As women approach menopause, fluctuations and drop in ovarian hormones—particularly estrogen—can cause an array of uncomfortable and life disrupting symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and pain during sex.
The good news? Evidence shows that hormone therapy (HT) is the most effective therapy to manage the vasomotor symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. HT can also help mitigate other menopausal symptoms, including mood and sleep changes, brain fog, and low libido.
Estrogen therapy, generally called hormone therapy (HT) when combined with a progestogen, is an effective treatment for menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms.
There are several types of estrogen made by the body that can be supplemented, including estrone (made primarily in the fat tissue), estradiol (the most potent estrogen present in the body before menopause made by the ovaries), and estriol (the weakest estrogen, primarily present during pregnancy).
Most women can safely begin taking estrogen therapy once they are in perimenopause or menopause and are displaying the symptoms of reduced or fluctuating estrogen. Your doctor can help you determine your eligibility based on your symptoms and some other key questions about your medical history. If your symptoms are bothering you, estrogen therapy is worth considering given its efficacy at diminishing menopause symptoms.
An estrogen patch is a form of estrogen therapy used to manage symptoms associated with menopause. The hormone from the patch is absorbed through the skin and into the body to prevent and manage symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. If you’re looking for a way to manage and treat symptoms associated with menopause, the estrogen patch may be right for you.
For many women, finding the right HT can be confusing, given that most menopause hormone therapies, including those at Evernow, are available in the form of a patch, pill, or cream. What’s more, some women may require estrogen-only therapy, while others will require a combination of estrogen and progesterone.
While it's not the best choice for everyone, general benefits of the patch include:
Yes, both the pill and the patch have been shown to be safe and effective treatments for the symptoms of menopause. But when comparing the two, one study that followed 54,000 women for one year found that those who used estrogen patches were one-third less likely to develop blood clots in their legs or lungs.
Though there are some unique benefits of the estrogen patch, the science is clear: hormone therapy is safe and effective at providing relief from menopause symptoms, regardless of the form of delivery.
The patch's effectiveness requires it to stick to your skin. This works well for many, but women who swim frequently, sweat profusely, or soak in hot tubs and baths might not be great candidates for the patch.
The estrogen patch isn’t right for everyone. Women with certain medical conditions or predispositions will need to be assessed closely by a medical provider to determine their eligibility for HT, and type of HT. These risk factors are highly personalized and vary depending on a woman’s age, and her individual medical history.
A personal history of the following conditions could put you at risk for vascular complications on HT:
Screening for these risk factors is a standard part of the assessment for HT eligibility and treatment, including treatment with Evernow.