Hormone Replacement Therapy Free Essay Example, 1250 words

Running head: HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY Hormone Replacement Therapy Insert Here Insert Affiliation Here Hormone Replacement Therapy Introduction: With advancements in medical science, it has now become possible to overcome any shortcomings, limitations or inconveniences concerning human health. Thanks to unconventional medical procedures, altering one’s innate characteristics, viz. , gender, genetic makeup, physical appearances, etc. , is not impossible anymore. One of the most significant advances of medical sciences is in the field of Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT is used to replace or replenish any hormone that the body is deficient in, or is not able to synthesize anymore. While the most common use of HRT is the replacement of the estrogen hormone in postmenopausal women, it has found use in many other clinical applications. We will write a custom essay sample on Hormone Replacement Therapy or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Some of these include thyroid hormone replacement therapy in patients suffering from hypothyroidism and androgen replacement therapies in treating male hypogonadal disorders. HRT is a very vast and expansive subject. Through this paper, an attempt is made to discuss some hormonal replacement therapies, their uses and side effects. I. The need for hormone replacement and their various applications The basic question in dealing with HRT is to first ascertain why it is actually needed. Hormonal replacement is required for the treatment of many disorders where the normal synthesis of a vital hormone is either malfunctioning or is not functioning at all. For instance, Levothyroxine (L-thyroxine) is used for thyroid hormone replacement in those suffering from hypothyroidism (Cygan and Rucker, 1983, p. 232). In case of menopausal women suffering from symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats, estrogen replacement therapy has largely helped in relieving the unpleasant symptoms of menopause (Barrett-Connor, 1998, p. 457). In other cases, testosterone replacement therapies are being explored for use in counteracting male â€Å"andropause†, a term used to refer symptoms like hot flushes, decreased libido and mood swings observed in ageing men (Biundu and Shippen, 2000, p. 429). As is evident, hormonal replacement therapies are vital in most cases, and more and more individua ls are considering HRT for getting rid of inconveniences in health.