Doctors have prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to female patients for many years to alleviate symptoms of the menopause, including lowering the risk of osteoporosis.
However, many people are still unsure or unaware of how HRT works and exactly why it’s used. Here, we’ll look at the benefits of HRT and how it can support women lead happier, healthier lives.
HRT for women
HRT is a form of treatment that first came about in the 1940s to enhance the body’s natural hormone levels, which often reduce as a woman ages and particularly, reaches the menopause.
Essentially, this can be oestrogen-only therapy for women who’ve had a hysterectomy or progesterone therapy, which is prescribed to patients who go through the menopause naturally. Depending on the patient and type of HRT prescribed, HRT can be given in various forms including tablet, skin patch, gel, and cream. There is also the option of using testosterone to help women with hormone imbalance, which is another way to improve a patient’s lifestyle.
Why is HRT needed?
The symptoms of menopause vary from woman to woman, with some experiencing severe reactions that negatively impact her life and others not as badly affected.
However, HRT is required by some patients to try and alleviate some of the below symptoms, which are caused by the female body entering and going through menopause:
- Hot flushes.
- Night sweats.
- Sleeping problems.
- Low mood.
- Loss of bladder control.
- Reduced sex drive.
- Palpitations.
- Hair loss.
- Weakened bones.
Not every woman will endure every one of these symptoms listed above. But the aim of HRT is to reduce the adverse impact that these have and provide a better quality of life.
How does HRT help women?
In the UK, the average age of the menopause is 51 years. Of course, at that age, many women are still holding down jobs and looking after family — not to mention still trying to lead a happy and active social life!
As you can imagine, suffering many sleepless nights, random hot flushes and persistent low moods will have a significant impact on how well a woman can juggle these various aspects of her life. By taking HRT, a patient can potentially improve her quality of sleep, reduce the severity of hot flushes and boost her mental outlook. All of which should contribute to a more alert and cheerier emotional state.
HRT is also believed to reduce the development of osteoporosis. It does this by boosting a woman’s oestrogen levels, which in turn enhances bone density and lowers the rate of fracture. As brittle bones and fractures can impede on a woman’s fitness, this is another benefit of HRT.
What’s more, HRT might be able to help with how good the patient feels about herself while going through the menopause. For example, hair loss or thinning and reduced bladder control can cause anxiety and even embarrassment for some women, but these are two other symptoms that HRT may be able to help with and alleviate.
Similarly, a reduced sex drive can be very detrimental to a woman’s relationship with her partner. Unfortunately, this is a common side effect of the menopause. By taking HRT, a patient may be able to boost her desire to engage in this side of her life, thereby enhancing her relationship.
There are many ways HRT can help women. If you’re considering HRT to alleviate your symptoms, consult a doctor to go through your options.
