Hormone Replacement Therapy - Making the Decision
Copyright 2006 Anne Wolski
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used to alleviate the irritating effects of female menopause by replacing the estrogen which was previously produced by the ovaries. An oral dose of hormones are given to take the place of the hormones which was once produced naturally.
This is a natural part of life for all women as the ovaries stop working and therefore the natural secretion of estrogen ceases. The decline and eventual cessation of estrogen secretion by the ovaries, or to be more exact, the ovarian follicles, is responsible for menopause (the change of life).
When the secretion of estrogen fails, there are various effects on the body. First the monthly periods stop. Then the woman may experience hot flashes and night sweats.
The woman may also experience significant discomfort as the mucous membrane of the vagina atrophies, making it dryer and thinner.
Another common problem after menopause is reduction of bone density, commonly known as osteoporosis. The bones lose their density and become fragile due to the loss of estrogen.
The presence of estrogen in premenopausal women appears to have the added advantage of preventing heart attacks, a common cause of death in men of similar age but this protection ceases following menopause.
HRT became popular in the 1970s but went out of favour when many women on the therapy were diagnosed with endometrial cancer. It is believed that this came about as a result of the therapy being estrogen only whereas it is now usual to be estrogen with progesterone. Studies have confirmed that women taking therapy of estrogen only are more than twice as likely as women not taking the drugs to develop endometrial cancer. Several studies have shown that there is no increase in endometrial cancer or precancerous lesions in women who take both estrogen and progesterone.
Menstruating women have remarkably low rates of heart disease but the incidence increases rapidly after menopause, with heart disease being the leading cause of death in women over age 60.
It is believed that this demonstrates a protective role for estrogen and gives rise to the belief that HRT may give protection to postmenopausal women. However, studies into this subject tend to be inconclusive with some studies actually showing that there is a minimally higher risk of heart disease in women taking HRT.
Osteoporosis is a major problem in postmenopausal women. Bone is a living substance and relies on the presence of estrogen to regenerate, thus leading to an imbalance which causes the bones to become thinner. This often results in fractures, particularly of the ribs, the vertebrae, and the hips. It can also cause chronic pain and loss of physical stature.
Early studies into HRT showed a decrease of thirty-five to fifty percent in the rate of osteoporotic fractures in women who had used HRT for at least five years after menopause.
HRT has customarily been given to alleviate other symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, low energy levels, and depression.
About eighty percent of women suffer from hot flashes. These often occur at night and can result in sleep deprivation leading to chronic fatigue, depression, and poor concentration.
Another problem associated with menopause is the thinning of the vaginal tissue which can cause poor vaginal lubrication, vaginal itching, pain on intercourse and an increase in urinary tract infections. Often, the use of estrogen-based creams is advised to reduce these symptoms.
Many women have been reluctant to take HRT because they believe it will increase their risk of breast cancer. A 50 year old woman has 10 percent probability of developing breast cancer and a 3 percent probability of dying from it. Unfortunately, studies have shown varying results which give little evidence either way.
The decision to use HRT is a personal one.
The woman and her healthcare provider must consider the benefits as well as the risks in order to decide whether HRT is the appropriate treatment for the individual. If she is suffering from symptoms that are so intense that they are interfering in her day to day life, then HRT may be advisable in the short term. Often however, the symptoms will stop in time without hormonal treatment.
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Seasonal Affective Disorder? 5-HTP May Help
Scottsdale, AZ (ContentDesk) November 22, 2005 -- As the holidays approach, a natural supplement 5-HTP, which increases serotonin levels, may help battle depression, sleep disorders, anxiety, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and other chronic health conditions. To get the highest quality L-5-HTP available, Jigsaw Healths all-natural form of 5-HTP is extracted from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia tree found principally in the West African countries of Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Togo. Various parts of the Griffonia simplicifolia tree were traditionally used not only as chewing sticks, but as African healing remedies to treat wounds, nausea, kidney ailments, and more.5-HTP, short for L-5-Hydroxytryptophan, naturally augments serotonin in your body when it is unable to produce it on its own, and can be effective at reducing symptoms of
Seasonal Affective Disorder? 5-HTP May Help 
Depression > Seasonal Affective Disorder? 5-HTP May Help
3 Words That Relieve Stress, Depression & Anxiety
Copyright 2006 Christopher Green
One of the most common flawed modes of behavior performed by every sufferer who enters into a harrowing episode of stress, depression or anxiety concerns the words they use to describe situations and events they are confronted with. In using powerful, emotive words, sufferers will trigger the fear response and the more they use such words, the worse their suffering gets.
Powerful, emotive words are part of everybody's vocabulary. Sometimes, we use powerful words when we lose our temper or we become angry and frustrated. In this state, we give vent to our feelings and the emotions within us have an outlet.
This is fine. For most people, once their emotions have been expressed, they return to their usual selves and life carries on as normal.
But it doesn't work like this if you are prone to stress, depression or anxiety.
In these states, sufferers will react negatively to every event they...
Depression > 3 Words That Relieve Stress, Depression & Anxiety
Do You Wake Up at 2 am? Is it Depression? Or is it...?
Do You Wake Up at 2 am? Is it Depression? Or is it...?Has this happened to you? You go to sleep easily, but 2 amcomes around and your eyes pop open. You're totally awake,but you know you need more sleep. You look at the clock andgroan - you have to be up at 5 am to get ready for work, andyou know you'll be groggy, irritable, and fuzzy-brained ifyou can't get back to sleep.Your mind searches for the reason why you can't sleep. Yougo over your recent fight with your husband, word for word,over and over. Or you agonize over the poor grade you got onthat test.
You may discover problems you didn't even knowyou had - not enough time to yourself, too much stress, toolittle respect from your family or coworkers.The negative thoughts charge on, and you stay wide awake.Is it depression? Is it stress? Do you need sleeping pills,or anti-depressants?Maybe. But before you begin medicating yourself, try thissimple experiment. Don't eat any sugar for a week, and don'tdrink any alcohol after 5...
Do You Wake Up at 2 am? Is it Depression? Or is it...?
Depression > Do You Wake Up at 2 am? Is it Depression? Or is it...?
How To Avoid Descent Into Depression
Copyright 2006 Christopher Green
You'll hear many times that single events can trigger a major episode of stress, depression and anxiety. The key word is "trigger", because that is all a single event is. It doesn't actually CAUSE stress, depression or anxiety but it does trigger a sequence of behaviors that lead to mental trauma.
But how does this happen?
Descent into a stressful, depressive or anxious episode happens because of negative and catastrophic reactions to events you are confronted with. One event by itself simply isn't enough. There are many chain-reactions that take place before a person becomes highly stressed or depressed or anxious, but I'm going to discuss one of the biggest ones: using one event to ascribe catastrophic meanings to all areas of your life ? I call it "generalizing".
Let's take a look at two events that most, if not all humans, will experience during their lifetime:
1.
Loss of a job....
How To Avoid Descent Into Depression
Depression > How To Avoid Descent Into Depression
Depression Symptoms, and Depression Treatment with Vitamins, Herbs and Supplements Explained by MyVitaminGuide.com
Virginia Beach, VA (ContentDesk) August 30, 2005 ?- My Vitamin Guide (MVG), an online review of vitamins, supplements, herbal remedies and alternative medicine, announced today it has compiled an extensive list of nutritional supplements that medical studies show can help alleviate symptoms of depression. Found online at www.MyVitaminGuide.com, MVG provides consumers free information on vitamins and supplements as well as resources, news, advice, and content from medical professionals on more than 650 health concerns and illnesses."Our information comes from experts in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, nursing, naturopathic, and public health, and from over 500 prominent medical journals," said MVG CEO Sam Knoll.
"By providing information on depression in a clear and easy-to-use way, we are helping people research and understand alternatives to traditional depression medications, so they can make informed decisions...
Depression > Depression Symptoms, and Depression Treatment with Vitamins, Herbs and Supplements Explained by MyVitaminGuide.com
the truth about omega 3
Since Dr Basant Puri, a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer at London's Imperial College MRI unit, released his findings on Omega 3 and its effect on brain function and depression, many studies have been performed regarding the beneficial effects of this fatty acid. Studies over the past two years have consistently confirmed that Omega 3, a substance lacking in today's "diet" is a key component in the brain's development and proper functioning.The notion that Omega 3 was linked to depression and other mental illnesses came about based on studies conducted at Harvard University in 1999 on people with bipolar and a 1996 study by the Journal of the American Medical Association studying the prevalence of depression across ten countries. The Harvard study found that fish oil was an effective treatment for bipolar. The study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association was expanded upon in 1998 when it was discovered that depression was lower in countries that consumed...
the truth about omega 3
Depression > the truth about omega 3
Depression
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