Hormone
replacement therapy (HRT), using estrogen and progestin supplements,
is considered as the most conventional treatment for
menopause and
is widely suggested by physicians. These hormones are taken in the
form of pills, patches, creams or vaginal inserts. Apart from relieving
menopausal symptoms, hormonal intake for more than 5 years also helps
in delaying osteoporosis, regulating cholesterol levels, improving
memory and protecting against heart disease. There are various other
benefits of estrogen therapy including decreased risk of occurrence
of certain diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s
disease, colorectal cancer, insulin resistance, muscular degeneration
and cataract.
Along with the advantages, there are certain associated side-effects
of HRT. These include revival of periods, excessive bleeding from vagina,
headache, nausea, increased weight, excessive fluid retention, enlargement
of uterine fibroids and spotty darkening of the skin.
However, there are several controversies surrounding estrogen replacement
therapy. Scientific findings have suggested that excessive intake of
estrogen would lead to life-threatening diseases such as breast cancer,
endometrial cancer in women, development of asthma, increased risk
of stroke, deep vein thrombosis, abnormal blood clotting, endometrial
hyperplasia and increased risk of gall bladder disease.
Alternative therapies can be explained as treatments that need to
be verified scientifically but have been testified by several people.
The most commonly used alternative therapy is natural therapy using
herbal extracts of plants such as Remifemin, snake root, bugbane, black
snake root and rattleweed.
Adjunctive therapy involves use of approaches that are supported through
scientific data and are used in addition to conventional therapies.
