Menopause is defined as the moment when your period has stopped for 12 consecutive months. Most women hit menopause at about age 51. Once you reach menopause, you next enter the post-menopausal state, which continues for the rest of your life.
Even though menopause is a natural part of life for women, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Menopause and the 10-15 years that precede it — known as perimenopause — are often accompanied by uncomfortable and disruptive symptoms. These symptoms arise when levels of hormones, such as testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen plummet.
At Low Testosterone & Weight Loss Center in Allen, Texas, our medical professionals offer hormone replacement therapy (HRT). If you’re in, near, or post-menopause and would like relief, here’s how HRT can help.
When your hormones are unbalanced, you may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. In addition, drastic drops in estrogen can cause your body to heat up, leading to hot flashes and night sweats. Night sweats disrupt your sleep, adding to your insomnia.
Once you replace estrogen, your internal furnace stabilizes. You don’t wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. Instead, you’re able to relax and drift off to a restorative night of sleep.
Because sleep is one of the key foundations of health, once you sleep better, many other aspects of your life also improve. You may notice that you feel more alert and energetic. Your moods may also stabilize.
Your body also uses estrogen to help build strong skin, hair, and bone cells. When your estrogen drops, you notice that your appearance changes, too. Low estrogen can lead to:
In addition, being low in estrogen and testosterone puts you at increased risk for rapid bone loss. You may lose so much bone density that you develop osteopenia or even osteoporosis, which increases your chances of fracturing a bone.
Once you replenish and balance your hormones, your body has the building blocks it needs to keep you strong. You notice that the quality of your skin improves, sex is comfortable again, and your bones stay stronger for longer, too.
Between discomfort and insomnia, menopause may leave you struggling in the midst of “brain fog.” You may notice that you have trouble remembering things. Or, you may easily lose your train of thought or become distracted.
Low levels of hormones actually disrupt the way your brain works. You can’t think as quickly or efficiently if your brain isn’t getting the support it needs from your endocrine system.
By replacing lost hormones with HRT, your brain begins to function better. Your memory, focus, and mood improve.
One of the frustrations that women have in middle age is that their middle expands. Excess fat around the abdomen is usually a sign of hormonal imbalances. When you store too much fatty tissue, you don’t produce muscle as efficiently. Ironically, you need muscle tissue to create the energy you need to burn fat.
With HRT, your hormones create more balance in your body so you can begin to build strong and toned muscles again. You may find it easier to shed excess fat and get back into shape.
If “natural” menopause isn’t working for you, come see us for plant-based, bioidentical HRT that helps your body work the way you need it for optimal health and well-being. Call us today at 214- 383-7411. You can also use our online form at your convenience.
