Why Is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy So Popular?
Bioidentical hormone therapy is the most popular hormone replacement option in the world today because of the health and wellness benefits it offers patients. Imbalances and deficiencies can affect anyone of any age or gender. Often, the symptoms mimic other conditions, which make them difficult to detect. Ordinary doctors aren’t always equipped to address your endocrine concerns. The specialists at Peak Medical Clinic in Medford, OR are.
What Is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (BHT)?
Bioidentical Hormone Therapy restores balance to the body using natural, plant-based hormones. The endocrine system is a network of hormones or chemicals that flow through the bloodstream to organs and other bodily and signal them to do their jobs.
Your heart won’t beat without a hormone telling it to do so, and you won’t fall asleep without a hormone guiding the way. Hormones conduct the symphony of the body, and keeping them in balance is the best way to maintain your health.
What Are Bioidentical Hormones?
Bioidentical hormones are the product of hormone precursors contained within yams and soy plants. After entering the body, the plant hormones go through a chemical process that converts them into molecules identical to the hormones produced naturally in the body.
Bioidentical hormones used in therapy are custom-made for each patient to ensure you receive the precise levels needed to restore hormonal harmony. Through testing, we discover your hormone levels; then, a compounding pharmacist creates your personalized treatment protocol.
What Is a Hormonal Imbalance or Deficiency?
A hormonal imbalance is when the body has too much or too little of a hormone in the bloodstream. A hormone deficiency is when the body doesn’t have enough of a hormone. Both imbalances and deficiencies can produce dramatic side effects or symptoms.
Who Could Use BHT?
Hormone imbalances or deficiencies are common for both men and women of all ages. Although mid-life is the most common time people experience shifting hormones, it can happen at any age. Causes of hormone imbalances include:
- Anorexia
- Alcohol
- Being overweight
- Chronic or extreme stress
- Diabetes
- Exposure to environmental toxins
- Hypoglycemia
- Hormonal contraceptive
- Iodine deficiency
- Inadequate nutrition
- Physical trauma
- Severe allergies
- Smoking
- Thyroid issues
- Vitamin D deficiency
Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers responsible for performing a variety of vital functions in the body. When an imbalance exists, it can throw off the body’s natural flow and disrupt:
- Appetite
- Body temperature
- Growth and development
- Heart rate
- Mood
- Sleep
- Stress levels
No matter your gender, you can experience an imbalance in adrenaline, insulin, growth hormones, and steroids. Aging is a common cause of hormone deficiencies for all genders. Perimenopause, menopause, and andropause (male menopause), are the times around middle age when hormones enter a state of decline for all adults.
Aging Men
Men may experience a variety of hormone imbalances that can negatively impact their daily lives. Most commonly, men experience low testosterone levels around mid-life. Low testosterone is associated with a lower quality of life and an elevated risk for life-threatening disease. Although imbalances are most common around the age of 50, men can experience hormone deficiencies at any age.
Aging Women
Women experience shifting hormones with great regularity throughout their lives. From puberty through menopause, most women experience shifts in hormone levels every month. Perimenopause marks the phase of life leading up to menopause. This stage can last anywhere from a few months to up to ten years. Estrogen and progesterone imbalances are the most common deficiency for women during perimenopause and menopause.
What Are the Symptoms of a Hormone Imbalance?
When hormones are not balanced in the body, it can lead to an array of disruptive symptoms that mimic other conditions. When successfully treated with BHT, troublesome symptoms subside.
Often, symptoms of a hormonal imbalance resemble those of other conditions. Sometimes patients receive a misdiagnosis due to the hormone imbalance symptoms appearing similar to something else. Misdiagnosis can lead to them receiving treatment for an issue that has an endocrine source. When this occurs, treatment for the misdiagnosed condition may temporarily help, or it may merely cover up the underlying hormonal problem.
Please keep in mind that the type of hormone deficiency dictates the symptoms you’ll experience. Signs of an imbalance also manifest differently for women and men.
General Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance:
- Anxiety
- Apathy
- Concentration issues
- Depression
- Exhaustion
- Fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Hair loss
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Low sex drive
- Memory loss
- Mood swings
- Muscle and joint pain
- Osteoporosis or bone loss
- Sleep disturbances
- Visual disturbances
- Weight gain
Female Hormone Imbalance Symptoms:
- Acne
- Bladder infections
- Breast tenderness
- Facial hair
- Heavy periods
- Hot flashes
- Infertility
- Night sweats
- Reduced orgasms
- Skin tags
- Vaginal dryness
- Vaginal pain
Male Hormone Imbalance Symptoms:
- Anemia
- Erectile dysfunction
- Low sperm count
- Muscle strength diminished
- Muscle mass loss
- Mid-section fat accumulation
- Overdeveloped breast tissue
- Limited body hair growth
Get Expert Treatment
Get tested if you suspect that you may have a hormone imbalance or deficiency. Because the endocrine system is a specialty field, not all doctors have the necessary training to recognize the symptoms of a hormone imbalance. The experts at Peak Medical Clinic have the knowledge and experience to identify the endocrine origin for your symptoms and can help you along your healing journey.
How Is BHT Administered?
Bioidentical hormone therapy comes in a convenient pellet form. We implant this small pellet under the skin, where it releases a consistent dose of hormones into the body for up to six months. BHT pellets contain plant-based materials solely. When they are in the body, all the natural material absorbs fully.
BHT pellets have been around since 1938, and they were the premier choice for hormone replacement through the 1970s in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. In the last ten years, bioidentical pellets have made a comeback in the U.S., after extensive research on the health benefits of this method over alternatives.
Why Is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy So Popular?
BHT has quickly become the most popular way to rebalance the body’s hormone levels because of the benefits it offers patients.
Natural Hormone Balance
Skip synthetics and go for the real thing. Conventional hormone therapy uses hormones similar to those created in the body, but not identical. Even slight variations in hormonal interpretation by the body can cause unpleasant side effects. Furthermore, synthetic hormones can come from sources such as pregnant mare urine and other dubious origins.
Plant-based bioidentical hormones are precisely the same as those produced by your body. Patients choose bioidentical hormone therapy because it’s natural and more supportive with fewer side effects.
Stress-Free Dosing
You’ll get up to six months of treatment after one appointment. Who needs one more thing to add to their daily routine? With other hormone replacement methods, you must remember to take a tablet or use a gel every day. Even with skin patches, you must remember to apply and reapply the patch a couple of times per week. Forgetting to take your hormones can lead to a return of symptoms.
Many people are choosing BHT pelleting because it offers ongoing supplementation without the hassle. Each pellet lasts for months, and you only need to visit our offices two or three times a year to replace it. Men can expect each pellet to deliver healthy levels of hormones for four to six months. Women enjoy the benefits for between three and five months.
Effective Method
BHT works when other methods don’t. You’re in luck if you’ve all but given up on finding a hormone replacement method that works for you. BHT pellets have an incredibly high success rate. Patients who have tried other types of hormone therapy find relief with the pellet delivery method.
Further, because the pellet rests inside your body, you have access to consistent dosing without room for user error. Nothing comes in between you and the bioidentical hormones released from the pellet to ensure that you receive the right dose each day.
Increased Energy
Put a little pep in your step. Returning to your balanced hormonal state with BHT can do wonders for your energy levels. Fatigue, lethargy, and reduced motivation are among the most commonly reported signs associated with hormonal imbalances. Although many people reach for caffeine to bring that back into the game, this can exacerbate the issue and make you more tired. With BHT, you have a supportive treatment option that doesn’t make the problem worse.
Lost Weight
BRT can help you manage your weight. If you exercise and monitor your diet but still gain weight, a hormone imbalance could be to blame. One reason this therapy is becoming so popular is that patients realize that sometimes there is more to the weight equation than calories in and out.
Hormones and metabolism are linked. If you have found traditional weight loss methods aren’t working for you, it might be a good idea to have your hormone levels checked.
Stabilized Moods
Hormones bring mental health harmony. Mood swings, anxiety, depression, and many other mental health concerns are all influenced by the body’s hormone levels. In recent years, more people than ever are looking for pharmaceutical-free treatments for mental health. It surprises most people to learn that their mood issues have always had a hormonal component. Patients who want a long-term solution to shifting moods find relief with BHT.
Sound Sleep
Fall asleep and stay asleep. Struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or feel rested after sleep can all result from a hormonal imbalance. The human body needs sleep to repair itself and keep everything humming along in good order. Going without sound sleep long-term can create a host of unwanted problems in waking life. A lack of sleep can put you at risk for accidents and create disturbances in your career, relationships, and self-esteem.
No Bone Loss
BHT combats osteoporosis and age-related bone loss. Hormones keep your bones strong and healthy, and hormone deficiency increases the chances for broken bones and fractures. Many patients prevent accidents in the future through the preemptive use of BHT.
More Muscle
Bioidentical hormone therapy can keep your muscles healthy. One of the unfortunate consequences of dwindling testosterone is muscle loss, especially for men. Testosterone production begins to slow as early as a man’s 30s. Many men are turning to BHT to prevent muscle loss and improve upon the strength they have.
Improved Concentration
Say goodbye to brain fog, absent-mindedness, clouded thinking, and forgetfulness with BHT. Don’t presume that aging is the cause for your concentration issues; many of the most common brain complaints have a hormonal root. You can free your mind from the shackles of cloudy thinking by getting your hormones back to appropriate levels.
Protected Heart
Hormones are the protector of your heart. When your hormones are balanced, they take care of your entire cardiovascular system and prevent heart disease. However, when a deficiency or imbalance is present, hormones can cause heart disease.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. In recent years, more health-conscious Americans have sought HRT to prevent heart disease and care for their cardiovascular system.
Stopped Hair Loss
Stall hair fall. Hair loss and hormonal imbalances go hand in hand, and it’s not just men who experience this. Women, too, lose hair when a deficiency is present. Many patients are getting privy to the association between hair and hormones. Opting for early treatment can prevent hair loss in the first place.
Heightened Sexual Function
BRT can reignite your desire. Hormones are most famous for their role in sexual development and sexual health. When patients notice a decline in libido or intimate performance, often hormones are to blame. Although the symptoms for men and women are different, they take a toll on everyone’s interpersonal relationships and self-esteem.
Many people are now turning to BRT to solve bedroom issues. They realize the value of treating the cause of the problem instead of merely treating the symptoms.
How Do I Get Started?
The first step toward reclaiming optimal balance in your body is to visit OnePeak Medical for hormone level testing. We recommend getting tested even if you aren’t sure if you have a hormone imbalance because it helps you gauge your baseline levels.
Women’s Testing
Women who wish to test hormones have unique testing parameters. Women who are still menstruating should schedule testing at least 16 days from the first day of their last period but before the first day of their next cycle. Please do not take any hormones or thyroid medication on the day you come in for testing.
Women who have finished menstruating or have undergone a complete hysterectomy (including ovaries) can schedule testing for any day of the month. Please refrain from taking any hormones or thyroid medication on testing day. Women who’ve undergone a hysterectomy and still have ovaries should have two estrogen and progesterone tests occurring two weeks apart. This two-week testing interval is the most effective way to determine if you are still experiencing cycles.
Schedule an Appointment
Bioidentical hormone therapy for hormone imbalances is the best option for stopping your symptoms long-term. If you are ready to find out what BHT can do for you, contact us today to schedule testing. Together, we’ll bring your body back into balance. Book your appointment online today.