Hormones not sole solution for menopause

Experts expound on the benefits exercise, diet changes & medication can have for women looking for non-hormonal menopause treatment

- 

During menopause, the body's production of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone declines greatly. The drop in oestrogen levels can lead to higher blood pressure and cholesterol.

Physician assistant Shilpa Gajarawala struggled with hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems and brain fog. But given her history of breast cancer, treating these menopausal symptoms with hormone therapy wasn't an option.

“For two years, I tried to kind of power through,” said the 58-year-old from Jacksonville, Florida.

But doctors say women like Gajarawala don’t need to suffer.

Though many women take hormone therapy medications to ease menopause symptoms, recently announced label changes may encourage even more to start. But others choose not to use these medications that circulate throughout the body. And doctors advise some to avoid them because they have medical problems such as severe liver disease or a history of heart attack, stroke, blood clots or a type of breast cancer that grows in response to hormones such as oestrogen.

For those people, there are lifestyle changes, medications without hormones and other strategies that can help.