What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy? Why Do You Need It?

We are biological creatures. We age with time, and our bodies keep evolving as we age. Many of the changes we experience in our bodies are because of hormones. Any variation in their presence in our system can lead to discomfort, which directly impacts the quality of our lives. 

Menopause is one milestone in a woman’s life that brings an onslaught of emotions and hormonal disbalance. As women, we go through a multitude of hormones by the time we reach our late 40s to early 50s. Be it testosterone, estrogen, melatonin, parathyroid, or the growth hormone; we have experienced it all. However, during menopause, hormonal changes can become volatile with mild to severe symptoms that can also aggravate any pre-existing diseases or deficiencies you may have. 

Menopause is a biological process occurring in a biological being, meaning it cannot be avoided. Saying that, it’s also true that you can take a step toward alleviating menopausal symptoms. That is where Hormone Replacement Therapy comes in. 

Hormones and Menopause 

Estrogen and progesterone. 

These are the two hormones that contribute to a woman’s menstrual cycle by fluctuating every month. They are also the two hormones that are responsible for menopause and all its symptoms. 

Menopause occurs in stages, affecting the person’s body differently; the hormones causing the effects are the same, though. 

• Perimenopause 

When a woman enters her 40s, her estrogen and progesterone levels start to drop steadily. She would still have her period, although they can become irregular. She can still become pregnant, even though the chances are slim.

Her body starts preparing for menopause in this stage, which can last anywhere between 7-14 years. As a stage leading to menopause, you would experience the effects of the change that is due, hot flashes being the most commonly witnessed. 

• Menopause

About a year after your last period marks the beginning of menopause. On average, menopause begins at the age of 51, and its effects on the body can last for more than 7 years. Mood swings, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness are some symptoms that can affect you and the people around you.

• Early Menopause 

For some people, menopause begins quite early in their lives. Usually, this is because of a major transition in their body. It could be due to a surgical procedure to remove their uterus or ovaries, cancer, genetics, or habits like smoking. The symptoms would remain the same; they would just start early on. 

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Easing the Transition into Menopause 

In all the stages of menopause, Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT can help alleviate the symptoms so that you can experience this monumental phase without it affecting the quality of your life. 

HRT is also referred to as estrogen replacement therapy, that is because it involves the replacement of estrogen in your body. As mentioned before, in menopause, your body stops making estrogen, causing mild to acute discomfort. Therefore, using bio-identical hormones and peptides, the falling levels of estrogen are replenished. 

When your body gets the required amount of estrogen through HRT, the menopausal symptoms will minimize or even disappear altogether. HRT not only helps in improving the quality of life, but it also helps in increasing your energy levels and vitality, both of which can diminish in your 50s.

Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy benefits a woman during menopause in more ways than one. Let’s understand the extent of its benefits.

• Relief from menopausal symptoms 

Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, painful sex, night sweats, itchy skin, and chills. Every woman going through menopause experiences these because of reduced estrogen production. HRT will replace the declining levels of estrogen, and consequently, the symptoms resulting from it will disappear. 

• Better vaginal health 

Vaginal health and estrogen are directly proportional because the latter supports the former. When estrogen levels drop, the tissues, lining, and even the pH balance of your vagina go haywire. From vulvar atrophy to urinary incontinence, estrogen replacement would help in keeping your vagina healthy. 

• Overcome indisposition of the ovaries

Your ovaries are what produce estrogen; when they don’t, problems start arising in the form of menopausal symptoms. If your ovaries have a reduced function, if they are not performing at all, or if they have been removed, in all these cases, your body would experience side effects. The replacement of estrogen would help you overcome the problems associated with your ovaries.

• Enhance bone health 

After menopause, the chances of osteoporosis become high. And estrogen can help in reducing the risk of bone loss that accompanies osteoporosis. You can opt for medication in this case, but the side effects can be severe, and the results are unpredictable.

• Boost emotional and mental well-being

Emotional instability and mental fog. These are two effects of menopause that significantly impact you and the people around you. You might be astonished to know that both of these symptoms are associated with having been caused due to an imbalance of sex hormones. It’s also true for men; when their sex hormones get disproportion, the emotional roller coaster that follows becomes too much to handle. With hormone replacement therapy, you will be able to keep them in check and avoid the instability their dishevelment causes.

Starting HRT with Integrative Therapeutics

Now, the question is, how do you get started with HRT? 

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is an extremely effective treatment for people with severe menopausal symptoms. However, it needs to be done under professional guidance with an experienced doctor aiding it. At Integrative Therapeutics, we have devised an approach to HRT. 

• We give you a complete blood work test to examine your hormonal status. 
• Thereafter, we create a customized plan based on your reports. 
• Once the plan is made, we inject you with small doses of bio-identical hormones and peptides to minimize your symptoms. 

We make all our patients understand that HRT is a simple process and is only meant for the short-term. You can get started at any stage of menopause; waiting for your symptoms to worsen or become unbearable before seeking help isn’t something we recommend. 

Contact us at (813) 337-7535 for any further information about HRT.