Just as you went through puberty as a young teen, menopause is another natural and inevitable transition that messes with your hormones, typically in your early 50s. But this time, instead of a flood of increased hormones, you experience a loss. That drop begins well before you’ve officially reached menopause in the months and years leading up to your last period. This stage is called perimenopause, and it’s the time when many women feel the classic effects.
A Balanced Medical Solutions in Hayward, California, we specialize in balancing hormones to resolve several health issues. While menopause isn’t a medical condition, but rather, a normal stage of human development, the change in hormone levels can lead to many uncomfortable symptoms.
Often, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) provides relief from these symptoms. Here’s what you need to know about your hormones, menopause, and HRT.
The roles of estrogen and progesterone
Estrogen and progesterone, the two main hormones responsible for female growth, development, and reproduction, fluctuate throughout your lifetime. You experience a surge during puberty, which triggers breast development, pubic and underarm hair, and your first period, to name a few of its functions. Here’s a closer look at the part these hormones play in the female body.
Estrogen
- Thickens your uterine lining so it can support a fertilized egg
- Encourages bone renewal to prevent osteoporosis
- Optimizes your vaginal health
- Regulates your body’s use of calcium
- Regulates the cholesterol in your blood
Progesterone
- Gets your uterus ready to receive a fertilized egg
- Aids in maintaining your pregnancy
- Helps you sleep well
- Regulates your moods
- Regulates your blood pressure
As you age and menopause nears, your reproductive cycle slows down, and your ovaries ramp down their production of estrogen and progesterone. Given their key roles in your overall health, this decrease triggers several changes, starting with irregularities in the frequency, length, and flow of your periods.
Eventually, your ovaries stop releasing eggs altogether, and you’ll have your last period and enter menopause. Although your last period marks the beginning of menopause, it is not considered official until you’ve gone a full 12 months without menstruating.
Signs of menopause
The most common reactions to the drop in estrogen during perimenopause and menopause include:
- Hot flashes
- Vaginal dryness
- Insomnia
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Dry skin
During perimenopause, you may also notice that your heart races, you have headaches, you can’t seem to concentrate, you have less interest in sex, your hair thins or falls out, and you begin gaining weight. Some women also experience the growth of facial hair, depression, and urinary incontinence.
How HRT can ease menopause symptoms
When the symptoms of menopause disrupt your life, it may be time to consider hormone replacement therapy. HRT restores your hormone levels to relieve some of the symptoms caused by the drop.
At Balanced Medical Solutions, we use bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), which is derived from plants and deliver an exact molecular match to your body’s natural hormones. We administer BHRT in the form of a pellet that we implant under your skin, where it releases consistent levels of the hormones so you’ll never experience an ebb and flow, just smooth sailing. HRT is also available as a cream, in combination with bioidentical oral progesterone.
A word about menopause and weight gain
One of the seldom-talked-about victims of menopause is your waistline. Studies show that the decreased level of estrogen can lead to an increase in belly fat. The good news is that HRT can help you prevent menopausal weight gain and help you lose the weight you have already gained.
HRT may also help you prevent complications that stem from an increase in belly fat, namely insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, and other health conditions related to overweight and obesity.
If you’re carrying around too much fat, and you can’t seem to shed it, you may be a good candidate for our medical weight loss program, where we custom-design a comprehensive plan that addresses your unique body type, lifestyle, and overall health. Your plan may include prescription medication, vitamin and mineral injections, HRT, and/or peptide therapy to support your goals.
To learn more about HRT, medical weight loss, or any of our other services, schedule a consultation at Balanced Medical Solutions today.
