People who suffer from hormone imbalances can usually benefit from hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at almost any age. At Optimal Health MD, the hormone replacement therapies we offer are closest to your body’s hormones and work effectively with the brain’s hormone receptors. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is preferred as it usually means more secure, more effective and successful results for the patient.
There are various kinds of HRT treatments accessible to men and women. Given that everybody is different with a unique biochemistry and hormone balance, it’s vital that you work with one of our specialized medical advisors Optimal Health MD, to find the therapy that’s best for you.
HRT for Women
Women have two main sex hormones – estrogen and progesterone.
While both are important, estrogen levels are more likely to turn out to be imbalanced. A woman’s body produces a large amount of estrogen throughout puberty to build breasts and start menstrual cycles. During menopause, the amount of estrogen declines just before getting a fresh balance.
You might be identified as having finished your menopause (or being ‘post-menopausal’) once you have not had a period for at least twelve months. The typical age for this to happen is fifty years. The entire procedure of going through menopause is referred to as the ‘peri-menopause’ and this stage lasts for two to six years.
At this time, the amount of estrogen changes and then at some point reduces. Estrogen is among the bodily hormones required for starting ovulation (egg-producing) and pregnancy. Estrogen also thickens the womb lining, so once estrogen levels drop substantially, menstrual periods will no longer occur. Occasionally, blood tests to monitor hormone levels are used to confirm that this process.
During this period, you might experience some emotional and physical symptoms as a result of reducing levels of estrogen. These could differ broadly yet may generally include fatigue, hot flushes, changes to skin and hair, joint pains, night sweats, vaginal dryness, reduced sex drive and changes in mood. On the other hand, about a third of women encounter absolutely no symptoms at all, except that their periods stop happening.
Literally, hundreds of medical studies have presented evidence that HRT efficiently helps such conditions as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, and bone loss. These advantages can result in enhanced sleep and sexual relations, and overall quality of life.
HRT for hormonal imbalances in women
The women struggling with hormonal problems might experience these symptoms:
Difficulty regulating moods, including depression
Reduced energy and frequent feelings of fatigue
Reduction in sexual desire and sexual sensation
Problems concentrating and remembering things
HRT is the most common and efficient treatment for those symptoms and more. Before therapy starts, it’s essential to calculate current hormone levels. Then, a personalized, extensive, and medical treatment can be designed for you.
Based on what the patient needs, hormones can usually be administered through intramuscular injection or implantation of a time-release “pellet” that progressively and suitably introduces hormones into the system. In certain cases, hormones can be found as a pill or patch.
Women also have a little bit of testosterone, a male sex hormone, in their bodies. In certain cases, it might be essential to supplement the body’s testosterone. Sometimes, this can fight symptoms associated with concentration and physical endurance.
HRT for Men
Hormone Replacement Therapy is usually something associated with women. But now HRT has been gaining ground in terms of popularity. It is all-natural that as men grow older, their testosterone level drops. Testosterone is a hormone needed by the body for reproductive system function, building muscle bulk and even maintaining bone density.
Similar to women with estrogen, men have a vital sex hormone – testosterone.
For men with abnormally low testosterone levels, HRT helps them. Youthful hormone levels show that you can maintain youthful functionality throughout your whole life. Begin living a more youthful life today by normalizing your testosterone levels. Hormone replacement therapy will improve sexual functionality, reduce body fat and improve lean muscle mass.
Testosterone hormone is produced in large quantities in the testes, though both sexes generate testosterone through the adrenal glands, near the kidneys.
Testosterone is one of the major elements that enables men to build muscle tissue comparatively faster than women. It is also associated with physical strength, endurance, and sex drive.
Testosterone isn’t just for bodybuilders: it’s as important to men as estrogen is to women. In fact, men with low testosterone can experience the same symptoms as women. Probably the most typical symptom of low testosterone is erectile dysfunction. If you suffer from “ED” and cardiovascular issues are eliminated, hormonal imbalance is very likely to blame!
Men can receive hormone replacement therapy using intramuscular injection, topical cream, or time-release pellet. The type used will depend on the particular type of testosterone needed. On the other hand, Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is another type of hormone men may need to supplement for a healthier life.
What about female hormones for men or male hormones for women?
Generally, men should minimize exposure to external sources of estrogen and progesterone, while women should do the same for testosterone, as this can cause health complications as well as create positive effects.
Positive effects of using HRT for men are listed below:
Better Bones
In men with low testosterone levels, testosterone can improve bone mineral density and reduce bone fractures, an effect similar to that found in postmenopausal women on estrogen replacement. Importantly, hip fractures are 2-3 times as likely to kill an older man as a woman of the same age, and 40% of older male patients with hip fractures die within 1 year of the injury.
Leaner Body
Testosterone results in increases in lean body mass, possibly strength and can decrease fat mass. By stimulating erythropoietin, testosterone increases blood counts. It appears to improve lipid profiles and dilates blood vessels in the heart although no data has yet shown that it reduces heart attacks or strokes. It appears not to alter LDL or total cholesterol levels. In recent work, it has been shown that men with chronically low testosterone levels have two to three-fold higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome and have up to a 40% greater risk of death than men with normal testosterone levels.
Better Sexual Health
Sexual function also improves with testosterone. Most studies agree that sexual drive is improved by testosterone. Penile erections may be improved with testosterone, but only in men with low testosterone levels. It is important to note that low testosterone is an unusual (6%) cause of erectile problems in older men as lower sex drive and age-related changes to the penis are far more common.
Top 5 Benefits for Men and for Women
We have put together a list of the top 5 benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy for both males and females based on feedback from our current patients:
Men:
– Reduces risks of heart disease
– Accelerates fat burning for increased weight loss
– Improves sleep
– Enhances sex drive and libido
– Increases energy and reduces depression
Women:
– Helps eliminate or reduce hot flashes and night sweats
– Accelerates fat burning for increased weight loss
– Enhances overall sexual experience: sex drive, libido and prevents vaginal dryness
– Increases energy and reduces depression
– Improves sleep
As you can see, the benefits of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) can act as an anti-aging procedure and help you get any man or woman’s youthfulness and health back!
Conclusion
Hormone Replacement Therapy is one of those phrases that can raise many questions. Oftentimes, those questions arise from not knowing enough about this health process, so we hope we have provided some light on the subject!
As we age, our hormone levels begin to drop, and we can start to experience adverse side effects from these changes. HRT can help to reverse some of these side effects and is good for the overall health of aging men and women.
Hormone Replacement Therapy acts as an anti-aging hormone imbalance procedure. There are many different methods of HRT offered but one of the main methods we offer is the hormone replacement therapy via injections and pellets. HRT has been around and successfully used since the 1930’s! That’s some pretty good history!