Hormones are critical for our mood, overall metabolism, sexual health, sleep, and much more. Because of age and other factors, including stress, hormone levels are likely to decline; when the drop is significant, you may experience a wide range of symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is all about restoring hormonal balance, and there are many options. In Twin Falls, there are wellness and HRT clinics like www.therjcidaho.com, which offer HRT for men and women alike. In this post, we will discuss signs that you need hormone replacement with an overview of HRT.
Symptoms at a glance
- Consistent fatigue: If you feel drained and low on energy even when you are sleeping well, it could be related to low hormonal levels, including progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid.
- Unexplained weight gain: Sudden or unexplained weight gain, especially around the abdomen area, or struggling to lose weight despite diet and exercise are signs of low estrogen or testosterone.
- Mood swings: Women, in particular, often experience mood swings, which include feeling low, depressed, and unusually emotional. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone are known to impact serotonin, causing mood problems.
- Depression: Depression alone is often a sign of hormonal issues, and most patients with such symptoms have estrogen or testosterone problems. Watch out if you have issues like sadness or disinterest.
- Insomnia: Hormonal levels can directly affect the circadian rhythm and impact the production of melatonin, which makes it hard to fall asleep. If you are waking up frequently during sleep or cannot sleep easily, check with your doctor.
- Reduced libido: If you are a woman who is experiencing vaginal dryness or a sudden fall in libido, your estrogen levels could be at play. Male patients may have a hard time getting erections.
- Hot Flashes: In women, estrogen levels decline suddenly during menopause or perimenopause, and as a result, patients may experience hot flashes. If you feel sudden warmth in your neck and face and are sweating even when the air conditioner is on, this is a hot flash.
- Impacted Menstrual Cycles: Have you recently noticed a change in the flow, cycle length, or frequency of your periods? If yes, it could indicate hormonal issues, especially if you are over 40.
- Hair Thinning or Loss: Sudden changes in the volume and texture of your hair could be a sign of imbalanced sex hormones. Many patients experience hair thinning problems because of thyroid dysfunction.
Hormone replacement therapy: An overview
If you think your hormones are causing the symptoms shared above, look for a hormone replacement clinic in Twin Falls. The doctors will review your medical history and symptoms and order blood tests to check your current hormone levels. Based on lab findings, they may recommend estrogen therapy, testosterone therapy, combined hormone therapy, thyroid hormone therapy, or others. You can also discuss bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, which uses bioidentical hormones derived from soy and yams. BHRT is customized for each patient and is believed to have fewer side effects.
Other things to note
Before you consider hormone replacement therapy, you should remember a few things. Firstly, you are unlikely to see major differences in a day or two. It takes at least a few weeks to see significant results. Also, your doctor will continue to adjust your dosages frequently as needed to reach the optimal hormonal levels. It is a myth that one must be on HRT forever. You will continue the treatment only for as long as necessary.
Always trust a reputed HRT clinic in Twin Falls for your treatment. Avoid falling for natural hormonal supplements available online and other sources, as these are not regulated or backed by evidence. Let your doctor guide you through the treatment plan.