It might be tempting to get a quick fix for hot flashes, but consider a different perimenopause treatment besides hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT may be inexpensive and easy, but its long-term risks outweigh the immediate benefits – not to mention that it will likely further aggravate the symptoms of menopause! this outcome occurs because HRT causes estrogen dominance, a condition where there is far more estrogen than progesterone in the body. on the other hand, products that are natural for menopause-related symptoms will provide relief from your symptoms without causing estrogen dominance.

Risks of estrogen dominance caused by medications for perimenopauseBelow are just a few of the risks faced by menopausal women when they take HRT.

Increased menopause symptomsWhile restoring your estrogen levels might reduce hot flashes to begin with, it may also cause increased weight gain, poor sleep patterns, headache, anxiety, and depression if left unopposed.

Fibrocystic breasts and breast cancerResearchers from Harvard University discovered that the longer your exposure to estrogens, the greater your risk of fibrocystic breasts (breast cysts) and breast cancer. In their Nurses’ Health Study, a study that tracked the health of 70,000 women for almost 20 years, they discovered that menopausal women who used estrogen had a 30% increased risk for breast cancer than women who didn’t take HRT. the risk for breast cancer was 40% more among women who took estrogen and progestin manmade progesterone). Those who were taking HRT for longer than five years had an elevated risk that increased with their age. the Nurses’ Health Study supports early evidence that HRT plays a significant role in the onset of breast cancer, even if progestin is added to balance out the estrogen.

Blood clotsStudies demonstrate that an increased risk of blood clots among menopausal women is triggered by two things: cigarette smoking and the use of synthetic estrogens.

Gallstones and liver problemsIf you have any kind of liver disorder, then you should definitely avoid HRT; estrogen affects the function of the liver enzymes. Research shows that women taking HRT have twice the risk of developing gallstones that require surgical removal.

Uterine cancerFour to eight out of every one thousand menopausal women will develop uterine cancer because of HRT. Although the risk of uterine cancer is decreased when progestin is added, research shows that progestin will place you at greater risk for breast cancer. Other risk factors like cigarette smoking, a family history of uterine cancer, and abnormal uterine bleeding will also increase the likelihood of HRT-related uterine cancer despite the presence of progestin.unlike the symptoms of menopause, which are temporary, the side effects of HRT may last a lifetime.