Hormone replacement therapy
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a medical treatment involving the use of hormones to replace those that the body no longer produces in sufficient quantities, typically due to aging or medical conditions. HRT is commonly used to alleviate the symptoms of hormonal imbalances, particularly during menopause for women and andropause for men. It can also be prescribed for other conditions such as certain types of hormone-dependent cancers.
For women, menopause marks a decrease in the production of estrogen and progesterone, leading to various physical and psychological symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and vaginal dryness. HRT can help relieve these symptoms by providing the body with the necessary hormones. There are different types of HRT for women, including estrogen-only therapy (ET) for women who have had a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) and combined estrogen-progestogen therapy (EPT) for women with an intact uterus.