Hormone therapy involves supplementing hormones that are low or lacking in the body to restore optimal levels. This can provide immense benefits and relief from unpleasant symptoms caused by hormonal imbalances.
When levels of key hormones fall out of ideal ranges, the body’s regulatory systems can fail to function properly. Replacing missing hormones can dramatically improve energy, cognitive ability, sexual function, sleep quality, emotional regulation, weight management and much more.
There are two main categories of people who undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT):
1. Those with deficiencies or imbalances due to medical conditions: These include issues with the pituitary gland, thyroid, ovaries/testes and adrenal glands. Treatment aims to circumvent the underlying problem by directly providing hormones the body struggles to produce itself in adequate amounts.
2. Those experiencing natural decreases related to aging: In midlife and beyond, the body’s capacity to synthesize essential hormones progressively declines. This leads to recognized syndromes like andropause in men and menopause in transitioning women. Providing bioidentical hormones counteracts this drop-off to alleviate unpleasant effects.
Both situations above can dramatically detract from one’s quality of life without appropriate medical care. The good news is that safe, natural hormone therapy can restore well-being and vitality.
Since hormones regulate virtually every body system, falling levels can result in diverse unwelcome signs and symptoms. However, because these changes often develop gradually, patients frequently fail to connect subtle ongoing issues with hormonal imbalance.
Some common indications of low hormones include:
Fortunately, a simple blood draw can identify deficient hormone levels. Comparison to optimal reference ranges reveals the extent to which an individual’s hormones deviate from ideal values.
Hormonal declines rarely occur overnight – most often, they manifest slowly over months and years. This gradual progression means patients acclimate and fail to realize their bodies are no longer functioning as robustly as they should.
Relieving unpleasant symptoms is only part of the equation; prolonged hormone deficiencies can have lasting effects if left unchecked. Osteoporosis, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, immune dysfunction, dementia and specific cancers have all been linked with untreated hormone decline.
Furthermore, the sooner treatment begins, the more rapidly patients can regain optimal wellness and vigor to fully participate in life’s joys.
There are two primary forms of hormone therapy used to correct deficiencies:
1. Pharmaceutical hormones are synthesized in laboratories to mimic natural hormones. However, their chemical structures significantly differ, so the body may not fully recognize these stand-ins.
2. Bioidentical hormones possess the exact molecular configuration as hormones produced in the human body. This allows bioidentical replacements to seamlessly bind receptors and emulate natural activity.
Both options can successfully increase hormone levels. However, research suggests bioidentical hormones confer greater safety and efficacy. One reason is that, unlike foreign pharmaceuticals, the body instantly accepts identical replacements as its own innate hormones.
Additionally, non-bioidentical versions rely on patented one-size-fits-all formulas. But natural hormone concentrations vary substantially person to person based on age, gender, ethnicity and lifestyle factors like stress exposure and diet.
Custom-compounded bioidentical hormone therapy allows each patient’s unique hormonal ecosystem to be precisely replicated for enhanced outcomes.
There are short and long-acting ways to administer bioidentical hormones:
Short-acting delivery occurs via pills, sublingual drops, pellets or creams. These must be dosed daily or weekly to maintain consistent levels.
Benefits include ease of use and flexible adjustments as needed over time. Drawbacks are fluctuating peak and trough concentrations that may spark recurring temporary symptoms prior to the next dose.
Long-acting modalities like quarterly injections steadily release hormones for up to four months. This achieves exceptionally stable serum levels without peaks and plunges in symptoms. It also decreases treatment management responsibilities for patients.
However, modifications take longer to actualize – dose changes aren’t immediately reflected for months till the next injection cycle.
At our clinic, we strategically employ bioidentical hormones via various state-of-the-art systems according to each patient’s needs for personalized care.
Many distinct hormones regulate major systems integral to health and vitality. However, several tend to decline most precipitously with age due to altered secretory dynamics.
Known as the “masculinizing hormone,” testosterone plays crucial regulatory roles across body systems and organs in both men and women. But after age 30, it steadily wanes at about 1 percent per year. This accelerates later in life, with an average 50 percent drop from peak production by one’s 70s.
In men, testosterone drives sex drive, bone density, muscle development, physical strength, red blood cell production, facial/body hair growth, prostate health and more. It also regulates fat storage and improves cardiovascular function and risk factors. Cognition, focus and emotional well-being depend on optimal testosterone – its deficiency causes irritability, mood swings and memory issues.
Like men, women depend on balanced testosterone levels to preserve muscle and bone mass, enable healthy body composition by reducing fat accumulation and preventing insulin resistance. In addition, testosterone energizes female sex drive while supporting psychological well-being to prevent anxiety and depression. It works synergistically with estrogen and progesterone for female reproductive and sexual health throughout the lifecycle.
Restoring testosterone alleviates distressing symptoms that detract from quality of life. Treatment enhances physical functioning, mental sharpness, weight optimization, emotional buoyancy and sexual satisfaction for both men and women.
The thyroid gland secretes metabolic hormones called triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These regulate heartbeat, body temperature, bowel motility, sugar/fat burning for energy production and weight maintenance. Thyroid hormones also govern growth, appetite, cognitive clarity and neurotransmitter activity influencing moods.
Left unchecked, thyroid dysfunction causes numerous unwanted manifestations – temperature sensitivity, stubborn extra weight, fatigue, depression, muscle aches, hair loss, digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea and irregular menstruation in women.
Fortifying T3/T4 levels can resolve these concerns and markedly improve energy, concentration, motivation and more. We frequently find patients reporting life-changing benefits from optimizing previously overlooked borderline hypothyroidism.
The most recognized feminizing hormone, estrogen peaks during a woman’s reproductive years, significantly declining around menopause. This gradual transition commonly starts in one’s 40’s and culminates with cessation of menstrual periods, marking reproductive conclusion.
Plummeting and fluctuating estrogen underlies classic menopausal difficulties like hot flashes/sweating, vaginal dryness, urinary issues, insomnia, heart palpitations, anxiety and brain fog. Estrogen supports bone building and cardiovascular protection by regulating cholesterol synthesis. It also strongly influences female sexual response in terms of arousal, sensation and ability to orgasm.
Restoring estrogen can successfully ease troublesome symptoms for midlife and older women. However it requires careful precautions – long-term estrogen exposure without a balancing progestogen places some women at slightly increased risk for certain cancers and stroke.
Estrogen replacement therefore necessitates vigilant monitoring to ensure appropriate cautionary measures are enacted, like pairing with cyclic progesterone to counteract proliferative estrogenic effects on reproductive tissues.
The other seminal reproductive hormone for women is progesterone. Its levels also rise and fall through each reproductive cycle, peaking dramatically after ovulation. If pregnancy occurs, progesterone plateaus to securely sustain gestation.
Following menopause, progesterone output declines up to 100-fold from prior prolific production. This hampers progesterone’s numerous vital functions – supporting bone density, cardiovascular health and normal sleep architecture. It also impairs stable moods by interacting with GABA, endorphins and other neurotransmitters in the brain.
Furthermore, progesterone strongly influences female breasts and uterine thickening. When unopposed by progesterone these tissues may undergo abnormal growth due to estrogen exposure.
Supplementing progesterone alleviates common menopausal woes and ensures protective equilibrium between estrogen and this modulating hormone. Bioidentical progesterone also aids sleep quality, endorphin activity and emotional wellness.
Secreted mainly from the adrenal glands above the kidneys, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) acts as a “prohormone” converted throughout the body into more specialized hormones like androgens, estrogens and cortisol depending on local tissue requirements. DHEA exerts additional direct biological effects on cellular functioning.
DHEA peaks around age 25, steadily dropping about 10 percent per decade thereafter. Low levels associate with higher risk for inflammation, cardiovascular disease, obesity, immune impairments, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, dementia and vulnerability to acute illnesses.
Raising DHEA commonly increases energy, libido, strength, mood and cognitive abilities while assisting healthy inflammatory response, cardiovascular protection, weight management and robust immunity. Custom DHEA restoration makes up for progressive deficits as we age.
Hormone therapy can help transgender individuals align their physical characteristics with their gender identity. Surprisingly, some transgender men report unexpected changes like growing taller by a couple of inches after starting testosterone therapy even in their 20s or 30s, defying the belief that growth plates close in the late teens.
HRT successfully alleviates hormone deficiency signs and symptoms for most patients. However strategic lifestyle adjustments can profoundly magnify benefits:
Sleep – Prioritize 7 to 9 hours nightly. Insufficient sleep disturbs hormonal pathways including Growth Hormone fundamental for recovery and rejuvenation.
Exercise – Engage in regular strength/resistance and cardiovascular training appropriate for your abilities and constraints. This stimulates hormone bioavailability and receptors for enhanced response. Physical movement also promotes weight management which relates to hormonal balance.
Healthy Nutrition – Eat an anti-inflammatory whole foods diet emphasizing plant sources - vegetables, fruits, beans/legumes, nuts/seeds, whole grains and lean proteins. These provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants vital for hormone activity in cells.
Stress Reduction – Unmanaged high stress excessively elevates cortisol, impairing other interlinked hormones. Relaxation practices like yoga, meditation, deep breathing, enjoyable hobbies and social connection counter overactivation of the “fight or flight”stress system.
Body Composition – Excess body fat and obesity disturb hormone equilibrium and reduce sensitivity. As possible given one’s situation, reducing high fat levels through the lifestyle approaches above clarifies hormone dynamics. However, underlying issues like thyroid dysfunction can drive excess weight - so investigation and treatment of root causes is paramount.
These positive lifestyle adjustments amplify improvements from HRT for optimal functioning. Our clinic provides support, guidance and referrals regarding evidence-based complementary wellness practices.
Successfully navigating hormone replacement involves periodic testing, dose adjustments when necessary and leveraging community resources. We have carefully assembled trusted local practitioners, services and venues to make the process convenient, enjoyable and highly effective.
These exceptional nearby establishments provide diverse support elements when indicated:
We welcome referrals to additional valuable local businesses not included here that offer services and activities which aid positive lifestyle changes for our hormone therapy patients.
Seeking timely hormone testing and follow-up therapy is critical for restoring one’s maximal potential for health and wellbeing as underlying deficiencies progress. With close periodic monitoring and honoring the body’s innate physiological messaging, customized treatment regimens help patients reclaim fully balanced functioning.
Expert hormone replacement therapy through periodic assessment, state-of-the-art delivery methods and strategic lifestyle integration allows patients to reauthorize optimal physical, emotional and mental performance. We feel privileged to guide patients through this profoundly restorative process for comprehensively enhanced life participation and enjoyment.
Please reach out with any remaining questions about the specifics of hormone testing, safest and most effective treatment approaches or sensible complementary lifestyle measures supporting therapy. Our team closely partners with patients to actualize durable solutions for sustainable wellness and an elevated quality of life.
