Hormone health is crucial to a person’s well-being. If a patient’s hormones aren’t balanced, they might feel tired, moody, and unable to concentrate. This problem often affects menopausal women in their 40s and 50s because their bodies are changing rapidly. At Premiere Center for Health and Wellness in Cincinnati, OH, we help patients find appropriate menopause treatments. Currently, the most successful one is hormone therapy.
What Does Hormone Therapy Do for Menopause?
When a woman becomes menopausal, she might experience a wide range of symptoms. The most common ones include a lower sex drive, vaginal dryness, mind fog, mood swings, hot flashes, and night sweats. She might also have a harder time controlling her weight, and her risk of contracting common diseases like osteoporosis and heart attacks increases.
Many of these changes occur because the body no longer produces large quantities of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Hormone replacement therapy can address the symptoms. At Premiere Center for Health and Wellness, we use bioequivalent hormones. They are chemically identical to the ones produced by the human body, so they are safe and highly effective.
Control Over Your Weight
The decline in estrogen makes it harder for women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s to maintain a healthy weight. In particular, patients might put on fat on their hips, bellies, and thighs. It’s also important to remember that the aging process speeds up weight gain because the body’s muscle mass declines and the metabolism slows down.
Being overweight is problematic for older people because it causes heart conditions, diabetes, and breathing problems. Although weight can be managed with positive lifestyle changes, this might not be enough. We frequently prescribe HRT to women who struggle with their weight. The treatment works very well when combined with a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine.
A Better Sex Life
It isn’t surprising that a decline in sex hormones affects the patient’s libido. As women become older, they might not be as interested in having intercourse, which impacts their intimate relationships and makes it harder for them to connect to their partners. They might also struggle with vaginal dryness, a condition that makes sex feel uncomfortable or even painful.
Hormone replacement therapy is a great solution because it addresses the root cause of the issue, namely the hormonal imbalance. If the patient is suffering only from symptoms related to their sexual health, we might administer HRT as a vaginal cream or gel. If they also have other menopausal symptoms, a patch or oral medication might be best.
No More Mind Fog
Have you been struggling to think clearly and make good decisions in the last few months? You might be suffering from menopausal mind fog, a common symptom related to the drop in progesterone and estrogen women experience in their 40s or 50s. The hormonal imbalance can also cause sleep disturbances, which further aggravate concentration issues.
Sometimes, patients come to the clinic because they’re worried that they’re suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Fortunately, this isn’t usually the case. Memory loss related to hormonal changes isn’t permanent, and patients feel better a few weeks after they begin hormone replacement therapy. We sometimes recommend dietary changes, exercise, and certain herbs and supplements because they support the treatment.
Reduced Mood Swings
Another common side effect of reduced progesterone and estrogen is frequent mood swings. Before understanding that this is a normal menopausal symptom, patients might be worried that they are suffering from a mental health disorder like depression or anxiety. Most of the time, they are simply experiencing the effects of their hormonal imbalance.
HRT is an effective way of reducing mood swings and restoring the patient’s positive mindset. It is often combined with holistic methods. If we believe that a patient is suffering from a mental health condition, we always ask them to see a specialist. Sometimes, therapy or medication is needed in addition to HRT.
Reduced Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
When people talk about menopausal symptoms, hot flashes, and night sweats almost always come up. Patients with hormonal imbalances often have trouble regulating their temperature, and they might struggle with sudden sweating and flushing. During the night, this can be very disruptive because it wakes them up and prevents them from getting enough rest.
After starting HRT, most women feel significantly better. They can spend more time in public because they no longer have to worry about sweating uncontrollably. This makes it easier for them to work in an office environment, attend social gatherings, and spend time with their families and friends. Because patients can sleep better if they aren’t suffering from night sweats, they are more alert, less distracted, and their moods are better.
A Lower Risk of Osteoporosis
During menopause, a woman’s risk of developing a serious disease like osteoporosis or a heart-related condition is elevated. The lower levels of hormones prevent the body from functioning well. Osteoporosis, a condition that involves a serious reduction in bone mass, is dangerous because it can lead to broken or crumbling bones.
Studies have shown that hormone therapy can reduce the risk of osteoporosis. If you’ve been told by a doctor that your bone mass isn’t ideal, it’s important that you take preventative measures. Aside from starting HRT, they might include doing a lot of high-impact exercises, taking supplements, and eating a diet that contains a lot of calcium.
How Does HRT Work?
There are several types of HRT, so it’s easy for you to find a good fit. If you no longer have a womb, you might take estrogen on its own. However, most women take both estrogen and progesterone together. Sometimes, we recommend that patients continually take both hormones, but at other times, progesterone might only be administered once every few weeks.
Depending on your symptoms, you might be given a gel or cream that is applied to the vagina or a pill you have to take daily. Sometimes, we use skin patches or rings. The best way to find out which treatment could be suitable for you is to come to the clinic and ask for a consultation.
What Happens During the First Consultation?
To get the most out of your initial appointment, come prepared. Bring all your medical records, a list of the medications you currently take, information about treatments you’ve tried in the past, and details about your allergies. You might also want to keep a diary of your symptoms for a few weeks, so you can tell us how your hormonal imbalance has affected you.
The first meeting allows us to get to know you and your menopausal symptoms. We’ll spend some time learning more about your issues and goals. Then, we’ll tell you more about HRT and how it can help you. We might go over the various options and discuss which one is suitable for you. If we believe that you could have a medical or mental health condition that is making your symptoms worse, we’ll refer you to specialists.
Am I a Good Candidate for HRT?
Most women who are suffering from the above-named symptoms are good candidates for HRT. At Premiere Center for Health and Wellness, we always use bioequivalent hormones, which are safe and beneficial. However, it’s important to remember that this treatment isn’t suitable for people who have severe medical conditions.
We can’t treat you if you have a history of blood clots, breast cancer, womb cancer, ovarian cancer, and liver disease. If your blood pressure is high, you have to address it before coming to the clinic. It’s also important to remember that you can still get pregnant while on HRT. That’s why you have to keep using contraceptive devices until one to two years after your last period.
How Does My Lifestyle Affect HRT?
Patients who lead an unhealthy lifestyle might not see good results. Before administering HRT, we always discuss the person’s diet, exercise routine, stress levels, and daily habits. This helps us to understand whether the symptoms are related to lifestyle factors. If we believe that the patient’s habits are contributing to their discomfort, we ask them to make some changes before starting HRT.
Reduce Your Symptoms and Enjoy Your Golden Years Now
Hormone therapy for menopause addresses a wide range of symptoms like mind fog, mood swings, hot flashes and night sweats, and sexual wellness. It also allows patients to control their weight more easily, and it lowers the risk of osteoporosis. Call us now at Premiere Center for Health and Wellness in Cincinnati, OH to find out more about HRT. We can offer hormone health treatment to both men and women.