Women

If you experience irregular periods, you know the lack of predictability can be frustrating, inconvenient, and even frightening. What’s more, you may think that irregularity is simply a fact of life, particularly if you are approaching perimenopause. But menstrual irregularity isn’t inevitable. There is a potential treatment for it: progesterone cream.

For years, hormone replacement therapy after 65 was thought to be a no-go for reasons ranging from the medically-sound to the prejudiced. This was true for both women who were already receiving hormone therapy and for women who have never started it. Now, that is changing due to a growing body of evidence suggesting that HRT can have significant benefits for women over 65.

While the risk of osteoporosis increases with age, significant loss of bone density, fragility, and fractures are not inevitable—and the consequences of this condition are too dangerous to ignore. For both men and women, implementing smart strategies to reduce the risk of osteoporosis as early as possible can make a meaningful difference in your health as you age.

People who experience prolonged, unmanaged stress at work may be experiencing burnout syndrome (BOS), a popular phrase that has recently become officially recognized as an occupational phenomenon with serious health consequences. There is now there is an overwhelming amount of scientific data demonstrating that not only is burnout syndrome real, it is common—and it needs to be treated.

Most women are used to experiencing hormonal fluctuations. Since puberty, our bodies become accustomed to the ebb and flow of estrogen and progesterone that guide the reproductive cycle. The changes are routine and familiar. We come to know what to expect. But perimenopause can change that, as it introduces new and foreign hormonal states.

Menopause is a normal and expected part of every woman’s life. But too often, women are taught to believe that because menopause is a natural transition, their symptoms are inevitable rather than something that requires medical intervention. For many, this damaging belief leads to unnecessary suffering.

A lot has been said about menopause. There is a seemingly infinite number of books offering advice. Films and TV shows use it as a plot point. Thousands of memoirs, both humorous and serious, investigate this critical transition point in a woman’s life, and it’s a regular topic of conversation in lifestyle columns and magazine articles. In other words, menopause is an undeniable part of our cultural conversation. But what about perimenopause?

Standardized pharmaceuticals transform and save lives every day. Their role is so central in our lives that it is easy to forget just how powerful these medications can be, whether they’re treating a headache, regulating mood, or destroying cancer cells. But despite the tremendous promise of standardized medications, they aren’t right for everyone, particularly when it comes to hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Hormone replacement medications have been prescribed for over 80 years. Since Edward A. Doisy discovered the estrogen hormone in 1929, scientists have developed an array of drugs that supply the body with sex hormones derived from animal and plant sources. These medications can be life-changing for men and women with hormone imbalances as well as those who experience uncomfortable symptoms due to the natural aging process.

“You should get your hormones tested!”

How many times have you heard that comment? We’re often encouraged to look closely at our hormones when we experience symptoms that hint at conditions like hypothyroidism, menopause, or low testosterone. Indeed, fatigue, depression, hair loss, weight gain, weight loss, temperature sensitivity, mood changes, sleep disturbances, and anxiety are all common symptoms of hormonal changes or imbalances. But even if you know that a hormone test might be a good idea, you may not know what it entails—or where to get one.