Identifying the Signs That Indicate You May Need Hormone Replacement Therapy
Your mood swings like a pendulum, you’ve lost all interest in intimacy, and a sound night’s sleep seems to be a luxury of days gone by.
As you age, your body’s hormone production naturally starts to decline and can leave you suffering a host of uncomfortable symptoms and feeling like a stranger in your own skin.
While hormone loss is natural, it doesn’t have to be permanent, thanks to hormone replacement therapy.
How do you know if the symptoms you’re experiencing are related to hormonal fluctuations?
In this article, we discuss the symptoms of hormone deficiency, including common signs indicating you may need hormone replacement therapy.
Table of Contents
- Who May Be a Candidate for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?
- What Are the Signs You Need Hormone Replacement Therapy?
- Symptoms That May Be an Indication for Estrogen Replacement Therapy
- Symptoms That May Be an Indication for Testosterone Therapy for Women
- Symptoms That May Be an Indication for Testosterone Therapy for Men
- Traditional HRT vs. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
- Reveal Med Spa and Wellness Center: Providing a Holistic Approach to Hormone Replacement Therapy
Who May Be a Candidate for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?
Traditionally, hormone replacement therapy (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, or balancing cortisol) is used for women who experience an imbalance or loss in hormone production as they age. HRT can also be used for testosterone replacement in men.
Typically, blood work will help a physician understand a patient’s hormone needs. However, it’s always optimal to treat each individual patient through a holistic approach that considers their symptoms in conjunction with blood work, rather than simply treating the results of their blood work alone.
What Are the Signs You Need Hormone Replacement Therapy?
The signs you need hormone replacement therapy will vary from person to person. They’ll also depend on the type of hormone that is lacking and your gender.
People who might benefit from hormone replacement therapy may experience some or all of the following symptoms:
- Decreased libido
- Dry skin
- Trouble concentrating
- Vaginal dryness or painful intercourse in women
- Difficulty getting and maintaining an erection in men
- Hot flashes or night sweats
- Decrease in energy
- Mood swings
- Loss of muscle mass
- Insomnia or sleep issues
Whether you’re experiencing a less-than-optimal sex drive, sleep issues, increased body fat or muscle loss, or any other symptom of hormonal deficiency, Reveal Med Spa can help.
Dr. Farhina Imtiaz has helped thousands of women utilize the benefits of holistic hormone replacement therapy to reclaim their lives and feel better than ever.
Book your initial hormone replacement therapy consultation at Reveal Med Spa today!
Symptoms That May Be an Indication for Estrogen Replacement Therapy
Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
Night sweats are experienced by approximately 75% of perimenopausal women and are a common sign you may need hormone replacement therapy. Not only can hot flashes be an embarrassing inconvenience throughout the day — they can also significantly impact your sleep at night.
Estrogen therapy has been shown to be highly effective in relieving both hot flashes and night sweats.
Vaginal Dryness or Painful Intercourse
If you’re a woman of perimenopausal or menopausal age, you may have been told you’ll need to accept many vaginal symptoms as your new way of life, such as:
- Tearing and bleeding during sex
- Feeling like “sandpaper”
- Itching
- Burning
- Feeling dry all the time
- Your vagina feeling more narrow, or
- Your vagina feeling loose
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
All of these can be signs of declining serum estradiol levels and can happen throughout menopause and perimenopause.
While these things are common as women age, they don’t have to be accepted as the norm. Estrogen therapy, through a patch, cream, vaginal insert, or pellets can help eradicate these issues and help you feel like yourself again.
Decreased Libido
Reduced estrogen levels can cause changes in a woman’s sexual desire, and may result in difficulty in achieving sexual arousal and orgasm.
This fluctuation in estrogen may also cause sex to be a painful experience that results in a decrease in libido due to the fear of discomfort.
Thankfully, studies on the effectiveness of estrogen in increasing sexual desire and enjoyment prove that it is a promising solution to this widespread problem.
Dry Skin
As women age and estrogen levels begin to decline, the production of skin-smoothing collagen and oils also declines. This results in skin that struggles to retain moisture, leaving it dry and itchy.
While dry skin frequently begins to manifest itself through a dry T-zone or flaky elbows, it actually is a whole-body phenomenon that appears everywhere from the face to legs to genitals and even nails.
Estrogen is a key factor in proper skin function and has been shown to improve dry skin’s:
- Elasticity
- Hydration; and
- Thickness
Trouble Concentrating
Difficulty concentrating, or ‘brain fog,’ is often described as feeling like your brain is full of cotton. This condition can take on many forms, including:
- Forgetfulness
- Getting things mixed up
- Difficulty making decisions
- Missing important details
- Needing more time than usual to process information
- Reduced mental clarity or feeling ‘fuzzy’
- Difficulty expressing yourself and understanding what others are saying to you
As women go through perimenopause and menopause, their estrogen levels decrease. Research has found that lower estrogen concentrations are directly associated with memory struggles and that hormone replacement therapy may help relieve the symptoms of brain fog.
Symptoms That May Be an Indication for Testosterone Therapy for Women
Some symptoms of low testosterone in women may be similar to the ones present with low estrogen levels, such as:
- Low libido
- Trouble concentrating
But there are additional symptoms that may point to low testosterone issues in women, including:
- Decreased energy
- Mood swings
- Loss of muscle mass
- Increase in body fat
Low Libido
Similar to lowered testosterone in men, this reduction in women can cause decreases in a woman’s sexual desire.
This fluctuation in testosterone may also cause vaginal dryness, resulting in additional sexual desire issues due to the discomfort that may be experienced during sex. However, research has shown that testosterone therapy for women can improve libido, helping women to continue to have satisfying sexual experiences.
Decrease in Energy
As we age, one of the number one issues many of us experience is decreased energy or fatigue.While many consider this to be a normal part of aging, lowered levels of energy are often due to hormone decline. Many women discover that taking testosterone hormone replacement improves both their physical and mental energy and stamina levels.
Mood Swings
As women age, their natural hormonal fluctuations can result in changes in emotions, feelings, and overall mood. Research has found that testosterone replacement therapy may be a viable option for boosting this critical hormone and improving mood.
Loss of Muscle Mass and Increase in Body Fat
As a woman ages and experiences hormonal changes, her body composition also changes. She begins to lose muscle mass and bone density, while at the same time accumulating more fat that redistributes itself into new areas.
By supplementing this loss of testosterone with hormone replacement therapy, women can counter this deficiency and regain muscle and body composition.
Symptoms That May Be an Indication for Testosterone Therapy for Men
Low testosterone levels in men may trigger the following symptoms:
- Decreased energy levels
- Mood swings
- Loss of muscle mass
- Increased body fat
- Lack of interest in sex
- Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction, or difficulty having and maintaining an erection, has been shown to be a possible result of a combination of low testosterone and other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, or high cholesterol.
Traditional HRT vs. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
While both BHRT and HRT involve hormones, the source and the molecular composition of the hormones is quite different.
The major difference between traditional hormone replacement therapy and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is the substances used to create them.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy comes from plant sources that are similar in their chemical composition to the hormones your body naturally produces.
In contrast, traditional hormone replacement therapy products are made from the urine of pregnant horses and other synthetic sources.
Reveal Med Spa’s Bioidentical Hormone Replacement (BHRT) Services
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) is for men and women seeking an alternative to traditional hormone therapies.
The hormones are designed to be chemically similar to your own naturally occurring hormones and are readily used by your body.
Dr. Farhina Imtiaz at Reveal Med Spa is experienced with multiple forms of BHRT, including:
- Pellet
- Cream
- Shot; and
- Troche
Schedule a consultation to find out more about how BHRT could benefit you.
Reveal Med Spa: Providing a Holistic Approach to Hormone Replacement Therapy
If you’re looking for hormone replacement therapy in Houston, we invite you to experience the holistic, natural approach of Reveal Med Spa.
As an OBGYN with over 25 years of professional experience, Dr. Farhina Imtiaz is an expert on women’s health, including hormonal deficiencies.
Her holistic approach involves a thorough evaluation to ensure each patient receives the care they need to feel and look their best.
Dr. Imtiaz is experienced with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and other forms of hormone replacement therapies to optimize hormonal changes in both men and women. She is also an expert at using supplements alongside hormone replacement therapy to optimize her patients’ treatment results and improve their health-related outcomes.
Contact Reveal Med Spa today to schedule your consultation or find out more about our hormone therapy options.
The content in this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.