Hormone replacement therapy, HRT, is a common indication for people who have reached menopause and are struggling with associated symptoms. Menopause is a period when a woman transitions from one stage in their life to another due to physiological factors. On average, this milestone usually occurs between the age of forty and fifty years. At this point, the person may begin to experience hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. Menopause may, however, come much earlier for women whose ovaries have been removed for one reason or another. There are a number of things on hormone replacement therapy St Petersburg FL women need to understand if considering this treatment.
The reproductive hormones, progesterone and oestrogen cease to be secreted when one is in menopause. Being responsible for secondary sexual characteristics such as breast growth, the reduction in hormone concentration causes this to cease and the breasts and the sexual organs begin to contract. The uterine lining shrivels and one can no longer have periods.
The replacement therapy is composed of synthetic hormones that work the same way as the human estrogen and progesterone. They come either in single preparations of oestrogen, progesterone or as a combination of the two. Even though most of them come in the form of pills, some preparations exist as patches, gels or creams.
Patients are advised against getting these pills over the counter without a prescription from the doctor. This is because they been known to increase the susceptibility of getting breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. They have also been linked to deep vein thrombosis, heart attacks and strokes. Therefore, these diseases have to be ruled out through a thorough evaluation before they are considered safe for an individual.
HRT too does have unwanted effects, just like any other form of treatment. The good thing is that most of these effects are temporary. The patient needs to be told clearly that is a possibility so that they do not stop taking the medication. Some of the common side effects include abdominal bloating, breakthrough bleeding, nausea and gaining weight unintentionally.
Patients who experience headaches when taking oral pills can be advised to change to skin patches. The main downside of the patches is that they have a tendency to cause irritation and discomfort to some patients. The idea is to be able to find out which mode of administration best suits your needs and stick to it.
It takes about three months for the patient to see positive effects of HRT. They will start to notice that their vagina seems to be well moisturized, their hair and skin becomes much more attractive and they no longer sustain bone fractures easily. To achieve the maximum possible effect, the HRT should be most concentrated where the problem is in the body. For example, vaginal creams are more appropriate than oral pills when the main complaint is dryness in the genital area.
All in all, one needs to weigh the benefits against the risks before choosing to use hormone replacement therapy. When you have chosen to use HRT, it is advisable to use the lowest possible dose and the shortest duration of time necessary to provide relief of symptoms.
The reproductive hormones, progesterone and oestrogen cease to be secreted when one is in menopause. Being responsible for secondary sexual characteristics such as breast growth, the reduction in hormone concentration causes this to cease and the breasts and the sexual organs begin to contract. The uterine lining shrivels and one can no longer have periods.
The replacement therapy is composed of synthetic hormones that work the same way as the human estrogen and progesterone. They come either in single preparations of oestrogen, progesterone or as a combination of the two. Even though most of them come in the form of pills, some preparations exist as patches, gels or creams.
Patients are advised against getting these pills over the counter without a prescription from the doctor. This is because they been known to increase the susceptibility of getting breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. They have also been linked to deep vein thrombosis, heart attacks and strokes. Therefore, these diseases have to be ruled out through a thorough evaluation before they are considered safe for an individual.
HRT too does have unwanted effects, just like any other form of treatment. The good thing is that most of these effects are temporary. The patient needs to be told clearly that is a possibility so that they do not stop taking the medication. Some of the common side effects include abdominal bloating, breakthrough bleeding, nausea and gaining weight unintentionally.
Patients who experience headaches when taking oral pills can be advised to change to skin patches. The main downside of the patches is that they have a tendency to cause irritation and discomfort to some patients. The idea is to be able to find out which mode of administration best suits your needs and stick to it.
It takes about three months for the patient to see positive effects of HRT. They will start to notice that their vagina seems to be well moisturized, their hair and skin becomes much more attractive and they no longer sustain bone fractures easily. To achieve the maximum possible effect, the HRT should be most concentrated where the problem is in the body. For example, vaginal creams are more appropriate than oral pills when the main complaint is dryness in the genital area.
All in all, one needs to weigh the benefits against the risks before choosing to use hormone replacement therapy. When you have chosen to use HRT, it is advisable to use the lowest possible dose and the shortest duration of time necessary to provide relief of symptoms.
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