Hormone Replacement Therapy

HRT Therapy

Integrative medicine is viewed as an evidence-based approach that uses holistic and conventional medicine to treat individuals. With this practice, a person’s body, mind, and soul are considered as important factors in the recovery process of the individual.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is considered as one of the many powerful tools of integrative medicine. Typically, women who are going through menopause are the primary patients of HRT. However, medical practitioners have begun prescribing HRT male patients in order to replace their missing testosterone as they age.

If you are looking to know more about this process, continue reading on as we discuss the basics of HRT including its main objectives, hormone therapy side effects, and everything in between.

What is Hormonal Imbalance?

According to WebMD, hormones are deemed as the messengers of womanhood. They can greatly affect your weight, mood, food cravings, as well as your libido. Moreover, male patients who have low testosterone levels may very well be experiencing a hormonal imbalance.

Blood carries these hormones, which are the body’s chemical messengers, to the tissues and organs that are responsible for our metabolism, growth, mood, reproduction, and sexual function.

As we grow old, there is a change in how our bodies produce hormones. This change can cause a drop or shortage of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone in women and testosterone in men. As a result of this decrease, women experience menopause while for men, low testosterone levels may mean problems with erections, various mood changes, and overall fatigue.

There have been numerous studies stating that 80% of the patients who experience hormonal imbalances are women. The symptoms typically start in their late 30s and 40s. Men, on the other hand, may experience symptoms of hormonal imbalance in their late 40s and 50s.

Treatment Options for Hormonal Imbalance

An integrative medical professional or a health care clinician can easily diagnose hormonal imbalances from a simple blood or saliva test. Nevertheless, here are some common symptoms:

  • Weight gain
  • Overall disorganized feeling
  • Fatigue
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Vaginal itching
  • Hot flashes
  • Night sweats
  • Sleeping issues

If you’re in the age range and you experience any of the items mentioned above, it is best to visit your physician or talk to one of our Modern Therapy Clinical Advisors. They will be able to order the appropriate tests needed to determine whether you have any underlying issues such as thyroid problems. If there aren’t any underlying issues, they may proceed to discuss treatment options for your hormonal imbalance.  

Can Hormonal Imbalance Be Treated?

Fortunately, hormonal imbalance can be effectively treated. However, there are a number of tests that a patient must go through before deciding on the best treatment possible. Depending on the test results and the specific imbalance experienced by the patient, one of our Modern Therapy Clinical Advisors will advise on the best treatment options. One possible solution for women what is known as “a bioidentical hormonal replacement therapy cream.”

This cream can address multiple hormonal imbalances in the body. Typically, you would be given low dosages at first, which would increase over time. You apply the cream directly to your skin for it to be absorbed comfortably into your body.

If the application of a bioidentical hormonal replacement therapy cream does not work, you will likely be advised to take HRT. Those who undergo HRT will notice an improvement in their symptoms over the next couple of weeks. The best part about this option is that you can easily modify your treatment plan with your doctor.

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) pertains to various medications containing hormones to replace those within the body. This is often used as a means to treat menopausal symptoms in women and hormone therapy for men to treat low testosterone levels. HRT has also been proven to be able to prevent bone loss or fracture in postmenopausal women.

Should your doctor advise you to undergo HRT, do note that it is important to tailor each treatment plan to what the patient is experiencing. With that in mind, do not hesitate to ask your doctor or one of our Modern Therapy Clinical Advisors about any questions that may be bothering you about the procedure.

What are the Benefits and Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy for Women?

In 2002, a study showed that HRT has the potential to raise the chances of breast cancer, heart diseases, and stroke. However, after careful observation of the women who were included in the study, it was concluded that the results weren’t clear.

While there have been people who claim to have experienced negative hormone therapy side effects and have warned others not to undergo HRT, there are many that support it. Since the benefits of HRT greatly outweighs its risks, many people turn to HRT to relieve their symptoms.

Nevertheless, here are some of the benefits of HRT:

  • Patients reported an evident decrease in their hot flashes and night sweats.
  • Patients reported being able to sleep better at night.
  • HRT eases vaginal dryness or itching. During hormonal imbalances, women’s estrogen levels are low. As a result, the walls of the vagina aren’t well-lubricated, resulting in dryness and itching.
  • Stemming from the previous point, since women who are going through their menopausal stage experiences vaginal dryness and itching, there is also a high chance that their sexual experiences are painful. HRT helps keep the vagina lubricated; thus, helping to eliminate this pain.
  • HRT helps prevent fractures in the body, which is typically caused by osteoporosis or the thinning of one’s bones.
  • HRT also reduces the chance of both men and women to have heart disease.
  • Lastly, HRT lowers the chances of developing dementia.
Hormone-Replacement-experts

Is It Right For Me?

In the end, women who underwent HRT have shared their experiences with systemic estrogen, which is considered as the most efficient form of treatment in menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. Despite certain health risks that may be associated with HRT, the benefits of this treatment plan still outweigh the risks for many individuals.

Moreover, those who experienced hormone therapy for men claimed that the treatment plan was able to restore their sexual function as well as muscle strength. In addition, it reduces the risk of bone loss in the body despite the age.

If you would like to talk to a specialist about how hormone replacement therapy can help you improve your quality of life, contact us today to set up a free consultation with one of our Modern Therapy Clinical Advisors.

Sources

https://www.webmd.com/women/ss/slideshow-hormone-imbalance
https://www.webmd.com/menopause/hrt-risks-benefits#1
https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/types-dementia