Your body relies on hormones to translate instructions from your brain to functions throughout your body. Traveling through your bloodstream, these chemical messengers deliver signals about what to do and when to do it. More than 50 hormones have been isolated so far.
As a woman, it can sometimes feel like hormones are running your life, coming between you and your wellbeing. Chances are, though, what you recognize as a less-than-ideal hormonal event is in fact an imbalance between two or more hormones.
Winnie King, MD Aesthetics and Wellness specializes in BioTE® hormone replacement therapy for when some imbalances interfere with your health. We’d like to share five common ways a hormone imbalance can impact your wellbeing. Schedule a visit when you recognize any of these conditions.
1. Menopause
This is the big one for most women who suffer from hormone imbalance symptoms. While hormone production slows for everyone as they get older, menopause sees the rapid change in estrogen levels as the ovaries stop making the hormone when they stop releasing eggs each month.
While every woman experiences their own combination and intensity of symptoms, the most common signs of estrogen imbalance include:
- Hot flashes (the most common complaint)
- Libido changes
- Sleep disorders like insomnia
- Weight gain
- Mental fog
- Headaches
- Mood changes
Not every woman requires hormone replacement therapy for menopause. When symptoms interfere with daily life, it’s the best way to ease the most common symptoms.
2. Hyperthyroidism
An overproduction of certain thyroid hormones leads to an overactive metabolism. You may lose weight unexpectedly while also experiencing a higher heart rate. Hyperthyroidism can make you feel nervous or anxious, and it can interfere with your sleep cycle.
3. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism stems from the underproduction of thyroid hormones, resulting in similar and sometimes opposite symptoms when compared with hyperthyroidism, such as unexpected weight gain. You may be easily fatigued and memory problems are common. Too little thyroid hormone can also affect your sleep patterns.
4. Depression and anxiety
While there are many reasons for these emotional conditions, hormone imbalance is a common cause for women. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can lead to a depressive condition and menopause can result in mood disorders.
5. Osteoporosis
Estrogen is also key to bone health in women, so when production falls off at menopause, bone density can start to decline. About half of all women over the age of 50 will suffer a bone break related to osteoporosis. Estrogen replacement therapy can reduce the risk of thinning bones.
Ask about BioTE
Delivered in the form of a subdermal pellet providing steady release of hormones for up to six months, BioTE uses a form of synthetic hormone called bioidentical because of its molecular structure that precisely matches the chemical forms produced by your body. Some synthetics do the job of the hormones they replace, but there are slight variations versus those produced naturally.
Talk to Dr. King about how bioidentical hormone therapy with BioTE can help you when hormone imbalances affect your life. Call the office to schedule a consultation. Relief may be closer than you think.