Healing Hormones Hormone replacement therapy safely
relieves menopausal symptoms for many women.
Q: What is hormone replacement therapy
used for?
A: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a type of treatment where
the body is given hormones to prevent or treat certain medical conditions (such
as treating symptoms of menopause in women and preventing osteoporosis). The hormones
used in HRT are synthetic hormones, which means they are created in a
laboratory (rather than by the body), but they act like natural hormones once
inside the body.
At menopause, your body begins making less
estrogen and progesterone hormones. This causes the body to stop having
menstrual periods.
This is because estrogen and progesterone hormones
control your periods and menstrual cycle. A lack of estrogen may cause symptoms
such as:
• Hot flushes (or hot flashes)
• Vaginal dryness
• Dry skin
• Loss of sex drive
• Risk of bone loss (osteoporosis)
When these symptoms occur, you may choose
to take hormone therapy (HT) to get back the estrogen lost during menopause.
When the hormone estrogen is given alone,
it is usually referred to as estrogen therapy (ET).
When the hormone progestin is combined
with estrogen, it is generally called HT or combination therapy. This was
formerly known as HRT.
Your caregiver can help you make a
decision on what will be best for you. The decision to use HT seems to change
often as new studies are done. Many studies do not agree on the benefits of
HRT.
