Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was the most common prescribed treatment for women undergoing menopause.
However, around 2002 some findings regarding hormone replacement therapy led to a steep decline in its popularity.
It has been found that hormone replacement therapy or hormone therapy as it is called in Britain may increase the risk of breast cancer, heart diseases, strokes and some other fatal conditions in women who undergo this treatment for any length of time.
How does Hormone Replacement Therapy Work?
Menopause or perimenopause which is the time leading to menopause, is a time of great changes in a woman's body. The ovaries mature and start producing much lesser amounts of some very important hormones.
This fluctuation in the hormone levels can lead to several annoying symptoms that women have to bear during the perimenopause years. Hot flashes, anxiety, stress, cold sweats, and headaches are just a few of the various symptoms that a woman deals with during menopause. Amongst these symptoms hot flashes and night sweats are considered the most debilitating by women.
Hormone replacement therapy may alleviate some of these symptoms by replenishing the declining levels of hormones in the body. The hormone fluctuation, which is the root cause of most symptoms, can potentially be reduced through Hormone replacement therapy.
Generally this hormone therapy has two main hormones, which are administered, estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone is given in the form of a chemical analogue called progestin. For some women who suffer from low sex drive during menopause testosterone might also be administered during hormone therapy to improve the libido.
What are the Kinds of Hormone Replacement Therapy?
There are three main ways in the hormones are administered to a woman.
Sequentially Combined HRT: This involves administering estrogen on a daily basis while introducing progestin on the 10th to 14th day of the month. The actual ingestion of hormones can happen through gels, pills, patches, vaginal rings or in some rare cases through an injection.
Continuous Combined HRT: This kind of HRT involves administering both estrogen and progestin on a daily basis
Unopposed Estrogen therapy: Women who have undergone hysterectomy are generally given a pure dosage of estrogen without any progestin to fight the severe symptoms of menopause faced by them.
What are the Risks Associated with HRT?
HRT is believed to increase the risk of certain fatal diseases.
Cancer: Women who undergo HRT for more than 5 to 7 years are at a slightly greater risk of breast cancer. Endometrial or uterine cancer is highly likely in women who undergo estrogen therapy alone. However, administering progestin along with estrogen decreases the risk of uterine cancer greatly.
Heart diseases and strokes: Estrogen therapy increases the risk of heart diseases in older women and also leaves them more susceptible to strokes
Blood clots: Ingesting estrogen increases the risk of blood clots in women. Women who take birth control pills which contain high levels of estrogen are at a greater risk of blood clots.
Every woman has to get her doctor's advice and weigh the benefits of HRT with its risks and make an informed decision along with her doctor regarding the usage of this therapy to fight the symptoms of menopause.
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