Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to relieve symptoms of menopause in women. This article will review the different types of hormone replacement therapy and the benefits of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for women.
What is hormone replacement therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy, also known as Bio-Identical Hormone therapy (BHRT), is a form of treatment that uses natural hormones identical to those produced by your body. It is a common treatment for women, particularly during menopause, designed to replace things like estrogen and other hormones.
As your body ages, it reduces the natural production of these hormones, which can cause several unwanted side effects, but hormone replacement therapy can overcome the degenerative side effects of aging as well as other medical issues by restoring and optimizing your hormone levels.
Symptoms of hormonal imbalances
Common symptoms of hormonal imbalances in women can include the following:
· Insomnia
· Weight gain
· Mood swings
· Hot flashes
· Night sweats
· Skin problems
· Brain fog
· Muscle weakness
· Acne
· Low libido
· Digestive issues
· Fatigue
· Weight gain
· Dry skin
· Vaginal dryness
Irregular or heavy periods
All of these common symptoms can have a significant impact on your overall health and well-being, affecting your metabolism, the health of your bones and muscles, your sleep patterns and mood, as well as your immune function. However, hormone replacement therapy offers a viable way to control these symptoms.
What are the types of hormone replacement therapy?
There are many different types of hormone replacement therapy available to women. Hormone replacement therapy can contain different hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, or a combination. The types of hormone replacement therapy administered in your situation should be personalized, something that is reviewed after a hormone test and consultation with your doctor.
Hormone replacement therapy can be administered in different ways, such as topical patches, sprays, gels, or oral tablets. The way in which your replacement therapy is administered is also a personalized decision and one that you can verify with your healthcare practitioner.
What to expect during hormone replacement therapy
When you first start taking hormone replacement therapy, it might take a few months for your symptoms to improve, although some women experience Improvement a little bit faster. Many of the changes are subtle.
Side effects are often limited to things like bloating, which generally passes with time, some breast tenderness, headaches, or a little bit of nausea. The side effects are contingent upon the type of hormones included in your treatment, but most of them settle within the first few days.
Benefits of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
With all-natural hormone replacement therapy, you can enjoy several benefits, including weight loss, skin improvement, bone health, energy levels, improved sex drive, and more.
Weight loss
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can increase the levels of naturally occurring hormones in your body that control your metabolism, which directly influences the number of calories you burn not only when you exercise but also when your body is at rest.
Skin improvement
Several studies confirmed that hormone replacement therapy can increase collagen in the skin, and the thickness of the skin, and leave you with more elasticity and a natural glow.
Energy
Many people achieve increased energy levels as a direct result of hormone replacement therapy. Many common hormones play a significant role in controlling things like muscle mass, sex drive, and energy levels throughout the body. Deficiencies in any number of these can lead to low energy and regular fatigue, but HRT can help.
Sex drive
One of the benefits of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is restoring sex drive and libido. Hormone replacement therapy can, for example, increase blood flow to the sex organs, improve sleep quality, and mediate mood changes, all of which, with age, can negatively affect sexual satisfaction and sex drive.
Muscle and fat balances
Different types of hormone replacement therapy can increase your lean muscle mass and decrease body fat. This is because testosterone, a primary hormone involved in building lean muscle, decreases with age. Hormone replacement therapy can boost the levels of naturally occurring testosterone in men and women to improve muscle mass.
Similarly, estrogen levels change in the body with age, which can be improved through hormone replacement therapy, with studies confirming a positive effect on muscle power, mass, and function.
Memory function
You can enjoy better cognition and memory function after hormone replacement therapy. Evidence suggests that hormones like estrogen enhance memory by:
· Improving the executive functions in your prefrontal cortex
· Enhancing communication between neurons located in your hippocampus
· Increasing the concentration of acetylcholine, a chemical in your brain necessary for good memory
These benefits can be enjoyed by anyone, particularly those who struggle with age-related memory loss or conditions like Alzheimer's.
Stress tolerance
A big benefit of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is that you can balance hormones and reduce stress. Hormonal imbalances are often a significant cause of stress, particularly when you consider the myriad symptoms they can cause throughout several areas of life.
Bone and joint health
Menopause brings with it a significant risk of osteoporosis and other bone loss for women. Hormone replacement therapy is a viable way to prevent bone loss and reduce your risk.
Immune function
Hormone replacement therapy can reduce inflammation and fight pro-inflammatory cytokines throughout the body, all of which help boost immune function.
Yutopia’s hormonal replacement therapy
With Yutopia's hormone replacement therapy, you can enjoy several benefits, particularly help with night sweats, hot flashes, irritability, joint pain, weight loss, energy levels, and cognition.
We offer several types of hormone replacement therapy that can be used in isolation or in combination with one another. Depending on your personal preferences, treatments can be administered orally or topically. Some of the most common treatments include estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone or insulin, thyroid, cortisol, and androstenedione.
Yutopia’s approach
At Yutopia, we focus on a comprehensive approach to wellness. Our goal is to get to know you (Yu) and what your health goals are.
1. First, we offer a consultation during which you can sit down with one of our experts and talk about your expectations, whether you are working to combat the effects of aging or overcome medical issues.
2. Second, you complete an advanced test panel for your hormones and metabolites. We use the Dutch test, capitalizing on the world's best hormonal test and most well-respected laboratory.
3. Third, we customize your bioidentical hormone formula based on the results of your test and your overall health and wellness goals. This extends to customizing nutritional plans that support your hormonal makeup and working with you to limit exposure to hormonal and endocrine disrupters so as to enjoy optimized results.
Symptoms for menopause will look different for everyone. Sometimes, symptoms are mild or barely noticeable. In these situations, a doctor can help you measure your hormone levels and determine whether or not hormone replacement therapy is a good measure to start so that you aren't waiting until your symptoms are severe.
That said, if symptoms are severe, hormone replacement therapy can alleviate your discomfort and make it easier to transition into menopause. Most women start to experience the onset of menopause around the age of 50, although some experience symptoms as early as their 40s. Our treatments reduce symptoms and protect your heart and bone health.
If menopause has already started for you, you don't have to discontinue hormone replacement therapy. Some symptoms start to ease once menopause begins, but it's not uncommon for women to still experience low estrogen levels. The sooner you start supplementing your hormones, the sooner you can improve your quality of life and avoid chronic diseases associated with aging, like osteoporosis.
Does hormone replacement therapy work? Yes, it absolutely does, but in some cases, your hormonal imbalance might right itself naturally as your body transitions into menopause. But if it doesn't and you are still experiencing symptoms, contact our team today to learn how our treatment can help.
Summing Up
If you are experiencing symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, irritability, and night sweats, it's important to understand the potential usefulness of hormone replacement therapy. If you are considering HRT, make an informed decision about your health care by consulting a doctor to see if it's the right choice for you.
Consult with your healthcare professional today for personalized advice and guidance on HRT.
Remember, It all starts with Yu.
