggs and having periods. During menopause, women can experience a variety of symptoms, such as hot flashes, loss of sex drive, mood changes, and heart palpitations. The fluctuating hormone levels can also make women more prone to osteoporosis and uterine cancer.
Some women can experience severe symptoms for several years, while others might experience few symptoms and have a fairly smooth transition into the next phase of their lives.
Luckily, those who experience severe symptoms can use hormone replacement therapy to relieve their symptoms.
What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy uses bioidentical hormones to replace the diminishing estrogen and progesterone levels.
Estrogen is actually considered the more important hormone, because it is the one responsible for the majority of the symptoms. However, replacing estrogen alone can put women at greater risk for uterine cancer.
There are several methods for replacing female hormones, including pills and creams. However, the experts at Balanced Body MD, a hormone replacement clinic in Draper, Utah, recommend pellet therapy as the best, and most efficient method of hormone replacement. The pellets distribute the hormones more evenly throughout your body and unlike pills or creams, can be applied as little as once per year. You can read more about hormone therapy treatment on their website.
How Hormone Replacement Therapy Works
Hormone replacement therapy is not permanent. It is only intended to be used during the height of the menopause symptoms – a period of three to five years. During the therapy, the doctor might start you out at a specific dose and raise or lower the dosage as needed. However, as you near the end of the menopause phase, your doctor will gradually decrease the dose until you are no longer taking the hormones – a process also known as weaning.
Who Uses Hormone Replacement?
Hormone replacement therapy is available to almost all women experiencing the symptoms of menopause. The only exceptions are women who have a history of breast, ovarian, or uterine cancer; women with a history of heart disease, heart attack, blood clots, or stroke; women with untreated high blood pressure, and women with untreated irregular periods.
Whether or not you choose hormone replacement therapy can depend on the severity of your symptoms. However, remember that this is based on how you feel and not on how other women cope with the same symptoms. If you believe that you are experiencing the symptoms of menopause, make an appointment with your gynecologist or visit a clinic near you.
