At various stages of their lives, women go through several transformations that place great demands on their bodies and cause significant hormonal changes. Menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause are the main phases in which all these radical changes occur in their bodies. It is not surprising that several endocrine problems end up appearing throughout the lives of some women and even other problems arise after this major hormonal shift.

Menopause

However, there is one phase in particular that brings about changes which can be dangerous for some women’s health. We are talking about menopause, which basically marks a woman’s exit from her fertile years. The body, understanding that there will no longer be reproduction, begins to reduce the production of certain hormones, especially estrogen, which is responsible for various functions in the body such as the distribution of fat, skin texture control, and it also plays several roles in the reproductive system. The main problem is that some women end up suffering a lot from the lack of estrogen and the typical symptoms of menopause end up being stronger and interfere with their lives. This drop in the production of certain hormones can end up causing specific diseases or disorders in women. In these more severe cases, the lack of estrogen should be treated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is basically a treatment to regulate a woman’s hormone production to prevent or treat diseases or disorders that may arise.

Diseases Acquired Due to Hormone Deficiency

The main diseases that a woman may develop due to hormone deficiency, especially estrogen, are:

  • Osteoporosis
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Alzheimer’s disease

As you can see, hormone deficiency can affect virtually every area of a woman’s body, and certain treatments can help combat and prevent these problems. But it is always important to remember that hormone replacement therapy comes with both benefits and consequences.

But After All, What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Hormone replacement therapy or HRT is done through the use of medications prescribed and controlled by a doctor. In most cases, it is prescribed to relieve menopausal symptoms when a woman is suffering intensely from them, but it can also be used to treat certain diseases stemming from hormone deficiency, such as osteoporosis, for example.

How is the treatment administered?

Treatment is usually done with small doses of hormones taken orally or with a topical medication such as patches or gels. Hormonal implants are also used in some cases, although these are less common. The treatment involves doses of estrogen and progesterone, but women who have had their uterus removed do not need progesterone replacement.

Treatment Contraindications

Not all women can undergo this type of therapy, since the treatment involves potent medications and a relatively large amount of hormones. The main contraindications for hormone replacement therapy are:

  • Women with a history of cancer (especially breast or endometrial cancer)
  • Women who have had a stroke (CVA)
  • Women who have had a heart attack
  • Women with a history of severe venous thrombosis or clotting disorders
  • Women with lupus

These contraindications exist for a simple reason: All these conditions can be affected in some way by the new hormones entering the body.

ATTENTION: Have all the proper tests done by a trusted doctor before starting hormone replacement therapy, as the consequences of starting this type of therapy carelessly can be serious.

Diseases That Hormone Replacement Therapy Helps to Combat

Hormone replacement therapy certainly brings excellent benefits and helps fight various types of diseases, in addition to relieving menopausal symptoms in women who truly need it. But how does HRT combat these diseases? Let’s discuss the effect of treatment on some of them to clarify this issue.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis in women is often caused by low estrogen production, which leads to bone weakening. With hormone replacement therapy, bones can become stronger due to the increased calcium production in a woman’s body and, consequently, osteoporosis problems may decrease or even disappear.

Depression and Anxiety

It is widely known that depression affects women much more than men. This occurs because it is a condition that can be caused by certain deregulated hormones in the body, including estrogen, one of the main hormones produced in a woman’s body. For this reason, hormone replacement therapy also has the benefit of treating conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Cardiovascular diseases

Hormone replacement therapy increases the level of good cholesterol (HDL) in women and helps prevent or treat several cardiovascular diseases, especially by alleviating the symptoms of coronary artery disease.

Alzheimer’s disease

Recent studies show that a decrease in major female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone directly affects a woman’s memory capacity. Of course, this is a disease that also has genetic causes, but HRT may help slow down or even prevent the problem in some cases. It’s always good to know that there is an option for problems that at first may not seem very serious, but can become real obstacles and disrupt many people’s lives if left untreated. The female body goes through so many changes throughout life that it’s nearly impossible for some symptoms not to appear at some stage or another. Even though it is not always necessary, hormone replacement therapy has been helping to combat diseases and relieve the bothersome symptoms of menopause in women. We can certainly say that HRT is of great help and a major advance when it comes to women’s health. See Also: Testosterone Replacement in Men Can Affect Male Fertility Photo: luxstorm