What you need to know about hrt

As an individual ages he or she is gripped by many physical problems. These problems have different origins. But most of the age-old troubles are a consequence of weak functioning or one can say retirement of the internal organs of the body. So as the individual plans his or her retirement from work, the body organs too propose their retreat. However, studies have revealed that women are more prone to old age problems. The foremost reason of this their menopause that occurs at the age of 45 to 54. In some cases it might be a little later than that too.

Menopause is the term that refers to the cessation of the menstruation cycle of a woman. Once menopause occurs, the woman's tendency to conceive expires. So she cannot reproduce any more. But as the onset of menstruation is marked with numerous hormonal changes within a girl's body; similarly an end to these monthly periods is simultaneous to innumerable hormonal alterations.

But the pre menopause symptoms are unbearable for many women. The basic reason for this is the growing age and a increasing fragility of the body. The symptoms come with pain in the lower abdomen, irregular periods, irritating mood, night sweats, burning feeling and so forth. Many women are scared by the very thought of these indications. In fact they can be really petrifying and too troublesome at times.

So in order to minimize the threat of these pre -menopause signals, doctors devised the HRT or the Hormone Replacement Therapy. The HRT works with the aid of two basic hormones- Estrogen and Progesterone. These are naturally produced within a woman's body. They help in regulating her menstrual cycle. When the level of these two hormones get disturbed due to age, the pre menopause symptoms start becoming evident. So, the HRT proposes to treat the imbalance of these two hormones via medicines. This therapy thus makes it easy for a woman to manage herself in those crucial times of pain and uneasiness. DES or diethylstilbestrol is a commonly known and eminent drug in this area. It is an artificial form of the estrogen hormone. Wen DES goes in the body and mixes with blood, it tries to balance the disturbed levels of estrogen and progesterone. Ths reduces the uneasiness and pain to a great extent. HRT does not just functions in its respective area. It has many uses besides this too. For instance it manages the cholesterol by reducing the bad cholesterol level in the body and incrementing the good one. It minimizes the amount of fibrinogen (that enables blood clotting) in the body. This prevents the lady from many perils such as the risk of heart attack and brain hemorrhage and the like.

But unfortunately it is not easy to opt for the HRT. There are many factors that have to be considered before going for this treatment. If the woman has a history of heart ailment, breast cancer or osteoporosis etc. she may not be able to be undertake the therapy. The lady's age, family background, immunity system, eating and drinking habits, whether she smokes, takes drugs…many such issues have to be considered before prescribing the HRT to her. For HRT too like other therapies has a bunch of positive and negative effects and so it is not meant for every woman

About the Author
Mansi gupta writes about hormone replacement therapy topics.

 

 

MENOPAUSAL TREATMENT

Now that there is concern about the long term use of HRT (hormone replacement therapy), many women are looking for a natural alternative in order to alleviate menopausal symptoms and maintain a healthy lifestyle when their oestrogen levels drop. Phytoestrogens are oestrogens derived from plants that work in a similar way to ours. These are found in soyamilk, soyabeans, linseeds, pumpkin seeds, red clover, etc. So here is an opportunity to give you the recipe for what is known as the 'HRT CAKE'. So why not cut yourself a slice of this 'feel good' cake to go with your cup of green tea?

HRT CAKE

Ingredients:

50 gr sunflower seeds, 50 gr pumpkin seeds, 50 gr linseeds,
50 gr sesame seeds, 50 gr almond flakes, 50 gr raisins.
100 gr cranberries, 150 gr chopped dried apricots,
2" stem ginger, chopped, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon cinnamon,
1 tablespoon malt extract, 3 tablespoons apple juice,
425 ml (approx) of soya milk (add more milk if necessary to make a soft dropping consistency).

Method:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Add the cranberries, apple juice and soya milk and stir well.
Leave to soak for approx ½ hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.
Line a loaf tin with baking paper and spoon mixture in.
Cook in pre-heated oven for approx l¼ hrs.
When cooled, slice and store in freezer.

If you don't feel inclined to bake a cake, why not include a good percentage of the above ingredients with your breakfast porridge.

Here is MY version of a nourishing/HRT breakfast.

Into a microwaveable dish mix oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds, sesame seeds, raisins; toss in all or any of the following as your fancy takes you - chopped dried apricots, prunes, apple, dates, almonds, walnuts, also perhaps a spoonful of malt extract or honey if desired, cover with water or preferably soymilk, and microwave for approx. 3-4 minutes. Eat with a dollop of bio-yoghurt on top (if desired) and you'll be truly set up for the day - you certainly won't feel the need for a mid-morning snack.