What is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?
Hormone therapy is the use of hormones to treat and restore hormone balance within the human body. Hormone imbalance can occur for a variety of reasons, but is most commonly associated with aging. Symptoms of hormone imbalance that are effectively treated with hormone replacement therapy include hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, anxiety, weight gain, muscle loss, joint pain, poor sleep, and more.
Synthetic VS. Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) uses bioidentical hormones derived from natural sources and compounded to be an exact structural match to the hormones inside the human body.
Synthetic hormones are often derived from animals and combined with chemicals to create a hormone therapy that is similar, but not exactly like human hormones.
Types of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Patients suffering from conditions and symptoms of hormone imbalance, including menopause, andropause (also known as low testosterone in men), erectile dysfunction, vaginal dryness, pain with sex, difficulty sleeping, trouble losing weight, muscle aches, and moodiness can benefit from natural hormone replacement therapy. Bioidentical hormone therapy is available in a variety of delivery methods and are prescribed to meet the specific needs of each individual.
- Thyroid Hormone Therapy: If you feel tired all the time, struggle with sleep, weight gain, depression, anxiety, or mood swings–it might be a hormone imbalance related to your thyroid. The thyroid influences nearly every cell in the body, making any dysfunction a significant issue.
- Estrogen Hormone Therapy: As a woman ages, estrogen levels decline, with sharp decreases occurring near middle age. Low levels of estrogen have been shown to contribute to uncomfortable symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, low libido, weight gain, mood swings, and more. Although the dramatic decline and affiliated symptoms are classically linked to perimenopause and menopause, low estrogen can occur before middle age.
- Testosterone Hormone Therapy: Testosterone plays a significant role in male and female sexual health, brain health, and weight management. As testosterone levels decline with age, you may experience a lack of focus, brain fog, low libido, an inability to build muscle, or weight gain. Testosterone therapy is also effective in supporting a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart attack.
Delivery Methods of Hormone Replacement Therapy
When your body requires hormone replacement therapy, there are a number of delivery methods available to meet your needs. You can choose from pills, patches, creams, gels, injections or pellets.
Hormone Replacement Therapy for Men
Hormone imbalance in men can occur at any age and is as common among men as it is among women. Men who choose to pursue male hormone replacement therapy experience a number of benefits, including improved strength and muscle mass, healthier sex drive and performance, more energy, better sleep, and better weight management.
Hormone Replacement Therapy for Women
Women face hormonal fluctuations at least once per month with several significant hormone-altering events across a lifetime. Puberty, monthly menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause all contribute to hormonal changes that can impact a woman’s health, well-being, and quality of life. Among women, hormone imbalance can happen at any age.
Uncomfortable symptoms related to imbalanced levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone often appear after childbirth or when approaching menopause, also called perimenopause. Thyroid disorders can occur for a number of reasons and are also a type of hormone imbalance. When hormonal imbalances are left undiagnosed and untreated, women become at increased risk of disease. Natural bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is the solution for women experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy helps women find relief with fewer side effects and better results.
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