Hormone Replacement Therapy Specialist

When Does Menopause Start?

Every woman has her own schedule when it comes to her reproductive system. Women who start to have their periods at a very early age may enter menopause on the same schedule. By the same token, if a woman doesn't start her period until she is in her late teens, she may not enter menopause until she is closer to her 50's. The general rule of thumb is that menopause starts between the ages of 45 and 50 and ends between 50 and 55. A woman's general health, level of stress, diet, and physical activity will play a determining factor in how long her menopause is. It will also determine the severity of her symptoms.

How Is Menopause Treated?

Menopause is not necessarily treated. Instead, it is endured as comfortably as possible, by treating the symptoms as they appear. Women can have a wide variety of symptoms that include hot flashes, headaches, night sweats, tender breasts, abnormal periods, cramping, and vaginal dryness. Doctors have several different medications and treatment procedures that can help to alleviate the discomfort associated with the symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy may be able to offset the majority of the symptoms by re-introducing estrogen back into the system. By increasing the levels of estrogen, the woman's body is brought back into the balance it was used to before menopause started.

Does a Woman Need HRT After a Hysterectomy?

A woman's need for hormone replacement therapy will depend on what type of hysterectomy she had, her overall general health, and whether or not her body is producing enough estrogen on its own. Women who have a partial hysterectomy may not need any hormone therapy at all. Women who lose all of their reproductive organs, however, may need to have some type of supplementation to help them maintain the appropriate hormonal balance. Although hormone replacement therapy is designed to bring the reproductive hormones back into balance, it causes a chain reaction that helps to stabilize other hormone reactions as well.