Suffering from Hormonal Imbalance? How HRT Can Help

Hormones are chemical messengers that affect everything from how our cells work to brain function and muscle growth. Sometimes your hormone levels can become imbalanced, which can cause a wide variety of symptoms. Hormones don’t become imbalanced for no reason; sometimes the cause is age or menopause, or it may be the result of obesity, diabetes, thyroid issues, medication, or pregnancy.

The typical treatment for low hormone levels is hormone replacement therapy, which restores normal levels and treats symptoms you may be experiencing. Here are some conditions that can be treated with hormone therapy.

Menopause

Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is the standard treatment for the symptoms of menopause, which is a natural process during which the body stops making estrogen completely. Estrogen is a very important hormone that aids in uterine and vaginal health as well as sexual characteristics. HRT for menopause may involve replacing estrogen alone or progesterone, which also declines during menopause.

Menopause hormone therapy can come in many forms, including low-dose vaginal treatments or systemic hormone therapy in the form of a pill or injection. Because estrogen is important in bone health, hormone therapy can reduce the risk of osteoporosis for post-menopausal women.

Low Testosterone

Andropause occurs when testosterone levels start to decline rapidly in men. This can lead to muscle loss, gynecomastia, weight gain, chronic fatigue, memory troubles, depression, and irritability. Testosterone levels decline naturally at a rate of about 1% a year beyond the age of 30, although sometimes levels fall low enough to cause these symptoms.

Testosterone therapy is used to treat low testosterone in men. Hormone replacement can help you maintain your fitness level and treat symptoms like irritability and fatigue.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

This hormone disorder is fairly common and it can affect your menstrual cycle as well as your heart and circulatory system. This condition usually causes irregular periods, high levels of androgens (male hormones), and cysts on the ovaries.

While polycystic ovary syndrome can’t be cured, hormone therapy can be an effective treatment to treat symptoms. In most cases, progesterone replacement is used to lower your risk of cancer. The condition may also be treated with anti-androgen medicine, fertility medication, diabetes drugs to stop ovulation and abnormal hair growth, and birth control to reduce androgens and control the menstrual cycle.

Hypothyroidism

Underactive thyroid disease happens when the thyroid doesn’t make enough hormones that the body needs. Hormone therapy replaces the T3 and/or T4 hormones that the thyroid produces to improve symptoms. You may have hypothyroidism if you have low energy, gradual weight gain, digestion problems, trouble with thinking and memory, or high cholesterol.

As you can see, hormone therapy is used to treat a wide range of problems. Hormonal imbalance is a very common problem that affects millions of people but you don’t need to live with the symptoms. If you suspect you have low hormone levels, a hormone blood test can give an in-depth look at your hormones to help you and your doctor make an informed decision. If you’d like to learn more, please visit this site to learn more about.