Beauty and Health

How Does Hormone Replacement Therapy Work?

The aging process involves many changes. Some changes we have no control over, but you can control changes in your hormone levels. You do not need to live with the symptoms of hormonal imbalance. At Impressions Skin Solutions in Hendersonville, TN, we offer hormone replacement therapy Henderson to help our clients restore balance to their hormone levels and lives.

How Does Hormone Replacement Therapy Work?

Hormone replacement therapy Henderson works by increasing the levels of certain hormones so that balance is restored to the body. Hormone levels can be increased in a number of ways based on the unique situation. Some people prefer the implantation of a slow-release pellet while others prefer to take a daily pill. Let’s take a closer look at this type of treatment.

The Importance of Estrogen

While estrogen is most often thought of as a female sex hormone, both men and women alike produce estrogen. It is usually thought of as a female sex hormone because it is more abundant in women. A number of functions rely on estrogen for regulation. For example, estrogen is required to regulate the growth of your uterine lining every time you menstruate and throughout your pregnancy.

Estrogen also plays an important part in puberty. Estrogen is necessary for the sexual development of girls going through puberty. Additionally, it is responsible for breast changes during puberty and pregnancy. Furthermore, estrogen plays an important role in the regulation of:

  • Bone metabolism
  • Cholesterol
  • Glucose metabolism
  • Fat metabolism
  • Insulin sensitivity
  • Hunger and satiety

What Signs Indicate Low Estrogen?

Low estrogen levels can cause a number of side effects, but some side effects impact your quality of life more significantly than others. You understand how significantly your quality of life can be affected if you experience any of the side effects of low estrogen.  

That said, you don’t have to suffer through the side effects of low estrogen for the rest of your life. Hormone replacement therapy Henderson can improve your quality of life significantly.

Atypical Menstrual Cycles

Your menstrual cycle is a fairly good barometer of your hormone levels. If your hormone levels are balanced, you probably have a cycle that lasts between 21 and 35 days. Irregular periods, or periods that are heavier, lighter, longer or shorter than most periods, are experienced by an astonishing number of women.

From the inability to ovulate to debilitating cramping, irregular periods can lead to a wide array of problems. Among the cycle abnormalities many women face are: 

  • Periods that don’t end within a week
  • Menorrhagia – extremely heavy menstrual bleeding
  • Dysmenorrhea – severe cramping accompanying painful periods
  • Oligomenorrhea – a menstrual cycle lasting longer than 35 days
  • Amenorrhea – going 90 days without a period

Hot Flashes

Have you ever suddenly felt like your whole body was too hot? If so, you’ve experienced a hot flash. Sometimes, your limbs are not affected, but your face, neck, chest and back are.  Hot flashes are regularly accompanied by chills and sweating. Hot flashes occur during the day; if they occur at night, they are known as night sweats.  

Regardless of whether you experience a hot flash or get night sweats, the phenomenon can last anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes.  Night sweats are a particularly nasty side effect of low estrogen. They affect your sleep quality negatively, and your sleep quality significantly affects your overall wellbeing.

Fatigue

Fatigue is another common side effect of low estrogen, and can even happen when you sleep nine hours nightly. When you suffer from fatigue, you feel tired all the time and want nothing more than to rest even when you’ve done nothing all day.

Fatigue can also drain your desire to be physically active and participate in hobbies you used to be passionate about and excited for. You may suffer from low estrogen if you used to love weight lifting, swimming or another physical activity and now feel too tired to perform those activities.

Other Signs You May Have Low Estrogen Levels

  • Pain during sex
  • Low energy levels
  • UTIs
  • Bone mineral density loss
  • Infertility
  • Chronic headaches
  • Sleep apnea
  • Dry eyes
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Increased appetite
  • Unintended weight gain
  • Mood swings

What Leads to Low Estrogen?

Several factors affect your body’s ability to produce estrogen. Sometimes, low estrogen is caused by factors you can change, like a poor diet or other poor lifestyle choices.

Other causes of low estrogen cannot be corrected with a lifestyle change and must be treated with estrogen replacement therapy. In women, estrogen is produced by the ovaries. When a woman’s ovaries aren’t healthy, the production of estrogen may decrease. Here are some of the factors that may affect your body’s ability to produce estrogen:

  • Turner syndrome
  • Orthorexia, anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders
  • Renal failure
  • Excessive exercise
  • The natural aging process
  • Extreme caloric restriction not related to anorexia
  • Genetics and genetic disorders
  • Autoimmune disorders
  • An unhealthy pituitary gland

How People With Low Estrogen Can Benefit From Estrogen Replacement Therapy

Estrogen replacement therapy restores the levels of estrogen in your body. Hormonal balance will ease all your symptoms of low estrogen. Some women suffer from imbalanced hormones for years because they think their symptoms are a normal part of the aging process.

While low estrogen is often caused by the aging process, there is no need to live with the symptoms. Balance in your life can be restored. You can sleep better, burn excess fat and maintain your ideal body fat percentage, boost your skin health and increase your energy levels. You can also enjoy more emotional stability.

The Role of Testosterone

Testosterone is similar to estrogen in that it is a sex hormone present in both women and men. However, testosterone is more predominant in men. This sex hormone is essential to energy levels, perception of youth and overall health and wellness.

You probably know testosterone is important in the bedroom and on the field. That said, it is also crucial for a man’s mental and emotional health.

What Signs Indicate Low Testosterone?

Whether low testosterone is caused by the aging process or another factor, the entire body is affected. Additionally, the mind and emotions are affected, disrupting daily life. There are many signs of low testosterone, and they can only be corrected by restoring balance to testosterone levels in the body. Among the most common low testosterone symptoms are:

  • A reduced sex drive
  • Bone density loss
  • Unintended weight gain
  • Mood swings
  • Hair loss
  • Stunted muscle growth
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Erectile dysfunction

What Leads to Low Testosterone?

The aging process is the most common cause of low testosterone, also known as low-T. When most men reach the age of 30, the body stops producing enough testosterone. As the aging process continues, the rate of testosterone production continues to decline.

Eventually, men develop a hormonal condition called andropause. Essentially, it is just like the menopause process women go through. Nevertheless, there are other potential causes of low-T, including:

  • Testicular cancer
  • Diseases and infections
  • Obesity
  • Chemotherapy or radiation therapy
  • Certain drugs, such as antidepressants or analgesics
  • Lupus and similar diseases
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Pituitary gland disease
  • HIV/AIDS

How Can Testosterone Therapy Help?

If you have low-T, your life will change for the better if you receive testosterone replacement therapy. You will experience an increase in your energy levels, build muscle, maintain muscle mass and burn excess fat with ease.

When you restore balance to your hormone levels by increasing testosterone, you will no longer experience the side effects of low-T. You can expect to feel younger and more energetic than you’ve felt in years.

What To Expect During the Hormone Replacement Process

If you are ready to improve your quality of life and suffer from symptoms of hormone imbalance, hormone replacement therapy Henderson can help. The hormone replacement process goes far beyond a single treatment session.

Rather, it starts with an initial evaluation because every client is unique and needs a tailored hormone replacement plan. Then, the appropriate hormones will be administered in the correct doses. Finally, there will be a follow-up appointment to ensure everything is going as well as it should.

An Initial Evaluation

One of the most important parts of your treatment process is your initial evaluation. This is necessary because we need to understand your symptoms so we know which diagnostic tests to run.

This step is also essential so we ensure you get an effective dose of hormones. Most of the time, we will use a blood test to identify your hormone levels, but urine and saliva tests are occasionally used. Once we know your hormone levels, we will discuss your lifestyle and identify the most effective hormone replacement method for you.

Hormone Replacement Delivery Methods

There are several hormone replacement delivery methods. No method is inherently superior. The right delivery method will depend on your hormonal imbalance, symptoms and lifestyle. If you are a good candidate for hormone replacement, we will discuss your symptoms, lifestyle and preferences thoroughly to identify the ideal delivery method for you. The most common delivery methods are:

  • Pellets
  • Oral supplementation
  • Injections
  • Patches

The benefits associated with each delivery method will be discussed during your initial consultation. Note, each hormone replacement method can be modified as required to restore and maintain your optimal hormone levels. If your lifestyle changes and you need to change your hormone replacement delivery method, we are more than happy to accommodate your unique needs.

Hormone Delivery

We will advise you during your initial consultation on what you can expect during your hormone delivery process based on the delivery method chosen. We will also advise you on how regularly you will need hormones administered. If you travel regularly and don’t feel confident you can take a pill at the same time every day, pellet therapy may be recommended. Pellet therapy involves the implantation of the pellet into the adipose tissue in your hip.

Follow-up appointments may be necessary every three to six months. Other hormone replacement methods may require daily or weekly hormone supplementation.

Follow-Up Appointments

Hormone replacement appointments are nothing like regular doctor’s appointments. Rather than giving you a prescription and sending you off, we will monitor your progress and make adjustments as necessary until your health and wellness goals are achieved. Depending on the cause of your hormone imbalance, you may be on supplemental hormones for several months or longer.

Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today

You don’t have to live with the symptoms of imbalanced hormones. You can restore balance to your hormones with hormone replacement therapy Henderson. To start a hormone replacement program, contact us today at Impressions Skin Solutions in Hendersonville, TN to schedule your initial consultation and we will develop a plan that works for you. 

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