Menopause is not considered a ‘disease’ and therefore it should not be treated as one. Medications for menopause are therefore targeted at minimising distressing symptoms and lowering risks of menopause-related symptoms such as heart disease, osteoporosis and emotional irregularities.
There is no one-size-fits-all medical management as each treatment needs to put into consideration your health condition, risk factor for hormone-related cancers, symptoms, age and others. However, treatment is generally categorised into two – hormonal therapy and non-hormonal therapy.
Hormone therapy is designed to tackle the hormonal deficiencies in your body and get your body systems to function as it did before menopause. There are many types of hormone therapies and your doctor will recommend one most suitable for your specific needs.
Non-hormonal therapy is targeted at the other ailments that come as a result of ageing, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and osteoporosis.
Medications can be in the form of pills or tablets, gels, vaginal ring or creams. Some medications are taken for a certain time frame, others are for a lifetime. Your medications may also change from time to time as your condition improves or changes.