Hot flashes are just one of the reasons that women consider Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).  HRT can relieve many of the symptoms that women experience during menopause which typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 and is caused by the reduction in the amount of hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone that a woman’s body produces as she ages.  Symptom relief and protection against osteoporosis lead many women to try HRT, but NIH found during a long term Women’s Health Initiative Study that HRT can also greatly increase the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke.

There are many changes a woman can make in her diet and lifestyle that can ease the transition during this normal phase of life.  In addition to the risks found by NIH, synthetic hormones can decrease the natural immune response, exacerbate pre-existing auto-immune and endocrine issues and inactivate healthy stores of hormones already present.  Before considering Hormone Replacement Therapy get a complete test to measure current hormone levels and get tested for thyroid or other endocrine issues.  A woman’s attitude about this next, natural phase of her life can also affect the severity and frequency of her symptoms.  Maintaining a healthy and positive attitude and realizing that menopause is not a disease can provide freedom to enjoy the later years of your life and not dread them!