Types Of Hormone Replacement Therapy That Effectively Treat Hormone Imbalance
Menopause in women and andropause in men comes with serious health and physiological challenges. You may form erratic sleep patterns, experience feminine area dryness, night sweats, muscle wasting, increased irritability, and a host of other age-associated symptoms. To treat and manage these symptoms, doctors are increasingly recommending various types of hormone replacement therapy.
What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) uses hormones to treat and manage common symptoms associated with aging, menopause, and andropause. HRT is used to restore hormonal balance in men and women.
What’s a Hormone Imbalance?
Hormones are chemical messengers within our bodies. They are produced by certain glands and organs in the body such as the pancreas, thyroid, ovaries, adrenals, and pituitary, among others. These chemical messengers and the glands/organs that produce them make up the body’s endocrine system.
The endocrine system works together to provide a balance by limiting the levels of hormones in circulation. Too much of one hormone or too little may cause health, cognitive, and physical dangers.
What Are The Types of Hormone Replacement Therapy?
There are synthetic and bio-identical (natural) types of hormone replacement therapy.
- Synthetic Hormone Replacement – Using hormones that are in many cases manufactured from horse urine. These are less effective, and usually bring a host of side effects from usage.
- Bio-identical Hormone Replacement – naturally-occurring hormones that have identical molecular structures to the hormones we produce in our bodies. Technically, bio-identical hormones occur in nature and our bodies can’t distinguish them from the ones our endocrine systems produce. These natural hormones are mainly found in chemical extracts of plants such as yams and soy.
The Benefits of Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy
- Mild side effects compared to synthetic HRT
- Improved bone density and reduced osteoporosis
- Improved muscle mass
- Better cognitive abilities
- Improved memory retention
- Reduced Alzheimer’s risks
- Reduced risk of cancer of the uterus and breast cancer
- Improved cholesterol
- Reduced feminine area dryness
- Less hot flushes
Conventional types of hormone replacement therapy make use of man-made (synthetic) hormones to restore your hormonal balance. Estrogen, progesterone, insulin, and testosterone are some of the most common synthetic hormones used in HRT.
Commonly Used Hormone Replacement Therapies
- Estrogen Replacement Therapy – The first type of hormone replacement therapy is estrogen therapy. Estrogen is a female hormone that mainly prepares the uterus for receiving a fertilized egg. It also moderates the body’s use of important nutrients and minerals such as calcium and cholesterol. Females of child-bearing age produce estrogen at a higher rate when they are in their period. On the onset of menopause, the production of estrogen is disrupted and this causes an imbalance in the endocrine system. The treatment is recommended for females who have undergone a hysterectomy – the surgical removal of the uterus.
- Progesterone Replacement Therapy – Taking estrogen may result in the buildup of endometrium cells in the lining of a woman’s uterus if the uterus is still intact. This is so because a menopausal woman will not be undergoing her periods which eliminate endometrium cells from the uterus. This may lead to uterine cancer. To avoid uterine cancer, the hormone progesterone is applied. Don’t confuse progesterone with progestin. Progestin is the synthetic form of progesterone and has been found to cause cancer during a controlled trial.
- Testosterone Replacement Therapy – Hormonal imbalance in men is not as widely studied and tested as in women. Nonetheless, testosterone has been identified as the key hormone responsible for most male health issues. As men age, the testicular mechanisms that produce testosterone gradually lose their efficiency and less is produced. Testosterone levels in men over the age of 40 decline by about 1% annually and production decelerates steeply past their 60s. Low testosterone production manifests itself in men with symptoms such as low sex drive, muscle wasting, lethargy, reduced bone density, and anemia. This leads to hypogonadism. This is an underdiagnosed condition with less than 5% male sufferers receiving treatment. Testosterone replacement therapy has been shown to offer andropausal men a host of benefits. These include improved libido, cognition, bone density, muscle mass, mood, and red blood cell production.
The Risk of Synthetic Hormone Therapy
Synthetic hormone therapy is not ideal for everyone. There are several risk factors that may come with using synthetic hormones:
- They may make one dependent on prescription drugs for life.
- Synthetics simply mask menopause and andropause symptoms without treating the underlying causes.
- Synthetics increase risks and effects of other conditions such as cancer, strokes, reproductive problems, osteoporosis, and anxiety among others.
We Know What Hormone Replacement Therapy Works Best
At Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center, we specialize in hormone optimization using bio-identical HRT because each treatment can be individualized, and the risk of side effects drastically reduced. A patient’s comprehensive treatment program will depend on diagnostic test results, blood analysis, endocrinal makeup, menopause/andropause symptoms, and lifestyle factors.
Contact us for a consultation to see how BHRT and hormone optimization can change your life, today!
