Search Results for: blog what is hormone replacement therapy

U.S. Preventative Services Task’s Opinion on Hormone Therapy

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Well, now I am just confused! I mentioned that I went to a menopause seminar here at the health science center where I worked. It was conducted by a nurse who was very pro-hormone therapy. Even years ago, I remember hearing bad stuff about hormone therapy (HT) (or as they used to call it hormone replacement therapy). A fifteen-year study called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) began in 1991. It looked at 160,000 post-menopausal women using HT. What they found was that HT didn’t exactly do what they had hoped (prevent chronic illnesses such as heart disease) and it also … Continue reading →

Fun with Hormones!

I was on birth control for part of my twenties… and I have to say, I really liked it. I enjoyed the regular periods and the lack of PMS symptoms. It was great knowing exactly when things would start and end. But once I wasn’t sexually active (between relationships, you see), I stopped taking birth control. I didn’t need it for the birth control aspect, and my periods stayed relatively regular for a few years after I stopped the hormones. The doctor I saw at the teaching clinic said that he thought “birth control” wasn’t the best name. For women … Continue reading →

Laser Therapy for “The Mask of Pregnancy”

It’s fairly common for pregnant women, especially those with darker skin, such as Asian and Latina women, to develop the “mask of pregnancy,” or melasma. Melasma is a hormonal skin disorder that causes darker patches of skin to form on the face, which can be quite embarrassing for women. About six million women are affected each year. Up to seventy percent of pregnant women develop it. In addition to pregnancy, melasma has been tied to hormonal contraceptive use and hormone replacement therapy. Usually pregnant women can cover the condition with makeup and try different methods of lightening the dark spots … Continue reading →

Migraines and Hormones

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My mother was around my age when she started having migraines. I’m starting to consider the fact that some of my splitting headaches recently are the result of monthly hormone changes. Symptoms of migraine can include: Moderate to severe pain (may be a pounding, throbbing pain) that may shift from one side to the other or affect the whole head. Sensitivity to light, noise, and/or odors Blurred vision Nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, abdominal pain Loss of appetite Sensations of heat or cold Dizziness Fatigue Aura — seeing bright, flashing lights or dots, blind spots, and/or wavy lines I’ve definitely been … Continue reading →

What is Estrogen Replacement Therapy?

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Since I’ve been on a roll with hormone replacement therapy information lately, I thought I’d add one more. Hormone replacement therapy often means a combination of estrogen and progestin — estrogen replacement therapy only means one kind of hormone. Estrogen replacement therapy is used to increase estrogen levels in postmenopausal women who have no uterus. Women who do have a uterus usually need a combination therapy to prevent the estrogen hormone from causing the uterine lining to over-grow (which can lead to uterine cancer). Candidates for estrogen replacement therapy include: Women who experience early menopause after having their ovaries removed … Continue reading →

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Risks and Precautions

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Considering hormone replacement therapy? Here are some things to think about. The FDA recommends that certain women do not use hormone replacement therapy: Women who might be pregnant Women with a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer Women with a personal history of certain forms of endometrial cancer Women with a personal history of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or stroke Women who have active liver disease. (Though women with liver disease may be able to use hormone replacement therapy in patch form.) If you fall into those categories, talk to your doctors about alternative, non-hormonal treatments … Continue reading →

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Side Effects

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If you are considering hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopause symptoms, you might want to know a little bit about the possible side effects. Not all side effects occur in all women, but the following side effects have been reported. In general, side effects are more frequent when taking oral forms of estrogen therapy. With any form of estrogen therapy, you could experience: Irregular vaginal bleeding and other discharge. Headache. Nausea. Fluid retention and weight gain. Breast tenderness. Darkening skin or spotting on the skin, especially on the face. Asthma — newly diagnosed asthma seems to be more common in … Continue reading →

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

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Hormone replacement therapy is helpful for easing symptoms of menopause and preventing osteoporosis in some women. You may also hear hormone replacement therapy called “opposed estrogen therapy”. The name basically describes how it works. Hormone replacement therapy increases estrogen and/or progestin levels in a woman’s body. There are several different forms of hormone replacement therapy, including: Estrogen and progestin combination pills (brand name Premphase, Prempro, Activella) Estrogen and progestin patches that continuously release hormones over time (brand name CombiPatch) Oral progestin used with an estrogen-only pill or patch (brand name Provera, Prometrium, Micronor, Norlutin, Aygestin) Progestin intra-uterine device (IUD) used … Continue reading →

Jack Osbourne Diagnosed with MS

Jack Osbourne, son of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, recently announced that he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). While I guess there is no time to be diagnosed with an illness like this, this seemed to come at a particularly bad time. Osbourne, like his sister Kelly, had struggled with addiction. But, he cleaned up his act, lost a lot of weight, and recently became a father. His fiancee, Lisa Stelly gave birth to the couple’s daughter Pearl Clementine on April 24th. Osbourne told PEOPLE, “I was just angry and frustrated and kept thinking, ‘Why now? I’ve got a … Continue reading →

Homeopathic Remedies for Menopause

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I work at a health science center and a few weeks, they had a nurse conducting a seminar on menopause. I am not in full blown menopause, but experiencing the “joys” of perimenopause. But, I figured I would go to check out the seminar anyhow. What I did was pretty much waste my lunch hour. It might have helped some people there, but nurse mainly talked about hormone replacement therapy. Oh no wait, it’s called hormone therapy now. The study that was done years ago that showed that HRT could cause problems has been revisited by many and there were … Continue reading →