Menopause is a word most women don't like to hear. It represents growing older, becoming infertile, and having to figure out treatment. Plus, there are so many menopause treatment myths, it's hard to know what really works.
Well, the good news is that menopause is treatable. Despite all the misinformation out there, women can transition naturally and end up feeling stronger than ever before. But first, let's take a look at a few menopause treatment myths.
Myth: Estrogen Hormone Therapy (ERT) Is Terrible for You
Menopause happens when a woman reaches a certain age, but the shift occurs from a severe drop in estrogen. Estrogen is a female sex hormone providing so many things, including menstruation, fertility, heart and bone health. When estrogen plummets, the drop results in a variety of menopausal symptoms.
ERT is naturally replacing the missing hormones with natural ones. For many years, hormone therapy was the standard treatment for menopause. Then the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Study changed how menopause was treated.
The study supposedly revealed that ERT caused an increased risk for breast cancer, uterine cancer, blood clots, and stroke. At that point, hormone therapy became taboo, and some doctors stopped prescribing the treatment. But women still suffered.
A few years later, the study's findings were reevaluated and analyzed. The new review showed how this increased risk only affected women past a certain age and at least 10 years after menopause.
Younger women, perimenopausal women, menopausal women, and those not over a certain age didn't have increased risk. In fact, the benefits of ERT outweighed any risks in most cases. The myth that ERT is terrible for your body isn't true.
Also, most studies, including the WHIs, looked at prescribed estrogen, not bioidentical hormones compounded in a pharmacy. Bioidentical hormones use natural sources, such as wild yams, to mimic estrogen produced by the ovaries. Prescription estrogen is horse urine and other unnatural sources and possibly affecting the body differently.
Myth: Estrogen hormone therapy (HRT) Doesn't Work
ERT is the single most effective way to ease menopausal symptoms. As mentioned, the reason for menopause is low estrogen.
Your body produces differing amounts of estrogen as you move through your menstrual cycle. And the ebb and flow of this unseen but mighty messenger can cause serious health concerns. By replacing the missing hormones with natural ones, the menopausal symptoms ease.
A small amount of added estrogen each day provides balance and makes menopause manageable in an already stressful life. The myth that ERT doesn't work isn’t and has been prescribed for decades for a reason.
Myth: Doctors Don't Recommend Treatment
Healthcare professionals prescribe estrogen therapy all the time. It was only in the last few decades that it became controversial. Women who needed hormones were discouraged not to partake and suffer in silence.
But this is changing quickly, and doctors regularly prescribe hormones for menopausal women because they work. And treatment isn't forever. You take them until your body makes the transition entirely.
Myth: Only Older Women Need Treatment
The typical age women become menopausal is around 50. But women experience menopausal symptoms for a few years before officially entering the transition. Early menopause for some women occurs in the late 30s or early 40s.
Your body is also test-driving low hormones in the perimenopausal stage; even though tests may show everything is fine, your body is learning to operate with lower hormones. So, younger women can become menopausal earlier and experience symptoms before officially entering menopause.
Each woman is different and shouldn't base their experience on what is considered normal but what their doctor says they need.
Myth: Menopause Means Something Is Wrong
Anytime something changes, especially your menstrual cycle, it's essential to see a gynecologist or doctor to make sure everything is okay. You're officially in menopause when you stop having your period for 12 months.
But irregular periods can be a sign something is wrong or indicates low hormone levels. But menopause itself doesn't mean your body is going through an unnatural process. All women go through menopause. While the symptoms can be severe and women have to live with being uncomfortable, it's a natural part of life in most cases.
Myth: Every Woman Has the Same Menopausal Symptoms
No two menopausal women are exactly alike in terms of how they feel. Some women experience wet hot flashes, and others gain weight around the middle. Others don't feel much at all. The most common menopausal symptoms include the following:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Insomnia
- Moodiness
- Dry skin
- Vaginal atrophy
- Feeling weak
- Weight gain
While learning about other women's experiences with menopause is healing and helpful, remember that what you've experienced may be similar or the exact opposite. Your symptoms may be unbearable, and treatment necessary to lead a normal life.
ERT Really Does Work
If you're suffering from menopausal symptoms, you want answers. While making dietary changes can help with an estrogen-boosting diet, hormone therapy is faster. Exercise is another way to reduce menopausal symptoms but may not be enough by itself.
ERT is the single most effective way to reduce menopausal symptoms and one prescribed by doctors the most. However, estrogen is available without a prescription. Ways to take estrogen include vaginal inserts, pills, and creams.
Topical estrogen creams come in varying doses and super easy to apply. The BioLabs Pro one pump system makes it easy for women to supplement. You press down once on the applicator and scoop up the estrogen mixture.
Women slowly rub the estrogen lotion into the skin once a day to ease menopausal symptoms. All the ingredients are natural and help soothe skin and work to build the estrogen circulating in the body. Transdermal supplementation bypasses the digestive system, making it faster and more efficient.
The time it takes for ERT to work varies from woman to woman, and the results depend on symptoms and dose. But it really does work to ease menopausal symptoms.
While you may think that suffering without treatment is the answer, you may be surprised by how great you feel when adding a dollop of estrogen to your daily routine. Speak to your doctor to see if it's right for you.
