What effects do hormones have on my health?
Hormones are chemical messengers that help coordinate just about every bodily function you can think of. Hormones are also responsible for complex and extended processes, including physical growth, sexual development, and mood.
When you have a hormonal imbalance, the symptoms can affect your entire body. It’s normal for both men and women to experience decreased hormone production with age. This can be due to natural changes, like a drop in estrogen (menopause) or a drop in testosterone (andropause), but it can also develop as a result of toxins found in your environment and/or diet.
Also, you can experience imbalances of any hormone your body produces, not just the primary sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen).
What are the symptoms of a hormonal imbalance?
The symptoms of a hormonal imbalance depend on the hormone in question, and any given hormonal imbalance can cause a wide range of effects. However, the following symptoms often indicate a hormonal imbalance, especially if another condition does not explain them:
- Low energy or fatigue
- Mood changes, including depression, anxiety, irritability, and emotional instability
- Insomnia, including difficulty falling asleep and low-quality sleep
- Weight gain that seems unrelated to diet in places you previously wouldn’t gain weight
- Decreased strength, loss of muscle mass, and weak bones
- Decreased libido (low sex drive)
- Sexual performance issues, including erectile dysfunction and vaginal dryness
- Mental fogginess, difficulty concentrating, and/or memory loss
- Skin changes
- Hair loss
- Hot flashes or night sweats
There are also a handful of conditions that are classically linked to hormonal imbalances, including adrenal fatigue, thyroid disease, and metabolic syndrome.
Your doctor will likely order a blood or saliva test to confirm that you do, indeed, have a hormonal imbalance and not another condition. If you have a hormonal imbalance, the next step often is to undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
What is hormone replacement therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy restores your hormone levels by replacing your depleted hormones with a synthetic compound or hormones derived from plants. With scientific advances, synthetic hormones are now nearly identical to the chemicals your body produces naturally.
The hormones that this therapy typically targets include estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and adrenal hormones, restoring their abundance in your system and balancing them back out to their normal levels.
What happens when I get hormone replacement therapy?
When you start hormone replacement therapy, Dr. Kauffman takes a comprehensive review of your health history and current hormone levels with blood, urine, and/or saliva testing. He then devises a unique treatment plan that’s personally tailored to your specific needs. Some people only need hormone therapy for a limited time, while others might need it indefinitely.
You can expect to feel relief from your symptoms soon after beginning HRT. In addition to specific symptom relief, patients often find they feel reinvigorated and better overall after they undergo HRT.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you can choose to take synthetic hormones in the form of a cream, injection, patch, gel, or a pellet that goes under your skin. Dr. Kauffman will administer the lowest possible effective dose.
Are there any side effects of hormone replacement therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy can occasionally produce some unwanted side effects, including:
- Acne
- Increased irritability
- Breast tenderness, spotting, cramping, and bloating (in women)
These side effects are usually related to your dosage of hormones and develop if you’re getting too much or too little of a particular hormone. Dr. Kauffman works with you closely to monitor your dosage level in order to prevent any side effects.
If you’re concerned you have a hormone imbalance and want to know how HRT can help, schedule an appointment at PRP in Philadelphia online, or over the phone.
