Menopause: long term effectsThe first report on the use of hormones to reduce symptoms of the menopause said, in 1935: ‘In most patients, symptoms are rather mild, so no treatment is necessary except an instructional and reassuring talk from the medical adviser as to the normality of the symptoms, their temporary nature, the importance of avoiding stress and anxiety, and perhaps the administration of a simple nerve sedative.’ The writer of this report was right in that these symptoms are all normal, and many of them are temporary. However, that doesn't mean we have to live with them if they are reducing our quality of life. Pain during childbirth or tooth extraction is normal, but most people nowadays would choose to use various methods to reduce it. If you are one of the lucky ones, and you are not bothered by hot flushes, night sweats, distressing states of mind, vaginal and bladder problems, and if you are at little or no risk of developing osteoporosis, then you will probably feel that HRT would be an unnecessary medical intervention for you. Few elderly people regard old age as a blessing, yet we all want to get there. To do it, all women have to go through the menopause, with its many and varied symptoms, few of which we would wish upon ourselves if we could redesign female biology from scratch. Women born in this century were the first who could confidently expect to live to three-score-years-and-ten, and most of us will five another 10 or more years beyond that. We want them to be rich, fulfilling years. There is nothing any of us can do to stop the ageing process, but at least many of the problems of the menopause can now be relieved by replacing the oestrogen we all inevitably lose. *19\42\4* «On Line Pharmacy» |
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