Of course the menopause is not a disease as such, and is a natural state that every woman will experience. Many women will choose to go through their menopause without the need for any medical advice. Simple things like attention to a healthy diet, taking plenty of exercise and avoiding excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption can certainly help women to manage with their menopausal symptoms. Some women will use a variety of different natural remedies to try and help with their symptoms, although these have quite variable levels of success when subjected to proper research.
Perhaps the most contentious area of treatment for the menopause is the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Most of the symptoms of the menopause are caused by lack of oestrogen as the ovaries cease to function normally. Replacement of this oestrogen gives excellent relief in terms of classical menopausal symptoms.
Many women have come to fear the possibility of HRT because of information that they have gathered from TV, from magazines or from what they have heard from friends. For these women there is a conundrum. On the one hand they may be suffering from very troublesome symptoms for which HRT seems to offer the most effective form of treatment. On the other hand, they are concerned whether the treatment is going to be safe and appropriate. This is where a trip to see your gynaecologist can be of great value.
We can look at your individual circumstances and talk to you about the different options that are available to you. Many patients, when they have had the full story explained to them, are surprised at how small the risks of HRT are, when compared with the benefits that can be provided. Breast cancer risk is always a concern, so it is reassuring to know that in the first few years of HRT most experts agree that there is no increased risk at all.
