If you experience certain symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, or lack of sex drive, it is easy to simply chalk it up to the aging process and assume there is nothing you can do about it.
However, that doesn’t mean you have to allow these signs of a hormone imbalance to negatively affect your health and the quality of your life – not when there are medical hormone treatments that can help restore your energy, stabilize your body weight, and improve your libido.
Let’s review the signs and symptoms of a hormone imbalance – and how it can be effectively managed.
How to Tell You Have a Hormone Imbalance
Hormone levels in both men and women start to decline as early as when they are in their mid-thirties. A decrease in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, or cortisol levels can trigger a variety of unwelcome symptoms, including:
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Chronic fatigue
- Mood changes
- Difficulty sleeping
- Hair loss
- Mood changes
- Memory loss
- Diminished libido and/or sexual dysfunction
- Anxiety and depression
- Weight gain
- High blood pressure and cholesterol
- Bone demineralization
One effective solution to hormonal imbalance is hormone replacement therapy – specifically bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), which acts to relieve the above symptoms by carefully monitoring and increasing, when necessary, the level of hormones in your body.
Bio-Identical vs. Synthetic Hormones
There are numerous synthetic hormones on the market – including Premarin, Prempro, and Provera – that function similarly but slightly differently than the naturally occurring hormones in your body. The problem is that your body may interpret these synthetic hormones as foreign toxins since they cannot metabolize the chemical composition of the real hormone. This can lead to unwanted side effects such as bloating, water retention, or mood swings or more serious conditions such as heart disease and cancer.
Bio-identical hormones are a much safer alternative, because they are designed to have the same molecular structure as the hormones produced by the human body. Since they are natural compounds, they metabolize along the same metabolic pathways as the hormones your body makes, thus providing relief from hormonal imbalance symptoms, while resulting in fewer, if any, side effects.
Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy in North Dallas, Texas
At North Dallas Wellness Center, we take an individualized approach to hormone replacement therapy. To determine if you are a suitable candidate for BHRT, we first perform a complete evaluation that includes laboratory testing of your current hormone levels (a hormone panel). In order to provide you with an effective treatment plan that is tailored to your individual needs, we consider your whole hormone production. If it is necessary, a precise dosage of bio-identical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA will then be prescribed.
Compounded bio-identical hormones can be administered orally, sublingually, percutaneously, as implants, injectables, or suppositories. In some cases, topical cream administration is optimal.
Board-certified and fellowship trained Dr. David Fein closely and carefully monitors patients’ hormone levels to ensure that they receive symptom relief with the lowest-possible dosage of bio-identical hormones. This may include checking the patient’s hormone levels every few months. In addition to prescribing bio-identical hormones, Dr. Fein works with patients to customize dietary and lifestyle changes that support their optimal hormonal balance.
For more information on how bio-identical hormone replacement therapy can improve your health and wellbeing, contact North Dallas Wellness Center at (214) 696-3885 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Fein. You may also request an appointment online.
