Facts You Need to Know About Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) refers to a group of treatments used to replace hormones in women who have reached menopause. Kalpana Desai, MD experts, help women enjoy their postmenopausal stage by offering hormone replacement Lady Lake services.

Meanwhile, here is a breakdown of hormone replacement therapy and its benefits.

When does menopause start?

Menopause usually happens between 45 and 55 years of age, when a woman’s ovaries stop producing the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Some women may experience early menopause for medical reasons or surgery, such as removing the ovaries (oophorectomy).

Many women experience symptoms during menopause, ranging from mild to severe. A few women have no problems and sail through this time without noticing any changes. For example, some women start menopause in their 40s, while others don’t reach it until they are in their late 50s or early 60s. Some women experience many symptoms and find the whole thing distressing, while others hardly notice anything.

Many women seek treatment when they begin menopausal symptoms after being told that these are caused by low levels of hormones and will be helped by hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

How does hormone replacement work?

HRT (Hormone replacement therapy) replaces the body’s natural sex hormones, progesterone and estrogen. It is used to relieve menopause symptoms, including hot flushes, vaginal dryness and night sweats.

HRT can also help prevent osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) after menopause. Oestrogen protects against bone loss, so levels of this hormone naturally start to decline with age as a result of menopause.

Why is hormone replacement therapy important?

  1. Reduce menopausal symptoms

Women who are premenopausal and those with hysterectomy can consume estrogen alone, eliminating the risks associated with combination therapy, including an increased risk for stroke, blood clots and breast cancer. Estrogen alone is used to reduce hot flashes plus other menopausal effects.

  1. Protect against osteoporosis

Postmenopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy have been shown to lose less bone mass than those who don’t take it. This can help protect against fractures from osteoporosis.

  1. Prevent colon cancer

Postmenopausal women who undergo hormone replacement therapy may be at a lower risk for colon cancer than those who do not take the hormones.

  1. Prevent heart disease (in younger postmenopausal women)

Studies show that postmenopausal women who start taking combination hormone replacement therapy within ten years of menopause may be at lower risk for heart disease than those who don’t take the hormones. But this benefit doesn’t happen if you begin taking combination hormone replacement therapy more than 10 years after menopause or if you are older than 60 when you first begin it.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms. It is a systemic therapy that directly addresses the cause of menopausal symptoms. Symptoms may occur because of a deficiency in estrogen or progesterone in your body.HRT is a treatment that replaces female hormones at lower levels as you approach menopause. HRT can be taken in several ways, including tablets, gels, patches, implants, or vaginal rings or creams. Which form of HRT you are prescribed will depend on the severity of your symptoms and personal preference. If you are struggling with menopause symptoms, get started with hormone replacement therapy at Kalpana Desai MD today.