Menopause is often accompanied by hot flashes, lack of sex drive, and night sweats. To manage this, doctors recommend hormone replacement therapy – a treatment that introduces one to female hormones to replace the lack of estrogen in the body during menopause.
There comes a time in a woman’s life when hormones start to decline. Estrogen starts dipping after a woman turns 45 and enters the peri-menopausal stage followed by menopause in the mid-50s. Menopause is often accompanied by hot flashes, lack of sex drive, and night sweats. To manage this, doctors recommend hormone replacement therapy – a treatment that introduces one to female hormones to replace the lack of estrogen in the body during menopause. However, interfering with the normal functioning of hormones could have serious consequences. Read on to know more about what an expert has to say about menopausal hormone therapy and its side effects.
Dr. Gandhali Deorukhkar, Gynecologist at Wockhardt Hospitals, spoke about HRT and its possible negative effects.
“The importance of women’s health and the quality of life after menopause is increasing. The most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), which is also effective in preventing osteoporosis. MHT is an effective therapy that offers more advantages than disadvantages for women aged less than 60 years or who have had menopause for less than 10 years,” she said.
“Points to consider prior to initiating MHT include checking the indications and contraindications of MHT, which requires history recording, physical examinations, and other tests. Because the symptoms of menopause are varied, customized tests should be conducted for each risk factor based on the basic examination conducted according to the life cycle and family history of a woman,” the expert added.
The basic examination, which is a general examination conducted according to the life cycle, should identify lifestyles such as smoking and drinking habits; mental diseases such as depression; and family history for diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, endometrial cancer, breast cancer, liver disease, thyroid disease, cardiovascular disease, and venous thromboembolism via history taking.
In addition, the basic examination should include a physical examination for height, weight, and blood pressure as well as the pelvis, breast, and thyroid. Blood tests include tests for liver function, kidney function, anemia, and fasting blood sugar as well as lipid examination, followed by mammography, bone mineral density (BMD) test, pelvic ultrasound, and Pap smear screening. In the case of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), MHT can be used at least until the mean age of menopause regardless of symptoms.
Dr. Gandhali Deorukhkar
Consultant – Gynecologist
Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central
To book an appointment call: +918291101001
