Women at the age of menopause or near the age of menopause are often facing struggle due to the symptoms they experience at that time. Menopausal symptoms like vaginal dryness and hot flashes are often frustrating and lead to discomfort in the normal lifestyle of women. Hormonal replacement therapy is an effective method of treating menopausal symptoms in individuals. Today, we are going to discuss the benefits and risks of hormonal replacement therapy in menopausal women.
Know About Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy is used to provide hormones that are reduced or lost during the period of menopause. It is used to replace the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which become low when you reach menopause.
It can be given as a single therapy (estrogen) or a combination of therapy (estrogen and progesterone). Estrogen therapy can be given as nasal spray, pills or tablets, skin gel or patches, vaginal creams, or vaginal tablets to help with dryness and pain with sexual intercourse and vaginal ring. Progesterone can be given as oral tablets like Duphaston tablet (Dydrogesterone) or pills, skin patches, vaginal creams, vaginal suppositories, and through an intrauterine device or intrauterine system.
Menopausal symptoms
- Irregular periods: You may experience an irregular period or changes in the menstrual cycle.
- Vaginal dryness: Individuals may have vaginal dryness due to hormonal changes.
- Hot flashes: You may experience a sudden warmth in the upper part of the body.
- Night sweats: Individuals may have excess sweat during the night.
- Sleep problems: People may experience difficulty sleeping or sleeping problems.
- Mood changes: Individuals may have mood swings during the menopause.
- Weight gain: Individuals may experience a sudden weight gain due to metabolic changes.
- Thinning hair and dry skin: You may experience hair loss, which results in hair thinning and dry skin.
Benefits of HRT
1. Menopausal symptoms:
HRT plays a major role in relieving menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, anxiety, and vaginal dryness by using them after a few weeks of time.
2. Prevention of Osteoporosis:
HRT helps prevent osteoporosis by elevating estrogen levels in the body. Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become brittle and thin. Estrogen plays an important role in managing bone density. However, it is crucial to take HRT for women who reach menopause before 45 years of age.
3. Improvement in Mood and Well-being:
HRT helps to alleviate mood swings like irritability, anxiety, or depression due to the hormonal fluctuation in menopause. It can help stabilize mood and improve the overall psychological well-being of the individuals.
4. Maintenance of Vaginal Health:
HRT helps to maintain vaginal health in menopausal individuals who are experiencing vaginal dryness, itchiness, and discomfort.
5. Reduced Risk of Heart Disease:
HRT helps to reduce cardiovascular disease, which can be caused by the reduction of estrogen levels in individuals. It also helps to reduce the mortality rate that menopause-related CVD causes.
Risk of HRT
1. Increased Risk of Breast Cancer:
HRT may slightly elevate the risk of breast cancer in women. If you already have breast cancer, you might not recommend HRT for the menopause treatment.
2. Increased Risk of Endometrial Cancer:
It is estimated that the estrogen-only HRT treatment can elevate the risk of endometrial cancer in menopausal women. Hence, it can be recommended for women who had a hysterectomy.
3. Increased Risk of Blood Clots:
HRT tablets are estimated to raise the risk of blood clotting and venous thrombosis in patients. However, the risk can be estimated to be very low.
4. Increased risk of stroke:
It is estimated that the HRT tablet can slightly raise the risk of stroke in individuals above 60 years of age. However, this case is not applicable to other estrogen therapies like patches, sprays, and gels.
Conclusion
HRT has been an effective method in treating menopausal women who are facing discomfort. However, it is recommended to speak with your healthcare provider about the potential benefits and risks of HRT to avoid any consequences caused by them.
