HRT

HRT, short for Hormone Replacement Therapy, is a treatment used to address severe symptoms normally linked to menopause. Menopause occurs naturally when a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs, leading to a decline in estrogen and progesterone. This decline can cause hot flashes, night sweats, discomfort in the genitals area, and mood swings. HRT aims to replace the missing hormones, alleviating these uncomfortable symptoms.

There are two main types of HRT: combined HRT, which is to replace both estrogen and progesterone as generated in a normal menstrual cycle, and estrogen-only HRT. The later type is further split as follows:

• Systemic hormone therapy or systemic estrogen — coming in as injections,  pills, skin patches, rings, gels, creams or sprays — typically contains a higher dose of estrogen that is absorbed throughout the body. It can be used to treat any of the common symptoms of menopause

and

• Low-dose topical therapy  or low-dose genital estrogen — comes in as cream, tablets, rings and supositories — is used to minimize the amount of estrogen absorbed by the whole body only used to treat the vaginal and urinary symptoms of menopause.

The type prescribed depends on a plethora of factors, from bloodwork test results  to whether or not a woman has had any surgeries on her reproductive system. While HRT may effectively eliminate negative menopausal symptoms, it’s important to discuss it with a doctor. HRT can have side effects, at times severe, such as blood clots, and may not be suitable for everyone, let alone on a non-prescription basis. To access HRT, a medical professional should evaluate the risks and benefits and determine if HRT is the right course of action for a particular case.

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