Hot Flashes, Night Sweats & Pelvic Pain: 3 Reasons To Try HRT
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a regimen that can help with symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, night sweats, and pelvic pain.
Do You Need Some HRT?
Hormones are important chemical messengers that help the body function efficiently. With age, women, in particular, stop producing hormones due to menopause. The backlash is a range of unwanted side effects that can impact the quality of life. Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, has been helpful to bring some much-needed balance. As the name implies, this therapy replaces estrogen and progesterone hormones due to conditions that cause hormone deficiencies.
1. Reducing hot flashes
Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms of menopause. Women who get hot flashes feel a sudden wave of warmth, sweating, and a flushed face. Hot flashes are known to last several years. Doctors and scientists are unsure why hot flashes happen. Some believe there could be a connection between circulation and reduced hormones. HRT has been proven as an effective treatment in reducing the frequency of hot flashes.
2. No more night sweats
Hot flashes are expected during the day, and night sweats happen at night time. In the night, the blood vessels in the face and chest expand, increasing the body temperature. Women will experience chills, sweating, and increased heart rate. Night sweats, like hot flashes, happen due to the reduction of estrogen and progesterone. Both are important in regulating body temperature. Women who take HRT should see a decrease in night sweats as well as hot flashes.
3. Pausing pelvic pain
Pelvic pain is one of the distressing symptoms that comes with menopause. Menopausal women may experience cramps and pain in the pelvic region, just below the belly button. The pelvic floor muscles are crucial during pregnancy and childbirth. With menopause and a reduction in estrogen, the pelvic floor muscles become thinner. These changes can result in muscular tightness, urinary incontinence, and pain during sex. Women with chronic pain should see an OB/GYN immediately. HRT can reduce pelvic pain, though doctors may use the treatment for a short period.
Different types of HRT
HRT may be systemic or local. With systemic HRT, the drug is infused into the bloodstream to travel throughout the body. Systemic HRT comes in the form of pills, shots, patches, gels, and sprays. Local HRT, on the other hand, affects only one particular area of the body. These are applied using creams, rings, or tablets inserted into the vagina. This type is used to address vaginal discomfort. There’s also bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, which uses natural, plant-derived compounded hormones. This type offers benefits as well; however, there’s not a lot of research yet about the risks.
Other hormone deficiency-causing conditions
The decline of estrogen and progesterone is usually related to menopause. However, other conditions may reduce hormones. For instance, some women experience menopause before reaching the age of 45. There may not be sufficient estrogen to help protect the body against certain diseases. Surgical removal of ovaries before the age of 45 may also cause hormone reduction. Primary ovarian insufficiency causes the ovaries to lose normal function. These conditions can produce unwanted symptoms and may benefit from HRT.
Tackle hormone-deficient symptoms today
Menopause is a normal and unavoidable phase of a woman’s life and will bring a range of symptoms. Most symptoms subside with time. However, some women feel severe discomfort, and the symptoms can even interfere with daily living. If hot flashes, night sweats, and pelvic pain are frequent and unbearable, visit a doctor immediately. The doctor will discuss if HRT is the right course of action.