Hormone Replacement Therapy
7 Ways Hormonal Imbalances Affect Your Health
You eat healthy foods, you exercise regularly, you don’t smoke, and you see your doctor for a check-up every six months. So why don’t you feel “right”?
Hormones don’t get the attention they need and deserve when it comes to your overall health. While researchers are constantly publishing peer-reviewed articles about the benefits of exercise and eating fresh, non-processed foods, you typically don’t find as many articles explaining how important hormonal balance is to your health.
For the most part, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and other powerful hormones remain largely balanced during your 20s and 30s. Around age 40, a woman’s ovaries and a man’s testes begin decreasing the amount of estrogen and testosterone released. In addition to helping reduce the risk of numerous medical problems, estrogen and testosterone also work to balance other hormones essential to physical and cognitive health.
Sleep and Hormones
Lack of estrogen during perimenopause and menopause can contribute to insomnia and sleep disruptions. Estrogen helps regulate body temperature, adrenaline levels and accumulation of fat on the body. Loss of estrogen is the primary reason why women suffer hot flashes, night sweats and, in some cases, sleep apnea. Body fat moving into the waist and stomach area can increase your risk of experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea.1
Testosterone levels in men are at their highest during sleep. Just like women going through menopause, men going through andropause encounter increasing difficulty getting a good night’s sleep. Consistent lack of sleep further prevents men from achieving maximum levels of testosterone necessary for sleep.2
When Your Brain is “Foggy”
If you are a middle-aged man or women and have had episodes of disorganized, confused thinking, problems concentrating on a task or had difficulty trying to verbalize your thoughts, you probably just experienced “brain fog”. Reduced estrogen and testosterone have been clinically proven to contribute to “foggy” thinking, inability to focus, forgetfulness and feeling like you can’t collect your thoughts.3 Hormones like estrogen and testosterone “signal” neurons (brain cells) to function as optimally as possible. Insufficient hormones in the brain means brain cells cannot remember, organize thoughts and focus as well as they should.
Depression and Mood Swings
Hormones are essential to producing and releasing neurotransmitters implicated in mood and emotions. An imbalance of estrogen, testosterone and progesterone interferes with the ability of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine to regulate your mood and emotions. That’s why men and women over 50 often feel depressed one minute and anxious the next minute. Although mood swings experienced by menopausal women and some men going through andropause are not as extreme as moodiness seen in people with bipolar disorder, the constant emotional ups and downs can be stressful and perplexing to older adults trying to understand why they are having them.4, 5
My Head Hurts and I’m Tired All the Time
If you have recently repeated this to your doctor, you may be suffering from hormonal imbalance and not a “touch of flu”. Taking antibiotics for headaches and fatigue won’t eliminate your headaches or lack of energy. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help restore balance to hormones responsible for maintaining metabolism, increasing energy levels and eliminating headaches caused by estrogen and testosterone deficiencies.
Vaginal Dryness and Loss of Libido
Normally, vaginal walls stay elastic and lubricated due to estrogen promoting production and release of fluids meant to maintain vaginal health and enhance sexual satisfaction. Even a minimal reduction of estrogen can cause irritating vaginal dryness, increased risk for vaginal infections and loss of libido in women.6 With men, reduced sexual desire is the direct result of lower testosterone levels. In addition, lack of testosterone may make it difficult for older men to achieve erections.
Learn More About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy by Calling Us Today
BHRT has helped millions of men and women regain their health and vitality without using prescription medications and synthetic hormones known to increase your risk of breast cancer, strokes and high blood pressure. Schedule an appointment today!
References
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/menopause-and-insomnia
https://www.healthline.com/health/side-effects-of-low-testosterone
https://www.webmd.com/menopause/news/20161012/more-evidence-menopause-brain-fog-is-real#1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/male-depression/art-20046216
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-in-women/index.shtml
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10083-menopause–sex
You eat healthy foods, you exercise regularly, you don’t smoke, and you see your doctor for a check-up every six months. So why don’t you feel “right”?
Hormones don’t get the attention they need and deserve when it comes to your overall health. While researchers are constantly publishing peer-reviewed articles about the benefits of exercise and eating fresh, non-processed foods, you typically don’t find as many articles explaining how important hormonal balance is to your health.
For the most part, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone and other powerful hormones remain largely balanced during your 20s and 30s. Around age 40, a woman’s ovaries and a man’s testes begin decreasing the amount of estrogen and testosterone released. In addition to helping reduce the risk of numerous medical problems, estrogen and testosterone also work to balance other hormones essential to physical and cognitive health.
Sleep and Hormones
Lack of estrogen during perimenopause and menopause can contribute to insomnia and sleep disruptions. Estrogen helps regulate body temperature, adrenaline levels and accumulation of fat on the body. Loss of estrogen is the primary reason why women suffer hot flashes, night sweats and, in some cases, sleep apnea. Body fat moving into the waist and stomach area can increase your risk of experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea.1
Testosterone levels in men are at their highest during sleep. Just like women going through menopause, men going through andropause encounter increasing difficulty getting a good night’s sleep. Consistent lack of sleep further prevents men from achieving maximum levels of testosterone necessary for sleep.2
When Your Brain is “Foggy”
If you are a middle-aged man or women and have had episodes of disorganized, confused thinking, problems concentrating on a task or had difficulty trying to verbalize your thoughts, you probably just experienced “brain fog”. Reduced estrogen and testosterone have been clinically proven to contribute to “foggy” thinking, inability to focus, forgetfulness and feeling like you can’t collect your thoughts.3 Hormones like estrogen and testosterone “signal” neurons (brain cells) to function as optimally as possible. Insufficient hormones in the brain means brain cells cannot remember, organize thoughts and focus as well as they should.
Depression and Mood Swings
Hormones are essential to producing and releasing neurotransmitters implicated in mood and emotions. An imbalance of estrogen, testosterone and progesterone interferes with the ability of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine to regulate your mood and emotions. That’s why men and women over 50 often feel depressed one minute and anxious the next minute. Although mood swings experienced by menopausal women and some men going through andropause are not as extreme as moodiness seen in people with bipolar disorder, the constant emotional ups and downs can be stressful and perplexing to older adults trying to understand why they are having them.4, 5
My Head Hurts and I’m Tired All the Time
If you have recently repeated this to your doctor, you may be suffering from hormonal imbalance and not a “touch of flu”. Taking antibiotics for headaches and fatigue won’t eliminate your headaches or lack of energy. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help restore balance to hormones responsible for maintaining metabolism, increasing energy levels and eliminating headaches caused by estrogen and testosterone deficiencies.
Vaginal Dryness and Loss of Libido
Normally, vaginal walls stay elastic and lubricated due to estrogen promoting production and release of fluids meant to maintain vaginal health and enhance sexual satisfaction. Even a minimal reduction of estrogen can cause irritating vaginal dryness, increased risk for vaginal infections and loss of libido in women.6 With men, reduced sexual desire is the direct result of lower testosterone levels. In addition, lack of testosterone may make it difficult for older men to achieve erections.
Learn More About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy by Calling Us Today
BHRT has helped millions of men and women regain their health and vitality without using prescription medications and synthetic hormones known to increase your risk of breast cancer, strokes and high blood pressure. Schedule an appointment today!
References
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/menopause-and-insomnia
https://www.healthline.com/health/side-effects-of-low-testosterone
https://www.webmd.com/menopause/news/20161012/more-evidence-menopause-brain-fog-is-real#1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/male-depression/art-20046216
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-in-women/index.shtml
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10083-menopause–sex
