Hormone Therapy For Women in Edinburg & Mission, TX
Hormone therapy is the process of replacing hormones that women lose during menopause. Hormone therapy (HT) is one of the many government-approved therapies for menopausal symptoms. Hot flashes, reduced sexual drive, mood changes, sleep issues, and vaginal dryness are some of the symptoms caused by lower estrogen levels during menopause. Discuss with Padmini Bhadriraju, MD, a board-certified doctor at the Catalyst Medical Group, whether hormone therapy is appropriate for you or not. For more information, contact us today or book an appointment online. We have convenient locations to serve you in Edinburg TX, and Mission TX.
Table of Contents:
How do you know if a woman needs hormone therapy?
What are the benefits of hormone therapy for women?
What happens to your body when you are undergoing hormone therapy?
At what age can you start hormone therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy is a medication that contains female hormones. During menopause, your body stops producing estrogen; medications are available to replace it and relieve symptoms. Hot flashes and vaginal discomfort are two of the most common menopausal symptoms treated with hormone therapy. In postmenopausal women, hormone therapy has also been shown to reduce fractures and prevent bone loss.
The primary goal of hormone replacement therapy is to replace the estrogen your body no longer produces after menopause. Estrogen therapy can be divided into two types.
In systemic hormone therapy, estrogen is administered in pill, skin patch, ring, gel, cream, or spray form and is absorbed throughout the body at a higher dose. You can use it to treat any of the common symptoms of menopause.
A low-dose vaginal product consists of creams, tablets, or rings that minimize estrogen absorption. Consequently, low-dose vaginal preparations are usually reserved for treating menopause-related vaginal and urinary symptoms.
A doctor will usually prescribe estrogen along with progesterone or progestin (progesterone-like medication) if you have not had your uterus removed. The reason for this is that estrogen alone, without progesterone to balance it, can stimulate uterine growth, leading to endometrial cancer. Progestin may not be needed if you have had your uterus removed (hysterectomy).
Symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and pain or itching during intercourse may indicate a need for hormone therapy. Low sex drive, irritability, mood changes, sleep problems, and bone loss can also indicate the need for hormone therapy.
Hormone treatment can help if you have moderate to severe hot flashes. Night sweats and hot flashes caused by menopause can be alleviated with systemic estrogen therapy.
Other symptoms of menopause can be treated with hormone replacement therapy. Menopause symptoms such as dryness, itching, burning, and discomfort with intercourse may be eased with estrogen.
Hormone treatment can help if you need to prevent bone loss or fractures. Osteoporosis is a bone-thinning disease that is prevented by systemic estrogen. To treat osteoporosis, doctors usually prescribe medications called bisphosphonates. If other treatments do not work or cannot be tolerated, estrogen therapy may help.
Hormone treatment can assist those experiencing early menopause or estrogen deficiency. Your body has likely been exposed to less estrogen than that of women who experience typical menopause if your ovaries have been removed surgically before 45, you have stopped having periods before 45 (premature or early menopause), or your ovaries have lost normal function before 40 (primary ovarian insufficiency).
You can reduce your risk of certain health conditions by taking estrogen therapy, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and mood swings.
In the body, hormones are chemicals that move through the bloodstream. Certain cells or organs are controlled by them. Hormone changes can interfere with specific body functions and cause side effects. Many body functions are affected by hormones, so hormone therapy can have a variety of side effects.
There are many side effects associated with different types of treatments and drugs. The body may experience symptoms associated with menopause if treatments prevent estrogen from being made or used by the body. Even on the same prescription, hormone therapy side effects can differ from person to person.
At what age you will start hormone therapy depends on several health factors. Staff at the Catalyst Medical Group will help patients determine whether hormone therapy is right for them. Women who start hormone therapy at 60 or older or after 10 years of menopause are more likely to develop these conditions. The benefits of hormone therapy seem to outweigh the risks if it is started before age 60 or 10 years after menopause. For more information, contact us today or book an appointment online. We have convenient locations to serve you in Edinburg TX, and Mission TX. We serve patients from Edinburg TX, McAllen TX, San Juan TX, Alamo TX, Pharr TX, Palmhurst TX, Mission TX, Alton TX and Palmview TX.