Final answer:
Early onset menopause is associated with both immediate symptoms like hot flashes and long-term effects like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help but also increases the risk of serious health issues, leading to caution in its prescription.
Step-by-step explanation:
Early onset menopause is associated with a variety of symptoms and long-term health effects due to the decline of estrogen and progesterone levels. Common symptoms during the peri-menopause phase include hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, mood swings, thinning hair, and facial hair growth. In the long term, decreased estrogen levels are linked to an increase in cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis due to rapid decrease in bone density, and higher cholesterol levels.
While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can prevent bone loss and alleviate menopausal symptoms, it also carries risks such as an increased risk of stroke or heart attack, blood clots, various forms of cancer, and possibly dementia. These negative side effects have made many healthcare providers cautious about recommending HRT. Instead, it's usually considered only when symptoms first appear, prescribed in the lowest effective dose, and limited to a short treatment duration with regular monitoring.