Hormone goes by many names, such as ERT, estrogen replacement therapy, HRT and menopausal hormone therapy, and there are as many different scientific feelings relating to it too. On the other hand, synthetic hormones can reduce some of the painful symptoms of menopause, like hot and the mood swings ngazavyo. On the other hand, the tests revealed an increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. What is she to do?

"Rock and menopause do not mix," said the pianist Stevie Nicks. "It's not good, it sucks and every day I fight to the death, or at least not let him take me." "The hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings and difficulty in urination are all parts of the normal aging of the life cycle, but for some it may be just about unbearable. Hormone replacement appears to be a good treatment after menopause begins wreaking havoc. However, there are certain risks associated with HRT hormone treatment and care must be taken at the lowest dose for the shortest time to reduce the danger.

The effects of menopause occurs when the ovaries decrease production of female hormones estrogen and progesterone, which ends fertility unpleasant and causes low estrogen levels. Hormone replacement therapy appeared to be the logical medical treatment for decades, only repressed the natural hormone depletion with conjugated equine estrogen, which are easily absorbed by the human body. Physicians went so far as to suggest these hormones could keep women young, while preventing heart disease and osteoporosis. Found, however, Women's Health Initiative trials that there were a number of health hazards.

Is hormone replacement therapy a miracle cure for aging by simply replacing missing female hormones, or is it a fatal one-way-street for a devastating cancer and diseases? Jury is out to declare support or condemnation upon hormone HRT. To this day, is one of the best options enduring menopausal women have still to be taken carefully and minimally, and reviewed every six months to be sure it is the right treatment.

There are many advantages to undergo treatment to replace the hormones. Estrogens can provide relief for insomnia, heat flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, itching, burning and painful intercourse. Short-term relief using female hormones estrogen and progestin can prevent some bone loss after menopause, not to mention the reduced risk of colorectal cancer and heart disease (if taken early on in postmenopausal years). Because of unexpected effects, many doctors feel that HRT hormone is almost like a fountain of youth.

However, the Women's Health Initiative showed many risks involved with HRT. Compared with the control group of 10,000 women in their study found that women who are female hormones estrogen and progestin group had the following: Seven cases of heart disease than the control group, eight more breast cancers, eight more cases of stroke and eighteen more cases blood clots. Compared to the size of the test pool, it is a small number, but alarming nonetheless. Researchers also found that women taking estrogen or estrogen progestin may need more frequent mammograms.

There are several different types of hormone treatments. Traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT), consisting of estrogen and progestin or estrogen alone is administered to a woman with a level of estrogen. Estrogen therapy instead (ERT) is used to increase estrogen in the body. Conjugated equine estrogens usually as "Premarin" is used. Finally, with combined HRT, both estrogen and progesterone are given to the menstrual cycle mimic hormonal changes. Some of the health problems occur with increased risk of blood clots, heart disease, breast cancer and stroke.

Long-term use of hormone replacement therapy is said to cause the greatest risk. Thus, a woman on HRT hormone for more than 10 years have a higher risk of ovarian cancer, while someone with female hormones for only six months will generally not bothered by such a risk. Other risks include breast cancer, stroke, blood clots and vaginal bleeding. Despite these risks, the alternative of menopause is unbearable for some women.

Naturally, then, there are some women that are suitable for hormone replacement and other people who do not. To the women who suffered moderate to major symptoms of menopause, HRT is still the best thing out there. To be fair, the trial for the overall number of side effects is low. On the other hand, women with breast cancer, heart disease, blood clots or who have had a hysterectomy should be avoided female hormones. Some women may be encouraged by their doctors to take estrogen and progestin to combat memory loss or prevent a stroke, but there are many drugs and better treatments for these conditions.

While the Women's Health Initiative data frightened many women, they had a silver lining of the ways to minimize the risk of hormone replacement to reduce. First, they found that timing was important. Women under the age of 60 while female hormones showed no increased risk of heart disease. The second, minimizing the amount of medication and choose the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time was the safest method. Thirdly, women should check in various forms to find the method most conducive. Women who experience vaginal symptoms should only try creams, tablets or rings, rather than pills or skin patches. The fourth way for women to protect themselves is to take a pill progestin along with estrogen.

If hormone replacement sounds too daunting, then there are other alternatives that should be the first. Sometimes exercise, stopping smoking or changing eating habits can help reduce menopausal symptoms. Some herbal remedies can serve as a natural remedy such as black cohosh, dong quai root, ginseng, kava, red clover, soy and dietary supplement DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). These have not been tested thoroughly enough to say definitively one way or another, although herbal medicines are generally considered safe. Consult with your doctor to be sure that this is the right treatment for you.