- Are you feeling moody, depressed or irritable?
- Do you have brain fog or feel more forgetful?
- Are you losing hair, libido or sleep?
- Do you feel hot, dry, wrinkled or that your aging has accelerated?
- Are you finding it difficult to lose weight or perhaps have acne?
These are some signs of hormonal imbalance. One of the hallmarks of getting older is a decline in hormone levels. Production of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, DHEA, melatonin, human growth hormone, and other hormones tapers off after we reach our 20s and 30s. Age-related hormonal deficiencies contribute to the signs and symptoms of aging.
What exactly are hormones? And is replacing them safe? Is a synthetic hormone any different from a bio-identical one? Is hormonal balance really that important to wellness? And if it is, what is the best way to achieve it? Recent research and studies suggest that balancing hormones may hold the key to unlocking long-term health and wellness. Because hormones affect all aspects of life, the treatment must be extended to and coordinated with the complete physiology and psychology of a person.
Many of our physiological processes are regulated and mediated by a complicated, interconnected network of hormonal signaling pathways. If any of these become imbalanced due to age, disease, or medical treatments, hormone replacement therapies (HRT) are sometimes recommended to help rebalance body chemistry, eliminating symptoms or reducing the risk of developing complications.
Synthetic vs. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement
Synthetic hormones have a chemical composition that is different from the hormones produced naturally in the human body; therefore, they remain structurally foreign to the human body. This is the major cause of several undesirable side effects.
Bio-identical hormones are synthesized such that they are structurally identical to their natural counterparts. Thus, these hormones offer the purity of manufactured hormones with the added benefits of being identical to what the body would normally produce. For these reasons, bio-identical hormones potentially offer the safest, most natural options for those undergoing hormone replacement therapies.
Every woman is unique and requires a tailor-made treatment, working closely with compounding pharmacies to give you an individualized prescription.