Jennifer Hipp, PA-C
What is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)?
As you age, your body produces fewer hormones—the chemical messengers which govern your body’s function. This imbalance can lead to symptoms which not only lower your quality of life but lead to chronic disease and decrease longevity. These symptoms are often mistakenly accepted as part of aging. However, while it is expected that all of your hormones will decline and become imbalanced, it is not functional. BHRT is a highly customized treatment that replenishes your body with the precise hormones it’s missing.
What conditions does BHRT treat?
BHRT can restore hormonal balance and reduce symptoms and conditions including: fatigue, weight gain, mood swings and irritability, depression and anxiety, insomnia, hot flashes and night sweats, muscle mass loss and decreased exercise tolerance/recovery, vaginal dryness and painful sex (vaginismus), erectile dysfunction, high cholesterol, diabetes and pre-diabetes, osteoporosis, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases like lupus and rhematoid arthritis, alzheimer’s dementia and related neurocognitve diseases of aging.
Both men and women benefit from BHRT. While menopause may receive more attention, men also experience declining hormone levels as they age and suffer from similar symptoms. For example, declining testosterone levels not only lead to ED (erectile dysfunction) and libido loss, but also to weight gain and decreased muscle mass, low energy and reduced exercise recovery, mood changes and insomnia.
What should I expect during BHRT?
BHRT begins with a comprehensive physical exam and consultation including extensive blood
tests to measure and assess your current hormone levels. Your medical practitioner should be specialty trained and ask questions about your symptoms, chronic disease and medical history, lifestyle and overall well-being.
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After gathering as much information as possible about your health, your medical practitioner should work with a specialized compounding pharmacy to create BHRT pellets and related hormone regimens that include the precise hormones your body needs.
Am I a good candidate for BHRT?
If you’re living with symptoms of a hormone imbalance, BHRT may be an excellent treatment option to restore your health and well-being. The research obtained over the decades showing the importance, safety and effectiveness of BHRT has been integral to making it available to healthy and chronically ill patients today.
Submit your questions to info@uthology.com.
