Hormonal Imbalance
Your endocrine system is an intricate network of glands responsible for the production of important hormones that your body needs to perform properly. In women, the ovaries secrete sex hormones estrogen and progesterone - Progesterone plays an important role in a women’s menstrual cycle. Estrogen is responsible for ovulation, menstruation, breast growth, increasing bone and cartilage density among other important functions. In men, the testes secrete testosterone, which is the key male sex hormone responsible for regulation of sex drive, muscle size and strength, fat distribution, red blood cell production and bone mass. Women also produce a small amount of testosterone via the ovaries and adrenal glands.
As we age, the number of hormones the body produces steadily declines in both men and women. Because of their essential role in the body, this decline may require hormonal replacement to replenish what is being lost over time.
Hormonal imbalance in women
In women, the most common (and inevitable) hormonal imbalance issue is menopause, defined as “the ceasing of menstruation”. Menopause presents itself in different phases; we have premenopause, perimenopuse, menopause and postmenopause. Everybody is different, but most women hit complete menopause around age 50.
Although menopause is the most common condition seen with women, not all hormonal imbalance issues are a direct result of the natural course of menopause. Some medications and health issues can cause hormone levels to rise or fall.
Common symptoms related to hormonal shifts in women include:
- Irritability/mood changes
- Hot flashes
- Insomnia
- Night Sweats
- Irregular Periods
- Decreased libido
- Memory problems
- Decreased body mass
- Decreased bone density
Lowering Testosterone Production in Men
As men age, their testosterone levels steadily decline. This lack of testosterone is called “andropause” and is sometimes referred to as “menopause for men”. This can cause a drastic change in the overall performance of the entire body. In some men, testosterone levels can begin to decrease as early as age 30 by a decrease of about 1-2% every year.
Symptoms of low testosterone levels in men:
- Sexual Dysfunction
- Decrease in bone density
- Increased metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance
- High cholesterol
- Cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
- Decreased lean body mass
Hormonal imbalance issues can be the reason why your bones don’t have as much calcium as they used to, why your blood pressure is high and hard to control, why your energy levels are lower than they used to be and why you just don’t seem to feel like yourself lately. While this is mostly accepted as “part of the aging process”, a lot of people do not realize that these symptoms can be greatly reduced or nearly eliminated with bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. If you are suffering from any of these symptoms or any other symptoms you suspect may be related to hormonal imbalance issues, consider hormone replacement therapy at Vital Rejuvenation. We have carefully selected Pellecome Pellets for use at our clinic because they have shown to be safe, simple and effective! This procedure can be done in office by our physician, Dr. Kristin Wulff in about 30 minutes or less! Make an appointment today to get your energy and vitality back, and to start feeling like yourself again.
