Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – NHS Choices

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment usedto relieve symptoms of the menopause. It replacesfemale hormones that are at a lower level as you approach themenopause.

Themenopause, sometimes referred toas the "change of life",is when a woman's ovaries stop producing an egg every four weeks. This means shewill no longer have monthly periods or be able to have children naturally.

The menopause usually occurs when a woman is in her 50s (the average age is 51 in the UK), but some women experience the menopause in their 30s or 40s.

Read more about the menopause.

Oestrogen and progesterone (see below) arefemale hormones that playimportant roles in a womans body. Falling levels cause arange of physical and emotional symptoms, including hot flushes, mood swings and vaginal dryness.

The aim of HRTis to restore femalehormone levels, allowing the body to function normally again.

Oestrogen helps to release eggs from the ovaries. It also regulates a womans periods and helps her to conceive.

Oestrogen also plays a part in controlling other functions, including bone density, skin temperature and keeping the vagina moist.It is areduction in oestrogen that causes most symptoms associated with the menopause, including:

Most symptoms will pass within two to five years, although vaginal dryness is likely to get worse if not treated. Stress incontinence may also persist and the risk of osteoporosis will increase with age.

The main roleof progesterone is to prepare the womb for pregnancy. It also helps toprotect the lining of the womb, known as the endometrium.

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Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - NHS Choices