For many older women, menopause can mark the start of a separate time in a woman’s life – a time which for many can be extremely unpleasant. Although one may celebrate the end of one’s menstrual cycles, many symptoms follow that are not ideal, including but not limited to hot flashes, sweating, and even mental symptoms such as increased anxiety and/or depression.

An Introduction to Hormone Replacement Therapy

One option that may help reduce these unpleasant menopause symptoms is Hormone Replacement Therapy, or HRT. As many of the symptoms that occur due to menopause are believed to be caused due to changes in a woman’s hormonal balance, HRT seeks to treat these symptoms by adjusting levels of estrogen and/or progesterone. HRT comes in both an estrogen-only and estrogen/progesterone combined form. Many women take the combined form, as it is believed that taking progesterone alongside the estrogen reduces the risk of developing womb/endometrial cancer that can be caused by estrogen-only medication. However, if a woman has had her womb removed via hysterectomy, it may be more beneficial to take the estrogen-only formula.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Administration

There are many types of Hormone Replacement Therapy administration and each has its own benefits and disadvantages. The most common form, however, is the tablet, as it is the simplest form of HRT. The tablet can come as both estrogen-only and progesterone/estrogen. Please note that one is at higher risk of developing a blood clot while taking HRT as tablet, although the overall risk is still quite small. If one is still concerned about the risk of blood clots, however, there are ample ways of the therapy that does not increase blood risk such as skin patches or estrogen gel. Both are common forms of HRT that are relatively easy options. Implants are another form of HRT that can take away the need to remember to administer the HRT. Implants are small, pellet-like injections that are inserted under the skin after a patient has been numbed with local anesthetic.

There are also forms of HRT that address specific symptoms a patient may be having, such as vaginal estrogen or testosterone HRT. One common symptom of menopause is vaginal dryness. Vaginal estrogen can help alleviate some of this dryness by inserting a cream, pessary or ring of estrogen that is placed inside the vagina.

Another common symptom of menopause is a lowered sex drive. Testosterone HRT is available as a gel and can be used alongside other HRT options to help increase the patient’s sex drive. It is important to discuss with one’s doctor which options would be best for themselves in terms of administration and the exact type of HRT one may need.

Medical advances have improved greatly so that the amount of suffering due to menopause symptoms can be reduced in a safe and easy way. Hormone Replacement Therapy has grown to be a very common tool in alleviating these menopause symptoms and can include many different forms from the tablet all the way to implants and gels.

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