Dr. Lisa Chaney Lasher - Director of Lourdes Women's Services

At menopause, a women’s body makes less estrogen and she stops having menstrual cycles. This natural stage in a woman’s life can bring on many different symptoms. These include, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and vaginal dryness. Lack of estrogen can also increase the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis (bone loss). Due to these factors, many women choose to take hormone replacement therapy.

The ovaries from puberty until menopause produce estrogen. The amount of estrogen decreases as a woman ages. At some point the ovaries stop making enough estrogen to thicken the uterine lining. This is when the menstrual periods stop. The average age of menopause is around 51 years of age, but normal range is somewhere between 45 to 55.

Sometimes a woman’s ovaries are removed surgically and she will be given hormones of estrogen and progesterone so she will not go into early menopause. Often times when a woman has to have a hysterectomy before menopausal age, the ovaries will be left intact and they will continue to produce the hormones needed.

The hormones estrogen and progesterone can be replaced after menopause. Women who have a uterus must take both hormones to prevent the endometrial lining of the uterus from thickening and causing endometrial cancer. If a woman’s uterus has been surgically removed, then she can just take estrogen since there is no concern of uterine lining overgrowth.

BENEFITS OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
Relieves symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats
Relieves symptoms of vaginal dryness
Helps prevent against osteoporosis
Protects against heart disease
May have a positive effect on mood swings

CONCERNS AND RISKS
Using estrogen alone causes the lining of the uterus to grow
May cause an increase in the risk for breast cancer (controversial)