CHARLOTTE, N.C. — World Menopause Day is recognized globally on Oct. 18.

According to the International Menopause Society, the day is about raising menopause awareness and ways to improve women's health. 

The 2024 theme is menopause hormone therapy.

A North Carolina medical expert says now is the perfect time to address concerns about the therapy.

Dr. Lara Aboulhosn is an OB-GYN and menopause expert at Infinity Medspa & Wellness. 

The doctor says she's always had a passion for helping women live healthier lives. 

"Each woman has a different story and each woman is magnificent," Aboulhosn said. "They impact so many things and help make the world go around." 

Aboulhosn says hormone replacement therapy, also referred to as menopause hormone therapy, is an option to manage menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

Menopause happens when a woman goes 12 months without a menstrual period. 

"In the United States, the average age of menopause is 51," Aboulhosn said. "If we want to think of that as the top of the bell curve, the majority of us will go through menopause between ages 45 and 55. Perimenopause, the time in our life where our hormones start to shift and when we may start having symptoms, could start as early as 35 for some women."

Less known symptoms Aboulhosn says are associated with menopause include: 

• sleep disturbances
• irritability
• weight gain
• hair loss
• skin changes
• vaginal changes and pain 
• burning in intercourse
• worsening of anxiety
• decreased energy
• changes in body composition
• more frequent urges to go to the bathroom
• uptick in urinary tract infections
• muscle and joint aches

Hormone replacement therapy is known for helping women dealing with these symptoms. 

But the therapy procedure sparked lots of controversy after a 2002 study found the risks may outweigh some of the benefits.

"Around 20 years ago, the Women's Health Initiative put out a very large report stating that hormones were bad, increased risk of breast cancer, increased risk of heart disease, increased risk of stroke, and a lot of women that were on it had hormones taken away," Aboulhosn said. "Unfortunately, as time progressed, menopausal education actually fell significantly to physicians that really needed it."

"With newer data, new research, a lot of the myths from the Women's Health Initiative have been debunked, especially in regards to cardiovascular risks and breast cancer," she said. "But again, there is no size fits all, especially with hormone replacement therapy. Every person has a different risk profile."

Aboulhosn says it's important for women to have a conversation with their physician about whether hormone replacement therapy is best for them. 

"One thing we are all certain of is that 100% of women will go through menopause. All of us at some point in our lives will be perimenopausal and postmenopausal," she said.

"Our symptoms and ages we go through it will all be different," she said. "Some people have severe symptoms that impact their daily lives and they can't function. Some have very mild to no symptoms and they can simply go about their day-to-day and not miss a beat. It just depends on the person."

"But every woman deserves a conversation," Aboulhosn said.