Hormone Replacement Therapy, commonly called HRT, has become a controversial menopausal treatment ever since a vast study came out in 2002 that revealed the potentially severe health risks that can piggy-back on HRT treatments. For those who do decide to undergo HRT treatment, understanding the ins and outs will help to remain as safe as possible. Continue reading to learn about HRT and the common hormones that it replaces.
About Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy is basically a means of substituting outside hormones into the body when a woman is lacking in natural production. There are several different types of hormone replacement therapy that a woman may experiment with in the search for hormonal relief.
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Combined HRT |
This involves taking more than one type of hormone at the same time. |
Continuous Combined HRT |
Two or more types of hormones are taken simultaneously with no breaks in the month. Women on continuous combined HRT will not experience a monthly period in most cases. |
Natural HRT |
Natural hormone replacement therapy uses hormones that are synthesized from natural sources. |
Synthetic HRT |
Hormone replacers are chemically synthesized rather than derived from organic sources. |
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Click on the following link to learn more
about hormone replacement therapy, its forms, and repercussions; or, keep reading for more information about the different hormones involved in hormone replacement therapy.
Common Hormones
Although a woman's body produces myriad hormones that have many different effects on her body, the primary hormones affected by menopause are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Below is information about the various types of hormonal replacement therapy.
1. Estrogen Replacement Therapy
- Conjugated estrogen - Combines three strains of estrogen.
- Natural estrogen replacement therapy - Derives estrogen from urine of pregnant mares, which is almost identical to a human female's estrogen.
- Synthetic estrogen replacement therapy - Comprised of estrogen-like substances composed in a laboratory.
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estrogen replacement therapy; or, continue reading to learn about progesterone replacement therapy.
2. Progesterone Replacement Therapy
- Natural Progesterone Replacement Therapy- Derived from natural sources such as wild yams.
- Synthetic Progesterone Replacement Therapy - Progestogens are fabricated compounds that bind to a woman's own progesterone receptors.
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progesterone replacement therapy; or, keep reading and learn about testosterone replacement therapy.
3. Testosterone Replacement Therapy
| Did you Know? |
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A woman's testosterone production decreases by 50% between the ages of 20 and 40.
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In most cases, a doctor will not prescribe straight testosterone for women. Long term effects of this treatment are not yet known, as this is a relatively new form of hormonal treatment for women.
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testosterone replacement therapy; or, read on to learn about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Bioidentical HRT treatment, like the name suggests, is identical to the body's naturally produced hormones. The chemical structure of bioidentical HRT is not just similar to natural hormones, but it is exactly the same. There remains a lack of scientific evidence to determine for sure what the actual benefits of bioidentical HRT are.
Bioidentical HRT is commonly administered through a topical cream because it eliminates the risk of blood clotting or liver problems that are associated with oral ingestion of the treatment.
Continue reading to find out what forms of hormone replacement therapy are available.
Forms of Hormone Replacement Therapy
In general, hormone replacement therapy either is derived from the urine of pregnant mares or it is synthetic and is not perfectly identical to the body's natural hormones. Below is a list of the different forms of non-bioidentical HRT.
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forms of hormone replacement therapy; or, keep reading to get educated about the side effects of hormone replacement therapy.
Side Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Prior to 2002, little was really known about the possible side effects and dangers of HRT. Recent studies however have showed a connection between HRT usage and breast cancer, heart attacks, and stroke.
Below is a list of the milder side effects that come along with each type of hormone replacement therapy.
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Side effects of
Estrogen Replacement Therapy |
Side effects of Progesterone Replacement Therapy |
Side effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy |
• Vaginal Bleeding
• Nausea
• Breast Pain or Tenderness
• Hair Loss
• Abdominal Cramping
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• Headaches
• Fluid Retention
• Weight Gain
• Skin Spotting
• Asthma |
• Increase in LDL cholesterol
• Unexplained fatigue
• Mood changes
• Fluid Retention |
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If a woman decides that these risks outweigh the benefits of hormone replacement therapy, she does have other options. Click the following link to learn more about the
side effects for hormone replacement therapy; or, keep reading to find out about alternative treatment options.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Alternative Treatments
With side effects a very real danger when a woman uses hormone replacement therapy, she may want to think about possible alternatives. Keep reading to learn about the array of HRT alternatives to find the best fit.
Lifestyle Changes
Oftentimes hormonal imbalance is simply a case of imbalance in one's lifestyle. This primary level of treatment involves the least risk, though it does involve a certain degree of self discipline. The following changes should be taken into consideration.
Alternative Medicines
Alternative medical approaches to treating hormonal imbalance, are generally speaking, the safest and most effective option, certainly much less risky than HRT.
Non-estrogenic herbs are perhaps the safest and most effective HRT alternative available to women experiencing hormone imbalance. Rather than introducing any sort of foreign substances into the body, they stimulate a woman's body to produce its own estrogen instead, promoting overall balance.
Click on the following link to uncover more of the specific secrets of
alternative treatments to hormone replacement therapy.
