Do you find that throughout the month there are times where you are completely debilitated? Do you try and eat healthy but still keep putting on weight? These are two big signs that you could have a hormonal imbalance, which has been found to be an increasing problem that a significant amount of doctors are not able to fix. A hormone doctor for functional medicine are certified and experienced in bioidentical hormones and can help correct your hormone imbalance to give you back your normal life.
Triggers for Hormonal Imbalance
One of the most common triggers for hormonal imbalance is birth control pills. You do not have to be currently taking birth control for this to be causing your symptoms. If you have ever taken birth control pills, this could be causing you to have hormonal imbalance. There are a variety of other triggers that can cause hormonal imbalance, these can include:
- Environmental pollutants
- Chemicals in skin care products
- Pesticides in food
- Plastics
- Fire retardants in furniture
- Poor diet
Without these factors, natural hormonal changes throughout a woman’s life would not usually cause severe symptoms, however, today, it is basically impossible to avoid these triggers.
Bioidentical Hormones
No matter what caused your hormonal imbalance, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) can help correct it. Bioidentical means that the created substance is biologically identical to something produced by your body. For instance, when you take a birth control pill with progesterone, it is similar to your own hormone but not identical. However, bioidentical progesterone is created exactly like your body’s own progesterone. These have different effects: bioidentical progesterone is identical to your own progesterone and has the capability of relieving side effects of birth control pills without interfering with their efficacy of preventing pregnancy, while the progesterone found in birth control pills prevents pregnancy. By having a synthetic progesterone in your system, it disrupts the way your real hormones function.
Symptoms Helped by BHRT
When used correctly and closely monitored by a hormone specialist, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has the capability to restore balance and relieve symptoms, which include:
- Hot flashes
- PMS
- Mood swings
- Insomnia
- Loss of sex drive
- Irritability
- Dry skin
- Depression
- Memory lapses
- Brain fog
- Lack of energy
- Anxiety
- Depression
Is BHRT Dangerous?
When you think of hormone replacement, it sounds as though it could be dangerous. However, it depends on the type of hormones you are replacing. Synthetic hormones increase risks, however, bioidentical hormones decrease risks. Research has found that synthetic progesterone and estrogen increased risks for blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, and breast cancers. There have been studies that have shown that bioidentical estrogen and progesterone do not increase the risks of these same diseases.
Schedule a Consultation
We understand how frustrating it is to have hormone imbalances and be told by your primary care doctors that there is nothing they can do to help. A hormone doctor will work with you to identify your symptoms and help find ways to correct them. Contact a clinic today to schedule an appointment.