How Does Hormone Replacement Therapy Help Menopause Symptoms?

Menopause marks the end of the female monthly menstrual cycle, and the end of childbearing capability. If it’s been a full year since your last menstrual period, you’re in menopause. Menopause arrives for most women when they’re in their 50s. Before menopause is complete, you may experience a period of perimenopause.

During both menopause and perimenopause, uncomfortable symptoms related to this physiological change can disturb your overall health. Your mood may destabilize, your metabolism could spin out of control, or you might experience sleep disruptions and night sweats. 

It can be hard to live with menopause symptoms. With today’s treatment options, you may not have to.

At Women’s Health Partners of the Permian Basin, experienced OB/GYN Dr. Mary Grace Bridges and her team focus on getting you smoothly through menopause. Dr. Bridges offers treatments and therapies that can help from her locations in Odessa and Midland, Texas.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a popular and proven way to cushion the impacts of menopause and restore your sense of balance and wellness. Here’s what you need to know about addressing symptoms of menopause with HRT.

Hormones and menopause symptoms

As women age, natural levels of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone decrease. The decrease becomes more pronounced during menopause, and is to blame for the associated symptoms of menopause.

Common menopause symptoms include:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Sleep disruption
• Metabolic slowing and weight gain
• Loss of vaginal lubrication
• Loss of sex drive
• Loss of bone density
• Hair loss
• Mood swings

That’s a wide range of symptoms! But, since your hormones govern so many of your physiological processes, it makes sense that hormonal changes associated with menopause result in many types of impacts on your health and wellness.

Going through menopause means shifts in your body, sense of self, and daily life. With the right treatment, your symptoms don’t have to overwhelm you. You can take control of your menopause experience, and emerge from this time of your life stronger and more internally balanced than ever.

Treating menopause symptoms with HRT

You can use a variety of techniques to smooth out the impacts of menopause on your body and your life. One of the most commonly-used strategies is hormone replacement therapy with synthetic or bioidentical hormones.

Since your symptoms result from low hormone levels, hormone supplementation makes sense as a way of resolving your discomfort and other menopause-related problems. HRT medications are available in several forms, from pills to injections. Dr. Bridges recommends the right hormone combination and dosage for your treatment needs.

Dr. Bridges evaluates your whole-body health and wellness, and recommends the best treatment to address your menopause symptoms and help you navigate this transitional period of your life with grace, calm, and a sense of well-being.

If you’re entering perimenopause or menopause, and want to learn more about your options for treating menopause symptoms, including HRT, contact Dr. Bridges and Women’s Health Partners of the Permian Basin today. You can schedule your initial consultation appointment online or over the phone.