The control and management of your body’s systems are the job of the endocrine system, a network of glands that produce chemical messengers called hormones. One of the major hormonal events in a woman’s life is menopause, when her period ends due to the reduced levels of reproductive hormones resulting from the ovaries shutting down.
At Serrano OBGyn in San Antonio, Texas, Christopher Serrano, MD, and our expert women’s healthcare team know that changes in estrogen levels can produce dramatic side effects for some women. We often recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a way to restore a reasonable balance of hormones that help you to sidestep the worst of menopause symptoms.
Also called hormone optimization, today we’ll look at the ways you can benefit from HRT to make your menopause years carefree and comfortable.
Reducing hot flashes
If there’s a side effect that’s virtually synonymous with menopause, it would be hot flashes and night sweats. While some women feel little or no change to their body’s heat regulators, it’s a significant problem for many others.
Supplementary hormones are the single best way of reducing the intensity of hot flashes, preventing the discomfort and sleep interruptions they cause.
Preventing osteoporosis
Adequate estrogen levels also support bone density. As estrogen levels fall, you endure an increased risk of losing bone mass. Though bones may appear to be solid, their cores have a structure like sponge toffee.
As estrogen production declines, the voids in the interior of bones increase in size. When enough bone mass disappears, you run the risk of suffering compression fractures, where bones start to collapse internally.
Improving sexual health
Reduced estrogen also causes changes to the epithelial lining of the genitals. In practical terms, the surface of the vagina and labia become thin and dry, producing less natural lubrication during arousal.
This leads to discomfort during intercourse and it can also affect urinary function. Hormone supplements restore epithelial tissue function so that you can enjoy sex comfortably again.
Increased energy
Added to improved sleep conditions with fewer hot flashes, hormone optimization also improves energy levels overall, including increased metabolism for some patients, making it easier to keep postmenopausal weight off.
Better mental clarity
Some women suffer from “menopause fog,” a loss of mental acuity that affects short-term memory and mood. Restoring estrogen levels helps you to recover your expected brain superpowers.
Every woman has her own combination of menopause side effects, ranging from very few to extreme and severe. Hormone optimization means custom-targeting HRT to meet your specific needs.
We use the bioTE® pellet system, a subdermal delivery method that’s active from between four to six months, eliminating the need to remember daily supplements. Instead of fluctuating levels of hormone doses, bioTE delivers a steady stream of hormones, 24 hours a day.
Find out more by meeting Dr. Serrano and his team at Serrano OBGyn. Call the office or book your visit online today.