Menopause Hormone Therapy Explained

Menopause hormone therapy is a prescription decision, yet many readers first look for relief at home. This page sorts the questions by how much risk they carry.

MedlinePlus explains that hormone therapy for menopause involves taking estrogen, with or without progesterone (or a similar hormone called progestin). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says treatments for menopausal symptoms include hormone therapy and non-hormonal therapy. Those two statements show that the choice has more than one branch, and that the branches belong in a clinician's hands.

Home care is where most readers begin, and it is worth knowing its limits first. The Endocrine Society's menopause library page is a sound reference for the basics.

From low-risk questions to higher-risk ones

1. Managing Menopause Symptoms Day to Day is the gentlest starting point, a look at daily habits.
2. Remedies for Hot Flashes at Home examines the do-it-yourself options readers try first.
3. Perimenopause Treatment Options Compared is the highest-risk topic, because it compares treatments that call for a prescriber.

Which page to read first

If you are not sure where you stand, begin with the daily habits page and then read the hot flash page before you buy a supplement. The FDA's menopause page is the official source behind the cautions here.

Do not start, stop or swap a hormone on the strength of an article. Ask a licensed professional first.