To HRT or Not to HRT – That is Thy Apprehension

Female hormonesdefine are the hot topic of discussion these days. Women have been enticed with scientific research, media hype, almanacs and medicine samples to accept Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) as the darling of all treatments and improve the quality of their lives during the flip side of puberty. Read on to find the facts and dispel the myths about HRT.

HRT is a pharmaceutical preparation containing the female hormone estrogen which the feminine body stops making after menopause. By the intake of this drug which mirrors the effect of naturally produced hormonesdefine, women can not only ward off heart disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s, but feel youthful all over again.

HRT seems to be the answer to a woman’s prayers, so much so that in spite of the facts and myths that surround it, women have accepted it with open arms because it makes them experience the fountain of youth all over again.

Menopause brings with it a cache of associated problems like hot flushes, night sweats, bloating, headaches, insomnia, indigestion, allergies, depressiondefine, fatigue, obesity, head hair loss, high BP, facial hair growth, wrinkles, mood swings, irritability, vaginal dryness, muddled thinking, memory problems, bone loss, anxiety attacks and heavy bleeding. The universal remedy and magic potion prescribed for all these symptoms is HRT and synthetic estrogen is the medication.

There are three main types of HRT namely Estrogen only HRT, Cyclical HRT and Continuous HRT. Estrogen only HRT is for women who have had a hysterectomy. Cyclical HRT (also known as sequential HRT) is suggested for women who are facing menopausal symptoms but are still on with their periods. Continuous HRT is recommended for women who are post-menopausal.

There is a necessity to make an informed decision about whether or not to HRT. In order to help make the correct choice some facts and myths of HRT are enumerated below:

Myths:

• HRT delays osteoporosis.
• HRT helps to relieve all the symptoms of menopause.
• All estrogens are the same.
• The method of in taking HRT does not matter.
• One size fits all.
• HRT shortens the life of its users.
• A menopausal woman stops producing estrogen.
• HRT is safe and has no side effects.
• HRT keeps the skin wrinkle free.

Facts:

• HRT increases the chances of getting breast cancerdefine, heart attack, stroke or thrombosisdefine.
• These chances disappear once HRT is stopped for a minimum of 5 years.
• Synthetic hormones are steroids and should not be used; only bio-identical human forms should be used.
• The estrogen used in HRT is taken from plants or from the urine of pregnant horses.
• Our body makes sufficient estrogen from the womb to the tomb, provided we lead a healthy life style.
• HRT has 120 possible risks and side effects.
• During menopause sometimes estrogen is produced in excess: that is when HRT fails.

So, women go in for a HRT if you feel, but pray get your hormone levels tested before you take the plunge. However, some alternative treatments still weight more than HRT. They include life style changes, regular exercise, and herbal supplements.

If HRT does not agree with your body or if the dosage is incorrect it could cause side effects like fluid retention, bloating, breast tenderness, nausea, leg cramps, indigestion, acne, mood swings and depression thus loosing its very intention.

Hence, women, XX chromosomes, female fraternity come, indulge in HRT and conquer the sideeffects of aging.