There are few things worse than having your own body betray you. That is precisely what happens when you go through menopause or some other major life-changing event and you realize that you need hormone replacement therapy in order for life to continue in the same manner as you’ve always enjoyed it. There are those lucky few individuals who are able to go through life without getting any type of hormone replacement therapy, but they are few and far between. Truth be told, it’s probably far more likely that even those individuals could benefit from some type of therapy and they just don’t realize it. You might be interested in knowing more about one of the more advanced types of therapy called bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, or HRT.
What Is Bio-Identical HRT?
Just as the name implies, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is the modern-day version of the HRT that you probably remember your mother going through. Gone are the days when doctors would merely prescribe hormone pills in hopes of regulating someone’s hormones, usually without the level of monitoring that was necessary to make sure things were working properly. The modern-day version involves careful examination and typing of an individual’s hormones. In other words, it all involves making sure that the clinic knows exactly which hormones are depleted and which ones aren’t. Genetic typing is then used to create hormones that are biologically identical to those produced by that specific individual. As opposed to being something that you have to take on a daily basis, you simply swallow the specially-created pellets and allow them to do their work over time.
How Does This Type of Therapy Work?
The idea here is that you have the opportunity to feel much like you felt when you were in your 20s or 30s, all without the physical, mental and emotional challenges that often come with hormone levels that aren’t where they should be. The pellets release the hormones over a specified period of time, usually throughout the course of several weeks. The entire time, you’re carefully monitored in order to make sure that nothing needs to be adjusted for future treatments. Believe it or not, having hormones that are completely balanced can do a world of good for your physical and mental health. You’re likely to feel better, experience less inflammation throughout your body, and avoid those nasty mood swings that no one wants to deal with. Believe it or not, balanced hormones can even help you either lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
How Long Does it Take for You to Feel Better?
It’s highly unlikely that you’re going to notice an appreciable difference right away. If you do notice anything within a few weeks of undergoing this type of therapy, the results are likely to be mild. It takes a while for the body to regulate itself after hormone therapy begins. Even with this advanced form of treatment, it usually takes about three months before you notice any major differences. Therefore, you should continue treatment for at least that amount of time. Otherwise, you may never find out how significant this form of treatment could be for you. Like so many other things, it’s important that you allow the treatment time to do what it’s designed to do as opposed to scheduling a single appointment and then choosing not to follow up.
Are There Certain Risks Involved?
Like any other form of treatment, there are some risks that you should be aware of. Hormone replacement therapy has long been associated with its own mood swings as well as a potential increase in risk of diseases such as cancer and heart disease. However, this newer form of treatment tends to be far safer than those that existed just five years ago. That’s largely because these hormones are identical to the ones in your body. As such, it’s as if your body is still producing the hormones at the ideal levels. For all intents and purposes, your body shouldn’t know the difference.
If you’ve been struggling with excessive fatigue, mood swings or an inability to maintain a healthy weight lately, it could very well be because your hormones are out of balance. You owe it to yourself to at least contact a clinic that engages in bio-identical HRT and find out more about the procedure. Whether you decide to go through with it or not is up to you, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you fail to find out as much as possible. All you have to do is pick up the phone and set up an appointment to speak with a professional. Call us at 205-352-9141.
