Menopause is a natural process in women that marks the end of a person’s menstrual phase. A woman is said to have been diagnosed after missing her menstrual period for 12 consecutive months ( mayoclinic.org , n.d) . Menopause can occur when a woman is in her 40’s or 50’s with the average age being 51 years in the United States. Symptoms indicating menopause range from emotional signs such as sleep disruption, lowered energy and physical symptoms such as hot flashes. Additional symptoms include irregular periods, vaginal dryness, loss of breast fullness, night sweats, weight gain and slowed metabolism. Effective menopause treatments include hormonal therapy and lifestyle adjustments.
Preventative care enshrine screening tests, triglyceride screening, colonoscopy and mammography (Segre, 2013). Depending on a patient’s history, a doctor may recommend thyroid testing as well as pelvic and breast exams.
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At age 39, one of my relatives expressed some concerns after she started experiencing irregular periods coupled with moderate hot flashes and vaginal dryness. After close examination and screening tests, the doctor also noted that the patient had lost bone mass. She reported missing her periods for 9 consecutive months. The doctor checked her ovaries and noted that she had lost normal ovary function due to premature ovarian insufficiency.
Hormone replacement therapy is ranked as the most effective menopause treatment alternative particularly in reliving menopausal hot flashes and vaginal discomfort ( mayoclinic.org , n.d) . The treatment is a medication that introduces female hormones such as oestrogen to replace the ones that a person’s body no longer produces.
Lifestyle home remedies to menopausal symptoms entail avoiding caffeinated drinks, spicy foods, stress, hot weather alcohol and regular exercises during the day to treat hot flashes. Patients can also, use water based lubricants, and moisturizers to alleviate vaginal discomfort symptoms ( mayoclinic.org , n.d) . Eating a balanced diet that includes variety of fruits, whole grains and vegetables as well as avoiding saturated sugars, oils and fats would be effective in reliving the patient’s hot flashes symptoms.
Some of the benefits (pros) that can be acquired from the HRT include prevention of bone loss and reduction of fracture among women in postmenopausal phase. Moreover, system hormonal therapy gives relief of troublesome hot flashes and alleviates night sweats. Uptake of oestrogen lessens vaginal symptoms including dryness, discomfort after intercourse, itching and burning (Sánchez ‐ Guerrero, González ‐ Pérez, Durand ‐ Carbajal, Lara ‐ Reyes, Jiménez ‐ Santana, Romero ‐ Díaz & Cravioto, 2007). Progesterone and estrogen combination treatment regime is critical in minimizing colon cancer risk with some studies asserting that when taken early, the hormone therapy can decrease possibilities of heart disease ( mayoclinic.org , n.d) . The estrogen therapy effectively treats vaginal and urinary symptoms. Balancing estrogen and progesterone inhibits uterus line growth thus decreasing risk of uterine cancer.
A combination of estrogen and progesterone to treat menopause pauses several risks to a patient. The health risks (cons) include possibilities of breast cancer, heart disease, increases stoke risk and blood clots (Segre, 2013).
Referring to the patient’s menopausal health history, I would recommend the patient (my relative) to take estrogen therapy considering that she started experiencing symptoms at 39 years. Failure to take the estrogen treatment would put her at risk of osteoporosis, earlier death as well as anxiety or depression. The patient should consider hormone therapy considering that she been diagnosed with loss of bone mass, hot flashes.
Personally, I would discuss systemic hormone therapy with my healthcare provider for advice regarding the best combination of estrogen and progesterone. This is because failure to seek medical assistance when taking the estrogen-progesterone combination may stimulate uterus line growth thus increasing uterus cancer risk.
References
mayoclinic.org (n.d). Menopause, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20353397
Sánchez ‐ Guerrero, J., González ‐ Pérez, M., Durand ‐ Carbajal, M., Lara ‐ Reyes, P., Jiménez ‐ Santana, L., Romero ‐ Díaz, J., & Cravioto, M. D. C. (2007). Menopause hormonal therapy in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis & Rheumatism: Official Journal of the American College of Rheumatology , 56 (9), 3070-3079.
Segre, E. (2013). U.S. Patent No. 3,733,407 . Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
