Treatment hormone replacement

Menopause is that stage in a woman’s life where menstruation stops permanently. This means she will no longer be able to conceive. Menopause usually occurs between ages 40 to 55 years.

It is a natural part of a woman’s life but it may also occur when a woman has had a hysterectomy – an operation where both her ovaries and uterus are removed by an operation. During menopause, a woman goes through a lot of changes in her behavioral and physical condition. These changes include hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness as also increased urination.

Women in this stage also are known to experience amnesia and frequent mood swings. Intercourse also becomes a very painful experience.

Hormone replacement treatment or HRT is prescribed to counter these changes. During menopause, there is hormonal imbalance. When a woman lacks a particular kind of hormone, with HRT, these hormones are replaced by their natural and synthetic substitutes. The natural estrogen used in HRT is about five times less powerful than the kind used in birth control pills. Due to this, the estrogen in birth control pills is not applicable to women on HRT. So, progestin – a synthetic compound similar to progesterone – is given with estrogen. Estrogen alone increases risk of endometrial cancer.

Estrogen is mostly prescribed in pill form. Vaginal estrogen creams are at times prescribed to stop vaginal dryness and to reduce the thinning of the vaginal walls. At times, even estrogen gels and patches are recommended to be applied by the woman as they get absorbed through the skin.

HRT may be used for two reasons. Hormone replacement treatment may be used by women to reduce the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause. It may also be done to improve the overall health of the woman, as HRT has a lot of benefits. Along with reducing menopause symptoms, HRT also reduces risk of osteoporosis or bone weakening. The time to begin HRT depends on the individual’s health, but it is most effective to women before the age of 60. Despite some of these benefits, research has indicated that there is an increased risk of breast and uterine cancer for women who have got HRT done for over 10 years. There is, however no risk when HRT is done for a short period of time, like for around 2 to 5 years.

As no medical treatment passes through without any side effects, weight gain, breast tenderness, bleeding headaches and skin irritation are some of the side effects of the treatment. You should consult your doctor at once if you find yourself suffering from any of these side effects.