Bioidentical Hormone Therapy for Women
Several factors can cause women to experience hormonal imbalances, such as aging, stress, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, and no sleep, and while women can experience hormone imbalances at any point during their lives, they most commonly have issues with hormone balance during age related hormone decline that occurs with perimenopause and menopause. Several hormones are at work in a woman’s body to maintain specific functions and optimal levels of health, and because these hormones are interconnected, one hormone imbalance can affect all of the others. The primary sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are the hormones that most commonly decline with aging, and through replenishing these hormones women can regain health and wellness.
Age Related Hormone Decline In Women
During perimenopause, the ovaries begin to produce less estrogen and progesterone, and women can experience a series of changes. Most women will notice changes in their menstrual cycles, which can cause them to experience irregular periods, heavier or lighter periods, and intense menstrual cramping. Some women may notice that their PMS symptoms, which can include bloating, cramping, headaches, fatigue, and mood swings, become more intense than previously. Other symptoms of perimenopause may include migraines, lethargy, lower libido, infertility, anovulation, adult acne, thinning hair, and amenorrhea.
After twelve months of no menstrual period, most women experience menopause, which marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. During menopause, the ovaries can no longer produce an adequate amount of female hormones, and ideally, the adrenal glands are supposed to take over the production of estrogen and progesterone. However, because most women have burnt out their adrenal glands by their 4th or 5th decades, they are unable to produce the needed hormones. This can cause women to experience symptoms that include a poor memory, low libido, depression, insomnia, anxiety, thinning bones, hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, and fatigue.
The Primary Sex Hormones
In order for women to restore their health and improve the symptoms of hormone decline, important sex hormones must be replenished. The primary female sex hormones include estrogen and progesterone, and the other important sex hormone that women need is testosterone. Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy can help to replenish these deficient hormones.
Estrogen
Estrogen is one of the most important female hormones, and it helps women to keep their feminine appearances, set bodily cycles, and maintain specific neurological functions. A lack of estrogen can cause women to have wrinkling skin, reduced breast size, weaker nails, and less lustrous hair. Reduced estrogen levels can also cause women to have issues going to sleep or staying asleep, and it can cause hot flashes and night sweats. Because estrogen helps to detoxify the brain, women can experience a poor memory with insufficient estrogen levels.
Progesterone
Usually imbalances within estrogen and progesterone are to blame for weight gain in aging women. A lack of estrogen can cause the body to hold onto body fat because it contains estrogen, and low levels of progesterone can cause water retention. Balancing these hormones can help women to lose weight and overcome weight loss resistance. Progesterone helps to regulate the menstrual cycle, and without it, women would not be able to menstruate, give birth, or ovulate. This hormone also maintains several other functions in the female body, and it prevents estrogen dominance, which occurs when the body’s estrogen ratio is higher than progesterone. Estrogen and progesterone often have opposite functions that balance each other. For example, progesterone inhibits tissue growth, while estrogen promotes it, and therefore, estrogen dominance can increase a woman’s risk for endometriosis, breast or uterine cancer, and fibrocystic breast disease.
Testosterone
While testosterone is the primary male sex hormone, it is also present in females, and in women, the adrenal glands are the main suppliers of testosterone. This hormone is important for women because it helps them to maintain libido, muscle tone, energy, strong bones, and workout performances. A lack of testosterone can women to feel fatigued, unmotivated, and depressed, and women may also experience reduced stamina or endurance, low libido, increased body fat, and flabby muscles.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help women to overcome the challenges associated with hormone decline and improve their overall quality of life. Thousands of women have been able to feel and look younger after replenishing their hormones.
