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
Hand surgery: Everything you need to know - an interview with Dr Andreas Schierz, Head Physician and Head of the Department of Surgery at Zollikerberg Hospital
At Zollikerberg Hospital, the motto is: precise surgery on one of the most fascinating and at the same time most complex parts of the body - the hand. Hand surgery here means not only modern technology, but above all very precise craftsmanship. This is what Dr Andreas Schierz, Head Physician and Clinic Director of Surgery, and his team stand for. They treat complaints such as carpal tunnel syndrome, rapid fingers, ganglions, hand injuries or fractures with empathy and expertise and use occupational therapy to restore the mobility of your fingers. In this interview, you can find out what is particularly important in these sensitive interventions.
Counsellor
Gout: recognising, preventing and treating the causes
Gout is a metabolic disorder caused by too much uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is formed from purines, which are found in many foods and in all body cells. As a rule, purines are broken down into uric acid, 80 per cent of which is excreted via the kidneys and 20 per cent via the intestines. If less uric acid is released from the body, it is deposited in the form of crystals in joints and causes inflammation.
Counsellor
Glaucoma - the underestimated risk to your eyesight
Glaucoma, also known as glaucoma, is one of the most common causes of irreversible vision loss worldwide. Despite its prevalence, this eye disease goes unnoticed by many sufferers for a long time, as it develops gradually and without early symptoms. This is precisely why early diagnosis and treatment is crucial in order to preserve vision and prevent blindness. In this article, we explain what exactly glaucoma is, what the risk factors are, how the diagnosis is made and what modern forms of treatment are available. We also provide valuable tips on how you can help prevent it yourself.