Osteoporosis and hormone replacement therapy

Osteoporosis is a bone disorder believed to affect nearly every woman during menopause. When this happens hormone replacement therapy is an option – alongside lifestyle changes and alternative medicines.

Menopause is a natural process that cannot be avoided and with the changes to a woman’s body you also get a hormonal imbalance which causes osteoporosis. Some companies would have you believe that drugs are the best solution for these problems but this should be a last resort proceeding less risky approaches as there are risks associated with osteoporosis and hormone replacement therapy. Read on to discover more.

Risks of hormone replacement therapy in Osteoporosis

For years hormone replacement therapy was prescribed to women as the obvious treatment for, or to prevent, osteoporosis. Today doctors are continuously learning more about the risk associated with the medicine and findings have shown that when taken for extended periods of time women are more at risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Cancer risks: it is believed that if a woman takes hormone replacement therapy for more than five years it increases the risk of breast cancer. On a side note it is also feared that estrogen replacement therapy increases the risk of ovarian cancer if taken for more than ten years.

Cardiovascular risks: the risk of a stroke, heart attack and blood clots increases following the first year of taking hormone replacement therapy.

Benefits of hormone replacement therapy

Before a large clinical trial found its short-comings hormone replacement therapy was widely regarded as the best drug on the market to aid short-term relief of menopausal symptoms such as osteoporosis. And alongside this studies showed that it can decrease the risk of colorectal cancer and heart disease.

Menopause and osteoporosis can be a distressing time but it is important to remember that drugs such as hormone replacement therapy or surgery is suggested as a last resort if you do not get the anticipated results of alternative medicines and lifestyle changes.

Options other than hormone replacement therapy

Alongside the benefits that women receive with hormone replacement therapy it is just as important to consider the risks. This drug can be very dangerous when used long term and experts recommend that instead people look at their diet or herbal medication.

The obvious thoughts of exercise, calcium, estrogenic foods and of course a healthy body all have positive effects when treating osteoporosis. These steps can be relatively difficult to follow and maintain and that is why alternative medicines are considered the best and safest way to treat the disease.

Non-estrogenic herbs help to nourish your hormonal glands into producing your own natural hormones more efficiently. Click the following link to learn more about Non-estrogenic herbs and other alternative treatments instead of hormone replacement therapy for osteoporosis.

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