Healthcare professionals might employ a procedure known as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for a variety of reasons. The following brief blog will attempt to explain what this procedure is, why it is done and the duration of time such procedures are typically administered for.
Bioidentical Hormones
These substances are products created from the extracts of plants. Said substances are labeled bioidentical because they are created to be chemically the same as the hormones produced inside the human body. Bioidentical hormones differ from other hormones often used for medical purposes in that those chemicals are made from animal or synthetic byproducts. Commonly replicated hormones include reproductive chemicals such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
This type of therapy, which is sometimes abbreviated as BHRT, can be administered using a variety of different methods. Common forms include pills, patches, creams, gels and, in certain instances, injections.
Why Is BHRT Utilized?
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy is often employed to treat any number of medical issues. Arguably, the most common issue this therapeutic endeavor addresses is menopause. Menopause is a life stage in which women, who are usually in their late forties or early fifties, experience a rapid decrease in systemic production of sexual and reproduction hormones. Ultimately, said individuals no longer experience menstrual cycles and are no longer able to bear children. The decrease is systemic hormone concentrations often precipitates a host of untoward symptoms for which BHRT may provide relief. Men experiencing the drop in testosterone production that occurs as they age also often experience a number of unpleasant symptoms that BHRT has proven effective in treating. BHRT has also been employed as a means of offering potential remedies for conditions such as cancer, various endocrine system (organs and glands that regulate bodily production and secretion of hormones) disorders and certain autoimmune maladies.
How Long Do BHRT Treatments Last?
The goal of most BHRT treatments is to provide the most effective and quickest relief in the shortest amount of time possible. When used for extended durations, hormone therapy might elicit untoward side effects. That said, it is difficult to quantify how long a specific therapeutic protocol will last. The specific answer depends upon several factors that may include but are not necessarily limited to the recipient’s age, the condition said therapy is being employed to treat, said malady’s severity, as well as the method of administration. Call us today at 205-352-9141.
