For
years people have been told that hormone therapy can
help to improve your quality of life whilst going through
the menopause. Nobody likes the menopause with hot flushes,
night sweats and mood swings to contend with! So, when
news spread that hormone therapy was great for controlling
these nightmare symptoms, it was no wonder that many
women jumped at the chance to take part in it. However,
now new studies have been conducted which contradict
what experts originally said. So can hormone therapy
really help or is it just a theory that somebody came
up with?
The
Doubts about Hormone Therapy
The
trial that has caused an uproar regarding just how effective
hormone therapy is during the menopause was conducted
within Estonia. The study was done by gathering a group
of individuals to undergo hormone replacement therapy
and a control group who would receive a sugar -pill.
The tests claim to show that there were no real differences
between the two groups as the study was conducted. However,
there were benefits for women who usually complained
of hot flushes and night sweats.
So
what about other effects, just how did they measure
up? Well, the tests showed that the women who were using
hormone therapy had slightly higher risks of various
illnesses. Cerebral circulatory diseases, cancer and
cardiovascular disease were found in more women who
were using hormone therapy than the women who were not.
So, even though the risks were only slightly higher,
it is still something that needs to be kept in mind.
The
Advantages of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Despite
there being some disadvantages regarding hormone replacement
therapy, there were actually some advantages too. For
example, people who did experience night sweats and
hot flushes did see an improvement in their symptoms
once they were using hormone therapy. This is obviously
great news for them as those particular symptoms can
be a nightmare to cope with. Another health benefit
was that the group who were using hormone therapy had
less fractures than those who did not use it and that
could mean that it helps to protect against Osteoporosis.
So,
although there are disadvantages to hormone therapy,
there are still some good advantages too. As with everything,
there are both positive and negative factors.
Everyone is different and what works for one person
may not necessarily work for the next. However, unless
you try something you never know so do not dismiss hormone
therapy completely – ensure that you have all
the facts that you need and make your mind up form there.
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