Conditions Treated with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormones are chemical messengers that travel throughout the body, coordinating complex processes including digestion, growth, energy supply and reproduction. They can influence the function of the immune system and even alter behavior. They help to regulate appetite, mood and libido. Unfortunately, when hormone imbalances occur, they can lead to a chain reaction of health problems.
Robert Motazedi, M.D. at Vital Life Hormone Replacement Clinic in Colorado Springs works hard to restore your hormonal balance to improve your body’s overall function and health.
Bioidentical hormones are designed to chemically and biologically match the hormones in the human body. Instead of using synthetic or animal hormones, which do not exist naturally in humans, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy uses hormones that are exact chemical matches to the hormones naturally found in your body. For over 80 years, bioidentical hormones have been used successfully. These hormones are used today to treat many medical conditions.
A few of the conditions that may be treated successfully with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy include:
- Menopause
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Estrogen and progesterone are hormones that get produced by the ovaries, and when the ovaries stop producing sufficient amounts of these hormones, which occurs typically during menopause, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy can help restore the necessary hormone levels to alleviate the symptoms caused from hormone decline. Some of the common symptoms that occur during menopause that can be helped with BHRT may include, hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, osteoporosis, hair loss, insomnia, anxiety, depression, vaginal dryness, and low libido.
- Andropause
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In men, the testes production of hormones, such as testosterone, goes down with the progression of age. While most men feel that it is a normal part of the aging process, such symptoms can be addressed clinically. This condition is known as andropause, which technically refers to the decline of androgen hormone in aging males. Andropause is not a sudden development, and it comes on gradually. Some of the symptoms that occur during andropause include muscle atrophy, erectile dysfunction, hair loss on the scalp, groin, and under the arms, decreased workout performances, insomnia, night sweats, low libido, and mood changes.
- Perimenopause
- Perimenopause is the stage before menopause when estrogen and progesterone levels drop, and this period of time can last for a number of years. Imbalances in estrogen and progesterone can cause many symptoms to occur. Symptoms such as irregular periods, spikes of feeling hot and then cold, blemished skin, migraines, increased PMS symptoms, water retention, weight gain, fatigue, low libido, and amenorrhea can occur during perimenopausal hormone decline.
- Fibromyalgia
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Replacing the sex hormones, Estrogen in women and Testosterone in both men and women can slow and sometimes even stop the process of fibromyalgia from continuing. In many cases, it is possible to reverse damage to the joints by repairing and strengthening the tissues around it. Fibromyalgia and chronic pain issues can be improved in many instances with bio-identical hormone replacement therapy.
- Adrenal Fatigue
- High amounts of stress can trigger the adrenals to excrete cortisol in order to deal with the physiological effects of stress. When cortisol is in high demand in the body, the body’s fight or flight system can become exhausted, which can cause sex hormones to be converted into cortisol. This can cause the symptoms of adrenal fatigue to occur, which can include fatigue, nervousness, hair loss, sleeping issues, lack of motivation, foggy thinking, and body aches.
- Chronic Fatigue
- This syndrome can be triggered by hormonal deficiencies created from overworking the kidneys and adrenal glands. When the adrenal glands become exhausted due to stress, overwork, or aging, they cannot produce the proper amount of hormones, and a person may begin to constantly feel fatigued. With chronic fatigue syndrome, a person may experience fatigue that lasts more than 24 hours, sore throat, muscle aches, headaches, and poor concentration.
- Thyroid Disorders
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Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid hormone is produced in excessive amounts, and metabolism in the body speeds up as a result. Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include weight loss, eye sensitivity, insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, diarrhea, increased bowel movements, and high blood pressure.
Hypothyroidism refers to a condition of an underactive thyroid that cannot produce adequate amounts of thyroid hormone. Because of thyroid hormone’s role in metabolism, the body’s metabolic processes begin slowing down as a result of this condition. Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include sudden weight gain, constipation, fatigue, brain fog, water retention, brittle nails, body aches, joint pain, fertility problems, low sex drive, anxiety, hair loss or thinning, irregular periods, and depression.