Hormone medications before, were ordinarily used to treat symptoms of hormonal imbalance linked to a woman’s menstrual cycle, especially upon menopause. However, several major clinical trials had proven that hormone medications increase a woman’s risk of developing other serious health disorders.
As a result, the taking of hormone medicines was discouraged unless necessary, and only if prescribed as part of a hormone therapy that is under strict supervision of a qualified medical professional. Nevertheless, staying physically fit and healthy is one way to keep health issues at bay; or at least prevent hormonal imbalances from becoming a perennial health issue.
What Exactly are Hormone Medications?
To understand why taking hormone medications is not as trivial as thought of before, it would be best to know what the medicines are for, why and how it is prescribed and what health risks are involved.
Today, hormone medication is synonymous to hormone replacement therapy, as the medicine prescribed contains the female hormone estrogen. The treatment is regarded as necessary for postmenopausal women who suffer from symptoms caused by the cessation of estrogen production, once the monthly menstrual cycles stop for good.
Common menopause symptoms include hot flashes and vaginal discomforts such as itching, burning sensations, dryness and difficulty in having sexual intercourse. The greater medical benefits of taking hormone medicines as part of an estrogen hormone therapy, include the following:
1. Prevention of osteoporosis in older women, since estrogen loss leads to bone loss that could cause bone fractures in postmenopausal women.
2. Reduce risks of developing heart disease and of suffering from stroke and dementia;
3. Mood swings that can impact the quality of one’s day-to-day life.
If hormone therapy is not properly supervised, taking estrogen replacement medications presents health risks that far outweigh the benefits. Supervised hormone therapy includes periodic re-evaluations to ensure that the estrogen replacement drug has not increased a patient’s risk of developing breast cancer, heart disease, blood clots or stroke.
Still, the risks associated with estrogen replacement medicines depend on the type of hormone therapy, the dosage and length of treatment prescribed by a physician, all based on the individual health risks of a patient. Actually, it is important for medical practitioners to tailor fit the hormone therapy prescribed for a patient, to make certain that the benefits of the treatment do not outweigh the potential risks in a patient.
Manage Symptoms Associated with Monthly Menstrual Periods by Staying Fit and Healthy
Hormonal imbalances can be experienced by women during their monthly menstrual period; usually manifested by symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings and night sweating. That is why some women seek hormone therapy even before they reach the menopause stage.
However, people who stay fit and healthy by minding what they eat and engaging in regular exercises are able to maintain proper metabolism that prevents hormonal imbalance. This is of particular importance to women whose metabolism and hormonal responses can be influenced by different stressful events including monthly menstrual periods.
Many adult men and women have proven that making healthy lifestyle choices have helped them manage stress and chronic illnesses without the need for serious medical treatments that require strong medications. A reference to healthy choices include exercise options in addition to one’s daily physical activities, healthy diets to maintain ideal weight, choosing not to smoke and to limit alcohol intakes as means of stress relief.
If you’re unsure of the right choices to make, visit Tazafit, a health and fitness website that provides guides and information about nutrition and exercises. Contents and recommendations are contributed by professionals who are themselves examples of fit and healthy people.