It’s 1902.
The English physician E. H. Starling was working in the laboratory with the physiologist W. M. Bayliss when they discovered something new: secretin.
Today, 120 years later, we know a lot more about secretin and other members of his family: hormones.
Hormones are chemical substances produced in our body that work like little messengers. They are responsible for protecting our bodies and keeping everything in balance. We might say they are the body’s guardian angel.
Until that balance is disturbed.
Every cell in our body needs hormones to work properly.
Your hormone levels play a vital role in maintaining your overall health, and when these levels become imbalanced, they can lead to a variety of problems.
Imbalanced hormones may cause heart disease, colon cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, and other serious health consequences like high cholesterol, dementia, neurodegenerative decline, autoimmune problems, and inflammatory diseases.
There are some signs to look for when identifying hormonal imbalances.
For women, these signs include:
For men, signs of hormonal imbalance are:
Hormone replacement therapy will help keep these symptoms under control while working on preventing serious illnesses and helping restore hormonal balance in your body.
While it is often used to treat symptoms of menopause, today it plays an even bigger role in maintaining our health and quality of life.
When faced with hormonal imbalance, women are often presented with 2 solutions: bioidentical hormone replacement therapy or traditional, synthetic hormones.
In this article, we’ve covered the pros and cons of bioidentical hormones to help you make the best decision for your health.
Bioidentical hormones are hormone replacement therapy treatments that use hormones identical on a molecular level to the hormones produced by the body. Because they are identical, they are able to bind to the same receptors as the body’s own hormone levels, providing a more natural hormone replacement therapy option.
These hormones are made in the laboratories from compounds found in plants like soybeans or wild yam.
What makes them unique is the fact that hormone levels are tailored to each patient’s needs. In the past, testing hormone levels was often done through saliva testing, which wasn’t the best option. However, nowadays, blood work analysis is the golden standard in the industry for its proven results.
For women experiencing the symptoms of menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) might be a godsend.
However, not all women are comfortable taking synthetic hormones. Luckily, an alternative, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), may be an even better option.
The benefits of using BHRT are numerous: BHRT is used to treat symptoms associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and reduced sex drive.
BHRT can also help to prevent bone loss and reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.
No wonder why it is an increasingly popular treatment option for women facing menopause.
But the power of BHRT doesn’t stop with menopause.
It might be equally effective when dealing with symptoms of low progesterone. Symptoms of heavy PMS, like cramps, migraines and irritations, are all connected to the imbalance of progesterone and high synthesis of estrogen.
BHRT is also recommended for increased activity of thyroid hormones. Symptoms include: weight loss, hair loss, sweaty hands, and lack of energy.
Even though BHRT is considered safe, like with any medicine, there are some potential side effects to be aware of. These can include weight gain, bloating, headaches, anxiety, and depression. Some women also experience spotting or breakthrough bleeding.
Don’t hesitate to ask us or your doctor for more information. It’s important to know the risks and benefits to make sure if this is the right treatment for you.
While bioidentical hormone may help with different unpleasant symptoms caused by hormonal imbalance, there are certain conditions when hormonal therapy may not be safe:
While the popularity of BHRT is increasing, there are some things to keep in mind.
Not all bioidentical hormones are FDA approved, especially when it comes to compound bioidentical hormones.
Compound bioidentical hormones are hormones that have been specifically customized for each patient by a compounding pharmacy. The compounding pharmacy takes into account the specific needs of the patient and then creates a hormone blend that is specifically tailored to their unique situation.
This allows the patient to receive the exact amount of hormone therapy that they need, in the form that is best suited for their individual body.
Always choose the best place with experienced medical professionals to lower the risk of using hormones that are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This is especially important because often you don’t know the quality of the ingredients’ quality.
Choose only the best for yourself.
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