Hormone therapy is a method of restoring your hormones to their optimal level. Your hormones, including female reproductive hormones like estrogen, regulate virtually every bodily function, so a major fluctuation can cause serious symptoms.
Hormone therapy can effectively relieve unpleasant symptoms and restore your health.
Estrogen therapy is the most common type of hormone therapy. Estrogen levels significantly decrease as you near menopause, which usually occurs in your late 40s or early 50s, but hormone therapy can restore you to healthy estrogen levels.
If you have unpleasant and disruptive symptoms related to estrogen decline, you could need estrogen therapy. Some common symptoms of estrogen imbalance include:
Estrogen imbalance can also cause other health problems, as it increases your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. The specific symptoms of estrogen hormone imbalance can vary from one woman to another, with some having milder symptoms and others having unbearable symptoms.
You can also have imbalances of any of the more than 50 other hormones in your body. For example, high levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormone may cause polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that can cause infertility and other women’s health issues.
The first step in the hormone therapy process is a discussion of your symptoms with Dr. Brathwaite at Innovative Women’s Care. Based on your symptoms, age, and health indicators, Dr. Brathwaite can usually determine what kind of hormone imbalance you may have.
She commonly verifies your imbalance and determines the exact levels using blood testing. With your specific test results in hand, Dr. Brathwaite can formulate a personalized treatment plan.
Some of the many different hormone therapy options include:
One popular option for hormone therapy is BioTE®, bioidentical hormones that exactly duplicate natural estrogen using plant-based ingredients. With BioTE, Dr. Brathwaite inserts a small amount of rice-sized pellets under the skin of your upper buttock.
Your body uses the BioTE hormones as needed, just like its natural estrogen, over the next several months. With BioTE and all other forms of hormone replacement therapy, Dr. Brathwaite customizes the dose for your situation. If your needs change, she can alter your dose at future checkups.
If you want to learn more about hormone therapy and how it can help you, call Innovative Women’s Care or use the online scheduling feature.