Many women going through menopause experience uncomfortable symptoms as their bodies produce less estrogen. These can include hot flashes, night sweats, difficulty sleeping, irritability, vaginal dryness and thinning bones (osteoporosis). Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the form of estrogen and progesterone, can ease these discomforts until natural hormone levels stabilize. HRT is not appropriate for every woman, and treatment may lead to health problems including blood clots, heart attacks, and breast and endometrial cancer. To reduce the risk of developing these or other complications, hormones should be taken in the lowest effective doses and for the shortest time needed. Talk with your doctor about whether HRT is right for you.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Hormone replacement therapy is a treatment for women going through menopause. Symptoms of menopause can vary from moderate to severe, and include a slowed metabolism, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, depression, memory loss, mood swings, weight gain and low libido. One way to treat the symptoms of menopause is to replace the hormones that a woman’s body is no longer producing. Traditional hormone-replacement therapy uses synthetic hormones to treat the symptoms of menopause.