Hormonal therapy is a treatment method used to treat medical conditions that are associated with hormonal disorders, ranging from alleviating menopausal symptoms to increasing fertility.
The human body consists of various kinds of hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and luteinizing hormone (LH). Hormonal therapy is usually used to maintain hormonal balance and help overcome diseases due to hormonal disorders in the body.
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Various Uses of Hormonal Therapy
Some of the uses of hormonal therapy that you need to know, namely:
1. Relieve menopausal symptoms
When entering menopause, the hormones estrogen and progesterone in a woman's body will decrease, resulting in the emergence of various symptoms, such as feeling hot (hot flashes), vaginal dryness, and decreased sex drive.
To reduce discomfort, hormonal therapy can be an option. The type of hormonal therapy that can be used is estrogen therapy and combination therapy (a combination of estrogen and progesterone).
2. Overcoming fertility disorders (infertility)
Hormonal therapy can also be used to treat fertility disorders. Fertility disorders usually occur when the body does not produce enough luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to carry out the ovulation process.
Usually, hormonal therapy given will stimulate egg growth and development. This hormone can be given in the form of pills or injections.
Read Also : Know 7 factors that affect female fertility
3. Treating growth disorders in children
Impaired growth can occur due to the body of a child lacking growth hormone (human growth hormone). The low level of these hormones can be caused by certain medical conditions or diseases, such as low birth weight, Turner syndrome, or Prader-Willi syndrome.
Hormonal therapy can be used to treat growth disorders caused by a lack of growth hormones, for example, synthetic HGH hormone therapy to increase growth hormone.
4. Control blood sugar levels
Insulin is a hormone that is useful for converting sugar into energy. But if the body's insulin production is inadequate or the body cannot use insulin properly, blood sugar levels will increase. This situation occurs in diabetics, and hormonal therapy can be a treatment option.
In people with type 1 diabetes, hormonal therapy is carried out for life because the body cannot produce enough insulin. While in people with type 2 diabetes, hormonal therapy is not always necessary and is often combined with other treatments, such as antidiabetic drugs and special diets.
5. Treat cancer
Hormonal therapy can be one of the cancer treatment options. Some types of cancer that can be treated with hormonal therapy are prostate cancer, breast cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer.
Hormonal therapy in this type of cancer is used to block the endocrine glands from producing hormones that affect the growth of cancer cells.
Although it has many uses, hormonal therapy should not be used carelessly. Strict supervision from doctors is needed to assess the patient's response to the hormones given and be aware of the emergence of side effects due to this therapy.