The menopause from the perspective of conventional medicine
Dr. med. Helene Bamert-Stoop
July 11, 2023
4 min
Menopause from the perspective of conventional medicine: Dr Helene Bamert-Stoop explains in an interview what happens to the hormones during the menopause and what can be achieved with hormone replacement therapy.
Dr Bamert-Stoop, in brief, what happens to the female hormones during the menopause?
The ovary, the main production site of oestrogen and the corpus luteum hormone, ages and produces less and less corpus luteum hormone and, in the course of time, less and less oestrogen. With the menopause, the ovary largely stops working. This decline occurs over a period of years, sometimes fluctuating, sometimes rapidly. Women notice the hormone imbalance and also the hormone deficiency in the form of menopausal symptoms.
What are the causes of symptoms such as hot flushes, urogenital dryness and cycle disorders during the menopause?
Hot flushes are mainly caused by a lack of oestrogen, which temporarily throws the body's thermoregulation out of balance. Urogenital dryness is also due to oestrogen deficiency: The skin becomes thinner, more sensitive, loses elasticity and the muscles of the pelvic floor and urethra also break down somewhat.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of hormone replacement therapy?
The advantages are that hormone replacement therapy has been proven to help reduce symptoms. Patients feel more comfortable in their bodies again. Oestrogen also has a positive effect on bone health and blood vessels. Depending on the patient, however, the risk factors must also be carefully analysed and weighed up, as even healthy patients have a small risk of breast and uterine cancer and thrombosis.
What types of hormone replacement therapy are available?
Oestrogen is available as a gel or patch for whole-body therapy, or only as a vaginal gel or suppository for purely vaginal use. The luteal hormone can be swallowed as capsules or used vaginally. There are also tablets and patches that contain a combination of both hormones. Each patient can receive individualised advice and treatment.
How are hormone replacement therapies usually used?
If the uterus is no longer present, oestrogen alone will be used. If the patient still has a uterus, a combination with a corpus luteum hormone is mandatory. Depending on the preparation, oestradiol is used daily or twice a week. The corpus luteum hormone can also be administered in the form of a hormone coil for 5 years.
Dr. med. Helene Bamert-Stoop
Weitere Beiträge
Counsellor
How does screen time really affect eye health?
Whether in the office, on the move or at home - screens are a constant part of our everyday lives. Many people spend several hours a day in front of a laptop, smartphone or tablet. But what does this actually mean for our eyes? Does screen time make our eyes permanently worse or is there more to it than that?
Counsellor
Scarlet fever in children: symptoms, causes and treatment
Scarlet fever is a widespread bacterial infection that mainly affects children. It typically causes a red rash, high fever and a sore throat. In this blog post, you will learn everything you need to know about the causes, symptoms and course of scarlet fever, as well as the treatment options. We sat down with Dr Christine Stettner, an experienced paediatrician, to give you a concise overview.
Counsellor
Recognising pre-eclampsia early - Interview with PD Dr Anke Reitter
Pre-eclampsia is a complex clinical picture that is still not fully understood. What is clear, however, is that the condition develops very early in pregnancy and can have serious consequences for mother and child.
PD Dr Anke Reitter, a specialist in foetomaternal medicine, provides answers to the most important questions and focuses not only on treatment, but above all on how pre-eclampsia can be detected early or even prevented.