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Hormone Replacement Therapy and its Various Types
HRT (Hormone replacement therapy, also referred to as hormone therapy, estrogen replacement therapy, or menopausal hormone therapy, is a treatment that uses the female hormones progesterone and estrogen to treat the symptoms of aging and menopause. Doctors prescribe the treatment during or after menopause.
Once your menstruation stops, the hormone levels fall, causing uncomfortable symptoms like vaginal dryness and hot flashes and other times conditions like osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy re(laces hormones your body no longer produces. It is the most effective treatment for menopause symptoms.
Why the Body Needs Estrogen
When you think of estrogen, most likely you think about pregnancy. Estrogen plays an important role or preparing the uterus to receive the fertilized egg in women of child-bearing age. Estrogen has other uses in the body too, as it helps in raising the levels of good cholesterol, and also controls the manner in which your body utilizes calcium which is used to strengthen bone.
When Should You Take Progesterone
If you still have your uterus, using estrogen alone without progesterone raises your risk for cancer of endometrium, the uterus lining . The fact that the endometrium cells are no longer leaving your body during your period, they may build up in the womb and lead to cancer. Progesterone lowers this risk by thickening the lining.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Types
Estrogen Therapy: Doctors suggest a low dose of estrogen for women who have undergone hysterectomy. Estrogen is presented in different forms, but the most popular ones are the pill and the patch, but there is still the vaginal ring, spray or gel.
The Progestin Hormone Therapy
Also referred to like the combination therapy since it combines doses of estrogen and the synthetic form of progesterone, progestin. It is meant for women who still have their uterus.
Women with a family history of osteoporosis as well as those experiencing mild to severe symptoms of menopause are all candidates for hormone replacement therapy.On the other hand, women that have breast cancer, heart disease, liver disease, or a history of blood clots as well as those without the menopausal symptoms should not go to the hormone replacement therapy.
How to Take the Hormone Replacement Therapy
There are various treatment regimes of HRT available depending on whether you are still in the early stages of the menopause or have had menopausal symptoms for some time. The two most common types are the cyclical HRT and the continuous HRT.
The Cyclical HRT is recommended for women taking the combined Hormone replacement therapy who have menopausal symptoms but have their periods. They are two types; the monthly HRT for women with regular periods and Three-monthly HRT for those with the irregular periods.
Continuous Combined HRT is recommended for women who are post-menopausal–not having a period for a year. It involves taking estrogen and progesterone every day without a break.