Hormones – the chemical messengers of your body. Hormone replacement treatment – the external supporter and secretary of these chemical messengers.
Hormones are chemical carriers that the endocrine glands discharge directly into your blood to carry them to your organs and tissues to run vital functions. They influence your development, metabolism, sexual functions, cognitive function, mood, temperature, and many more. Now imagine, if your body doesn’t produce enough hormones, what would happen?
To deliver you from this difficulty of hormone deficiency, hormone replacement treatment, aka HRT, comes as the knight in shining armor. This procedure replaces the natural hormones to restore the optimum level of hormones in your body. As a result, you regain yourself with a happy and healthy life. Let’s dig deeper into the world of HRT and the impact of hormone replacement treatment therapy on your life.
What Is Hormone Replacement Treatment?
Hormone replacement therapy is the treatment with hormones to replace the natural hormones in your body. When your body doesn’t produce enough hormones to run your body’s regular functions, healthcare providers suggest hormone replacement treatment therapy. For example, during menopause, a woman’s body encounters a massive transition that causes multiple concerning conditions, such as hot flushes, mood swings, low libido, or vaginal dryness.
HRT replaces the estrogen and progesterone that your body can no longer produce and keep your womanhood alive. In addition, HRT also improves skin, bone density, tooth and reduces the risk of heart diseases.
However, long-term HRT may cause adverse effects on you. The risks typically depend on your therapy type, dose, duration, and your medical condition. For this reason, each individual should get a tailored therapy especially planned for each person.
At Hormone Replacement Therapy, LA, Dr. David Nazarian is an excellent hormone specialist near you. He and the expert staff provide a holistic, diagnostic, and prognostic approach to ensure the best care to revive you.
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Types Of Hormone Replacement Treatment
Hormone replacement treatment primarily focuses on replacing the woman sex hormone and male sex hormone that your body can no longer produce.
Female Hormone Replacement Treatment
Hormone replacement therapy is a life-changing treatment for women to manage their menopausal symptoms. Menopause is a natural transition of a woman that indicates the ending of her menstrual cycle. This transition often causes troubling symptoms that can affect the quality of life that includes-
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Osteoporosis
- Vaginal dryness
- Low libido
- Hair loss
- Difficulty sleeping
- Mood swing
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating
- Rapid heartbeat
- Dry skin
HRT works like magic to manage all these symptoms and make your life easy. Usually, estrogen and progestogen are the two main hormones used in HRT, including tablets, skin patches, gels, vaginal creams, pessaries, or rings. However, depending on your condition, your provider may suggest various combinations and amounts of hormones.
Estrogen Therapy
Suppose you no longer have a uterus and ovaries or have had a hysterectomy. In that case, the doctor will recommend only-estrogen therapy.
Estrogen and Progesterone Hormone Therapy
It’s the combination therapy where the doctor combines the doses of estrogen and a synthetic form of progesterone. If you have your ovaries and uterus intact, doctors will recommend this one.
Local Estrogen
To manage vaginal dryness, urogenital symptoms, and vaginal irritation, doctors usually suggest local estrogen that you can take as vaginal tablets, creams, or rings. There are generally 2 types of HRT plans or routines to follow depending on the stage of your menopausal status.
Cyclical or sequential HRT
This is suitable for women facing symptoms before their menopause. Doctors will suggest a monthly cyclical HRT if you have regular periods and a 3-monthly cyclical HRT if you have irregular periods.
Continuous Combined HRT
After menopause, the doctor may suggest the endless combination of estrogen and progesterone that you have to take every day without a break.
Male Hormone Replacement Treatment
Testosterone is the male hormone that produces primarily in the testicles that influences many functions in a male’s body-
- Muscle mass and strength
- Bone density
- Facial and body hair growth
- Fat distribution
- Red blood cell production
- Sex drive
- Sperm production
However, with age, testosterone production decreases in men. To restore the balance, doctors usually suggest testosterone HRT. The several options include-
Intramuscular Testosterone Injection
Every two to three weeks, you need to take this injection into the muscles of your buttocks.
Testosterone Patches
You have to apply the patches to your back, arms, buttocks, or abdomen every day in rotation.
Tropical Testosterone Gel
Every day, you have to apply the gel to your shoulder, arms, or abdomen. Hormone Replacement Therapy, Los Angeles, is a healthcare facility where expert doctors administer a holistic approach to restoring hormonal imbalance with cutting-edge treatments.
Impact Of Hormone Replacement treatment Therapy On Your Life
Hormone replacement therapy is a life-changing treatment that can make you feel yourself again, restoring the essential hormones in the body.
Administering Vasomotor Symptoms
The cardinal symptoms of menopause- vasomotor symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, rapid heartbeat, and changes in blood pressure. The study suggested that HRT provides maximum benefit in three months, reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes.
Development of Urogenital Symptoms
Vaginal dryness can severely affect your sex life by causing painful intercourse and irritation. Hormone replacement therapy improves vaginal dryness, sexual function, and the symptoms of vaginal atrophy. It also enhances urinary frequency and urinary symptoms.
Reduction in Osteoporosis Risk
Osteoporosis is the weakening of bones that develops slowly over time. Hormone replacement therapy, especially estrogens, is highly effective in increasing bone mineral density and preventing osteoporosis fractures in women.
Decrease Cardiovascular Disease
However controversial, hormone replacement treatment therapy can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Specially estrogens play a crucial role in raising HDL-cholesterol levels and lowering LDL-cholesterol levels.
Cut The Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is a painful condition that develops in your colon or rectum. A study showed that women taking combination therapy of estrogens and progesterone have fewer chances of developing colorectal cancer.
Repairing Your Mood and Cognition
Fluctuating estrogens and progesterone levels disrupt serotonin production- a mood-regulating neurotransmitter, causing severe mood swings. By restoring the estrogen and progesterone levels in your body, HRT profoundly improves your mood and cognitive function.
Intensifying Quality of Life
Insomnia, poor libido, dry skin, hair loss, muscle pain are a few symptoms that both men and women face with age. They drastically disrupt the quality of life. Hormone replacement therapy improves all these symptoms making your life fit, festive, and vibrant.
Additional Advantages
- Positively affects hormonal aging, improving skin collagen, thickness, elasticity, and hydration.
- Improves wound healing.
- Reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Improves the symptoms of migraine.
- Lowers the chances of dementia.
- Decreases tooth loss.
- Lowers the risk of diabetes.
Side Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Every medication causes some side effects, so is HRT. However, mild, consult your doctor if the side effects are bothering you. The common side effects are-
- Breast tenderness
- Abdominal pain
- Vaginal bleeding
- Headache
- Irregular spotting
- Skin discoloration
- Mood swing
Risks of Hormone Replacement Treatment
Hormone replacement therapy plays a beneficial role in managing menopausal symptoms in females. However, lengthy use of HRT may cause some concerning conditions that include-
- Blood clots
- Heart diseases and stroke
- Breast cancer
- Type 2 diabetes
- Loss of muscle strength
- Endometrial cancer in women
- Ovarian cancer in women
Bottom Line
The impact of hormone replacement treatment therapy on your life is immense and life-changing. However, each requires a personalized plan depending on the history, medical condition, and preference. Moreover, it’s not suitable for all. Therefore, it’s essential to talk to your healthcare provider before starting HRT.
Hormone Replacement Therapy, LA, specializes in treating testosterone deficiency in men, pre and post-menopause in women, and other hormonal issues. Dr. David Nazarian is an expert bio-identical hormone replacement therapy specialist of HRT, LA. He aims to provide premier hormone replacement therapy you deserve to revive a healthy and happy life.
