Bioidentical hormone replacement for women
Hormone replacement therapy has been used by women for years as they age to help them to relieve the symptoms of menopause and to feel younger. After researchers halted the Women’s Health Initiative study in 2002 because they found an increased risk of cancer, stroke and heart attack for women who were taking traditional hormone replacements, women shied away from HRT for several years until the advent of bioidentical hormones. Unlike traditional hormone replacements, which use animal hormones or synthetic hormones that have some dissimilarities to the hormones that naturally occur in the body, bioidentical hormones are identical to the hormones that women’s bodies naturally produce and are thought to be safer. There are multiple benefits of using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in Kansas City as a treatment for menopause.
What happens during perimenopause?
During perimenopause, which is the time period that happens as women near menopause, their levels of estrogen and progesterone begin to drop. This period lasts between four and six months, with women not being considered to be in menopause until they have not menstruated for 12 months. During perimenopause, many women experience a number of unpleasant symptoms, including the following:
- Hot flashes
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Memory problems
- Loss of sexual interest
- Sleep disturbances
- Mood swings
Other hormones may also be affected during perimenopause, including DHEA, insulin, melatonin and pregnenolone. Lower insulin levels leave the body unable to process sugar, which may result in diabetes. High insulin levels have been linked to heart disease. Low melatonin levels may cause poorer immune functioning and sleep problems. Decreases in DHEA and pregnenolone may also cause deficiencies of the sex hormones.
Benefits of BHRT
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in Kansas City has multiple benefits for women, including the following:
- Increased muscle mass and fat loss
- Balanced moods
- Higher density of bones
- Better sleep
- Increased vitality
- Increased libido and vaginal lubrication
- Decrease in the frequency and intensity of hot flashes
- Increased skin elasticity
By replacing the hormones that women are losing, BHRT can help women by offering all of these benefits. They may feel younger, look better and experience better health and fewer problematic symptoms of perimenopause. Bioidentical hormones may help women to ease into menopause by using hormones that are identical to those that naturally occur in the body, meaning that they are more compatible than are the synthetic and animal hormones that were previously used. Women who are interested in BHRT may want to talk to their doctors about this therapeutic option to help them feel better and more vital for a longer period of time as they age.