MENOPAUSE THERAPY OPTIONS

Women in their mid-thirties and forties can suffer from pre-menopause and women, and in their fifties and beyond can suffer from menopause. This causes certain hormones like estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormones and even testosterone to decline. Many physicians misdiagnose hormone deficiency related symptoms or lack sufficient experience with hormone replacement treatment programs to find appropriate solutions tailored to each patient. As women age, hormone levels naturally decrease, causing the symptoms associated with menopause and affecting many other areas of the body and mind. Many women also experience an increase in abdominal fat due to a loss of estrogen. Experiencing loss of mental sharpness, endurance, libido, emotional well-being, physical health, or defenses against illness is normal, there are treatment programs that can prevent or reduce these symptoms. If your health is being affected by a hormone deficiency, bio-identical therapy programs may be a great option for you. Estrogen is a hormone made primarily in the ovaries. “Estrogens” are the primary female sex hormones. The three major estrogens are estradiol, estriol and estrone. Of the three, estradiol is the most physiologically and biologically active. Estrogen is not simply a sex hormone, but a total body hormone. Some of the hormone receptor sites that need estrogen are found in the bladder, bones, arteries vagina, heart, liver and the brain. Without adequate levels of estrogen these organs cannot function properly. When dealing with female sex hormones, the balance amongst them often is more important than the actual levels. This is true of the ratio of estrogen to progesterone, as well as estrogen to testosterone. In females, a higher ratio of testosterone to estrogen is indicative of an increased risk of heart disease (the opposite is true in males). In females, as the progesterone to estrogen ratio decreases, it creates estrogen dominance and subsequently an increased risk of breast cancer. Estrogen and progesterone act in tandem to control cell growth for normal function. Bio-identical estrogens have the same molecular structure as the estrogens found in the human female. These natural plant estrogens are altered so that they have the same bio-identical structure as the estrogens found in human females. Unlike many FDA- approved estrogen medications, natural bio-identical soy-derived estrogens are safe, effective. Progesterone, primarily a female hormone but also found in males in small amounts, is made in the ovaries, the adrenal glands, and in the placenta during pregnancy. It is one of the major regulatory hormones. Like estrogen, progesterone levels decline with age. Female progesterone levels drop drastically at menopause. Progesterone helps estrogen levels remain within a therapeutic range and therefore, can protect against endometrial cancer of the uterus. Combining the benefits of bio-identical estrogen and progesterone replacement provide many of the benefits without the risks. Together they can improve or prevent osteoporosis, improve mood and mental status, improve sexual function or libido. (By Christopher James Stewart)