Hormone Therapy in San Antonio, TX

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a medication which contains female hormones in order to replace the ones the body no longer makes after menopause. These hormones are called estrogen and progesterone. They are released from the ovaries and influence changes in the body’s cycle which controls periods, moods and may contribute to a sense of wellbeing and healthiness. Hormone therapy can also help to prevent bone loss and reduce fractures in postmenopausal women.

When Can Hormone Therapy Be Used?

Most women enter menopause between 50 to 55 years old, but there are some women who go into early menopause - before they reach age 45. Women in early menopause can use HRT before the age of 50 without increasing their risk of breast cancer.

HRT can:

• Reduce the symptoms of menopause which can last from 1 - 5 years
• Help to slow or prevent the bone loss that occurs with aging and increases after menopause in order to help delay osteoporosis
• Helps to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer

Types of Hormone Therapy

HRT can be given by tablets, patches, creams or gels and it can take different forms.

• Estrogen-only - for women who do not have a uterus
• Cyclical combined – estrogen and progesterone together which re-introduces monthly periods
• Continuous combined – these prevent periods and can either be estrogen and progesterone combined or a combination of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

Women with an intact uterus should take combined HRT, which replaces both estrogen and progesterone, to prevent the lining of the womb thickening and thus reducing the risk of endometrial cancer.