Menopause Treatment Helps to Alleviate Signs and Symptoms
When women aged between fifteen and forty-four experience the "Estrogen Crash" or an unexpected drop in the level of estrogen in their bodies, it leaves them in the throes of an early menopause. Though menopause is usually associated with older women, there are many young women who also experience menopause and, are thus caught unprepared to deal with the condition. The cause of an estrogen crash can be attributed to when a woman has her ovaries removed or it stops functioning all of a sudden, and thus causes the body to stop producing any more estrogen.
No Real Need for Medical Treatment
There is no need for medical treatment for menopause per se. Rather, menopause treatment focuses on alleviating the signs as well as symptoms and, also helps to prevent or reduce chronic conditions that are a result of ageing. The menopause treatments available include hormone therapy, low-dose antidepressants, Gabapentin, Clonidine, Bisphosphonates, selective estrogen receptor modulators and vaginal estrogen. According to research conducted on the use of hormone therapy as a menopause treatment, there is cause for concern regarding the attendant risks, which may outweigh its benefits.
Low-dose antidepressants may help reduce hot flashes by as much as sixty percent though by using such medications, one may have resultant side effects that include nausea, dizziness as well as sexual dysfunction. Gabapentin is a drug used for treating seizures and is usually used in managing chronic, nerve related pain. However, it has been shown to also dramatically reduce hot flashes though it also has side effects such as nausea, swelling, dizziness as well as drowsiness.
Other drugs that help in menopause treatment includes Clonidine, which is a pill normally used to treat high blood pressure but, it can also greatly reduce the number of times hot flashes occur but, has side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, constipation as well dryness of the mouth. Bisphosphonates are non-hormonal medications prescribed by doctors that help in the treatment of osteoporosis and, they can effectively lessen bone loss and also risk of fractures and, are used instead of estrogen in the treating of osteoporosis in women. The side effect can cause nausea, abdominal pain as well as irritation of the esophagus.
Another menopause treatment one can take is selective estrogen receptor modulators which are a group of drugs that mimic estrogen's beneficial effects on bone density and, is free of the risks normally associated with estrogen like having greater risk of uterine as well as breast cancer. This medication is not for those that have a history of blood clots and a common side effect is having hot flashes.
During menopause, women may experience dryness in the vagina and, to treat it, estrogen may be administered locally to release a very small amount of estrogen locally to vaginal tissue and, thus give relief from vaginal dryness, discomfort with intercourse as well as a few urinary symptoms. However, before taking this form of menopause treatment as well as other treatments, it is best to talk with a doctor about various options and their attendant risks as well as benefits.
