Menopause can affect every woman differently, but most agree that it’s no walk in the park. For some women, the effects of menopause can have very uncomfortable effects, such as increased weight gain, fatigue, bloating, low sex drive, anxiety, and insomnia, which may impact both their professional and personal lives. Luckily, BHRT therapy (biodentical hormone replacement therapy) can be used as a treatment for some women. They may find that it helps in terms of managing their weight loss and as a hair loss treatment, if those are two things that menopause is affecting. It can also help reduce mood swings and hot flashes and help keep you more comfortable as you undergo this new stage of life. You should of course, consult with your doctor before looking into biodentical hormone replacement.
What are Some Symptoms of Menopause?
Women who are in perimenopause and menopause itself may start experiencing certain symptoms as their hormone levels of estrogen and progesterone are reduced or otherwise changed. These effects are different for every woman, because these sex hormones affect each woman individually, depending on a number of factors.
Some of the most common symptoms are hot flashes, mood swings, a reduction in libido or pain during intercourse, insomnia, and changes in your skin or hair. Indeed, menopause can often be one of the top hair loss causes as women age.
While these symptoms are usually manageable for most women, other women may have more severe cases — just as some women have fairly mild periods, while other women can barely get out of bed during their period. If you have severe signs of menopause, it might be worth consulting with your doctor and talking about BHRT therapy.
How Does BHRT Therapy Work?
This type of therapy uses hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and occasionally others) to help balance out your body’s hormones. The hope is that restoring these hormone levels to normal — or even increasing them slightly — will help alleviate the symptoms of menopause and allow women to be more comfortable during the process.
There’s a multitude of different ways you can get BHRT treatments. Possibly the most common are tablets or gels, though you can also use creams and lotions and receive hormone injections.
You’ll often want to be on a BHRT therapy regimen for a few months, if not longer, and it can take a varied amount of time — again, depending on the person — for results. Some people may start to feel better right away, whereas it might take other people a few weeks or months to see results.
When Should I Look Into BHRT Therapy?
If you’ve noticed a significant drop in energy levels, trouble concentrating or remembering things, severe hot flashes, weight gain, a drop in your sexual drive, vaginal dryness, or thinning hair, you might want to consider BHRT therapy. Over 21 million women in the United States suffer from thinning hair or hair loss, and BHRT therapy is a surprising hair loss prevention tactic!
Some studies suggest that BHRT might be one way to improve bone strength for those who are getting older, as a drop in hormones tend to affect bone loss negatively.
Your doctor may even recommend trying BHRT if you have these problems. It may not be for everyone, but it’s worth giving a try for the beneficial results it’s yielded. This in combination with natural methods, such as increased exercise and a better diet may also prove fruitful.
There’s no reason that you simply have to suffer through the discomfort of menopause. If it’s truly affecting your day to day life, it’s worth looking into BHRT therapy to see what you can do to improve your quality of life.