Menopausal Women: Should You Have HRT or Not?

Hormone replacement therapy is one of the most controversial issues in the field of wellness and wellbeing. Many women are prescribed it to deal with the huge sexual and emotional changes that come as part of the menopause, but few can be sure that it is entirely safe.

 

Commonly referred to as HRT, women have been treated with replacement oestrogen and progesterone in this way for many years, as it provides a good relief for symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness, as well as reducing the patients chances of suffering from menopause-induced heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

 

Progesterone is found in both sexes, but predominantly in women. It is very important for health during pregnancy, and women who find themselves having difficulty carrying a pregnancy to term are often prescribed progesterone to help them get over a progesterone deficiency in early pregnancy. Progesterone helps to balance oestrogen in the female body.

 

As women get older, the progesterone levels naturally start to decrease (usually starting at around the age of 30). A cream form of progesterone is also sometimes used to help combat symptoms that come with falling levels of progesterone, and this is applied topically – such as to the head, for headaches. It is also sometimes used to help lessen the symptoms of PMS, such as cramping, bloating and irritability, and is used in pill form in certain cases to help combat problems sleeping that are associated with hormones.

 

The safety of progesterone replacement drugs has come to light because of studies that link cancer and heart disease to oestrogen and progesterone supplements, and so the tide of public opinion has steadily started to turn away from this type of treatment. A lot more research is needed, however, before we can be sure that hormone replacement therapy is actually unsafe, and so many women feel that the risks are minor and that the benefits of the treatment outweigh any potential issues.

Categories: heart disease, hormone, hormone replacement, hrt, nbsp, oestrogen, progesterone, replacement, replacement therapy, Women

Hormonal Changes? Maybe He Has Male Menopause!

If your emotional wellness isn’t all-that-great, people blame it on your hormones. If your male counterpart gets in a mood, on the other hand, it’s down to work stress, or money problems, or just one of those days. Right? Perhaps not. While ageing-related hormonal changes are known for affecting female sexual health in a condition called menopause, an increasing amount of evidence points to a similar hormonal change in men. The term “male menopause” may not be entirely accurate, but it still makes the right point: much in the same way that your oestrogen levels drop after a certain age, your partner’s testosterone levels will decrease, and this will have an impact on his wellbeing.

 

For the male version of age-related hormonal changes, many doctors prefer the term “andropause.” The reason for this is testosterone is also known as androgen and, as we’ve already covered, andropause and menopause have quite a few differences, and so it would be misleading to call it “male menopause.” Menopause is a uniquely female condition, signalling the end of menstruation and all that this process entails. Suddenly and dramatically, your oestrogen decreases and you are unable to conceive a child. In andropause, however, men do not lose their ability to reproduce. Although sperm count in semen can decrease with age, sperm production doesn’t stop and men in their 80s have been known to father children. Moreover, the hormonal decrease involved in andropause is very gradual, with most men losing 1% per year starting around age 35.

 

That said, there are many similarities between andropause and menopause. While the condition doesn’t affect all men, the natural decrease in testosterone that comes with ageing has an impact on the vast majoring, including about 25 million men in the United States alone. Then you have remarkably similar symptoms to those you experience during menopause, such as moodiness, fatigue, weight gain, depression, decreased sex drive, decreased muscle mass and bone loss. However, even though these symptoms can be quite pronounced, andropause is still somewhat difficult to diagnose. Many mistake andropause for a midlife crisis or erectile dysfunction (ED). Nonetheless, a midlife crisis is a psychological phenomenon, rather than a physical one, and ED occurs when communication between particular nerves, arteries and muscles breaks down, as opposed to the slow, natural decrease in testosterone that characterises andropause.

 

Therefore, your partner needs to take a trip to the doctor in order to determine whether his symptoms are related to andropause or to some other condition. There is a test for decreased hormone levels in spite of the fact that andropause is a somewhat hazy diagnosis. Your partner’s GP will perform a blood testosterone test if your partner shows up with symptoms like irritability, fatigue and decreased libido. Andropause is basically low testosterone, and so while there are other changes in male sexual systems that occur with ageing – like prostate enlargement – andropause is mostly the result of a gradual decrease in testosterone over many years.

 

With that in mind, the obvious choice for treating andropause seems to be the addition of testosterone, and thistreatment is certainly becoming more common. Just as women have hormone replacement therapy (HRT), men can use testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) through injections, creams or oral tablets. The goal of TRT is to get your partner’s testosterone back up to a normal level, but it’s not always that simple. You may already know that HRT has been found to bring on some serious side effects in women – such as triggering certain types of breast cancer – and, in a similar way, TRT has its dangers. Therefore, before trying TRT – which can cause prostate cancer, stop sperm production and increase your partner’s risk of stroke – your partner’s doctor will first advise lifestyle changes, such as exercise, a healthier diet and the elimination of alcohol.

Categories: andropause, male menopause, Menopause, midlife crisis, natural decrease, related hormonal, replacement therapy, sperm production, Symptoms, Testosterone

Don’t Be a Slave to Menopause: Symptom-Reducing Supplements

Unfortunately, menopause can take its toll on your body just as much as your monthly cycle has been doing for the last 30-odd years. You can experience erratic moods, hot flashes, burning sensation, sleep loss, and dizziness. You might consider hormone replacement therapy, but as this can lead to even more threatening side effects, there is an alternative; menopause supplements.

 

Menopause supplements can be bought without a prescription but they still work in a similar way to hormone replacement therapy. The supplements reduce your blood levels of oestrogen and progesterone, but with fewer side effects than HRT. And, as they can contain antidepressants, the supplements can help to alleviate your symptoms of mood swings and distortions. However, as the effectiveness of the medication can depend on the supplement you choose, it’s wise to research specific brands and types before you buy. Moreover, you need to keep in mind that every drug works differently for each individual, because metabolism rates for women differ. This means that supplement effectiveness might vary from one user to another.

 

Still, there are a lot reasons why menopause supplements may improve your well-being. Not only do they ensure a smooth transition by appropriately reducing your hormonal levels, but they may have the added bonus of reducing related conditions such as weight gain and mood distortions. In terms of cost-effectiveness, menopause supplements are far cheaper than different prescribed hormonal medications and hormone replacement therapy, and they are also more convenient; all you have to do is take one pill on a regular basis. Also, some of the better supplements – Amberen, Estroven and Menoquil – have been shown to have some effect in strengthening the immune system.

 

However, before you rush out and stock up on menopause supplements, there are some wellness factors you need to consider. Firstly, you should never start taking any supplements without consulting your doctor, but this is especially the case if you’re already on medications, as the two may react badly. Plus, you should not take these drugs if you have any health condition such as thyroid issues, hypertension or some hormonal disorder, as they might further aggravate your condition, and you should check that you’re not allergic to any of the supplement ingredients.

Categories: hormone replacement, Menopause, Menopause Supplements, Pros and Cons, replacement therapy, Supplements, Symptom Reduction

How Could Vitamin C Stop You From Developing Breast Cancer?

If you want to guard your wellbeing against excessive levels of oestrogen, which is a known risk factor of cancer-female/">breast cancer, vitamin C can help you do it. This is according to researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, who found that taking antioxidant supplements of vitamin C, or eating high amounts of vegetables that are rich in the vitamin, can help you to offset this nasty side effect of oestrogen.

Led by Bhupendra Singh and Hari K Bhat, the researchers discovered that vitamin C, which occurs naturally in green vegetables, and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHT), an artifical antioxidant commonly used in processed foods, can induce your body to produce superoxide dismutase 3. This helps to reduce a biomarker in your body that is associated with cancer-female/">breast cancer, among other wellness concerns.

Excess levels of oestrogen can occur in your body because the female hormone is commonly used in contraceptives, as well as in hormone replacement therapy. According to experts, hormone replacement therapy and radiation used in diagnostics and cancer screening and treatment are the two biggest causes of cancer-female/">breast cancer. Oestrogen plays in a role in the development of cancer-female/">breast cancer because it induces DNA-damaging oxidative stress.

For the study, the researchers exposed female rats to, oestrogen, vitamin C, vitamin C plus oestrogen, BHT, and BHT plus oestrogen for up to eight months, finding that the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 3 was suppressed in the mammary tissues and tumours of the group of rats who were only exposed to oestrogen. However, in the rats that were also treated with vitamin C or BHT, the levels of superoxide dismutase 3 was less suppressed and there was less oxidative DNA damage. This indicates that antioxidants can overcome this suppression, and reduce cancer-female/">breast cancer risk.

According to the researchers, ‘Increased DNA damage, colony and mammosphere formation, and migration in SOD3, knocked down MCF-10A cells, and nuclear translocation of SOD3 in vitamin C-treated mammary tissues and in MCF-10A cells suggest a protective role of SOD3 against DNA damage and mammary carcinogenesis.’ They concluded by saying, ‘Our studies further demonstrate that SOD3, but not SOD2 and SOD1, is induced by antioxidants and is regulated through NRF2. SOD3 may thus be an important gene in defence against oxidative stress and in the prevention of oestrogen-mediated cancer-female/">breast cancer.’

How Could Vitamin C Stop You From Developing Breast Cancer?

Categories: 10a cells, breast cancer, hormone replacement, mammary tissues, mcf 10a, oxidative stress, replacement therapy, Research, superoxide dismutase, vitamin c