Understanding the need for hormone replacement therapy
As we age, our bodies naturally decrease the production of certain hormones. These hormones are produced in our endocrine system, which is composed of various glands, including the thyroid, adrenal and pituitary glands, ovaries, testes, and more.
When glands in the body produce too little of a certain hormone, lowering its secretion levels it is called hyposecretion. Hyposecretion can cause a number of different disorders in the body, leading to poor health and quality of life.
While many instances of hyposecretion are the results of an autoimmune deficiency, most commonly, as is the case when a woman experiences a decrease in reproductive hormones, this change in the body is due to a woman’s natural transition to menopause.
Unfortunately, many women experiencing menopause don’t understand that treatments like hormone replacement therapy exist to help alleviate its effects.
What is HRT designed to do?
In order to combat some of the less desirable aspects of menopause, such as changes in mood, hot flashes, insomnia, a decrease in libido, and vaginal dryness, women turn to hormone replacement therapy.
Hormone replacement therapy reintroduces hormones back into the body to help the recipient by balancing their hormone levels to maintain an optimal quality of life.
Women often report feeling younger, looking younger, and having an increased libido due to the benefits of hormone replacement therapy.
Is there a connection between hormone replacement therapy and pregnancy?
Due to the fact that many of the hormones associated with a woman’s fertility are the same as those used in HRT, pregnancy is possible while undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
Our bodies’ hormone levels essentially dictate much of what the body can and cannot do, and since an imbalance in hormone levels can contribute to infertility, balancing those hormone levels can also increase fertility, potentially making pregnancy possible.
What hormones are most commonly used in HRT?
The three most common hormones that are used in HRT are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Estrogen is a group of hormones produced in a woman’s ovaries that are critical to their sexual and reproductive maturity. (A small amount of these hormones are also produced in a woman’s fat cells and adrenal glands.)
Progesterone, produced mainly in a woman’s ovaries, plays a central role in fertility, preparing their bodies for conception, maintaining a pregnancy, regulating menstruation, and even plays a role in stimulating a person’s libido. In HRT treatments, estrogen and progesterone are typically used simultaneously.
Testosterone, though thought of as a male hormone, is naturally produced in the female body, contributing to ovarian health, strength, libido, energy, and bone growth. The decrease in testosterone is referred to as “Low T,” and is common in men and women.
The result of Low T in women contributes to hair loss, fatigue, low libido, and a decrease in muscle tone.
How can I learn more about hormone replacement therapy?
An imbalance in a person’s hormone levels does not necessarily have to be an age-related occurrence. Many people as young as their late 30s to early 40s discover that a hormone imbalance is causing them health issues that are preventing them from living their lives to the fullest.
At 10X Health System, we can provide you and your loved ones with comprehensive blood and genetic testing — simultaneous testing typically garners more actionable results — so that you can finally have the roadmap to what your body really needs.
Our unique approach to blood tests looks at dozens of unique biomarkers to generate a complete picture of how your body is working, and how we can create a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.
What also sets 10X Health apart from the rest? Our use of precision dosing, comprehensive testing, expert medical care, personalized treatment plans, and ongoing wellness support through our team of medical concierges.
You’ll be able to identify imbalances in health-critical hormones and get a personalized treatment plan designed to reinvigorate your lifestyle.
Contact 10X Health System TODAY to learn how you can finally be your best self again.
