Hormonal Imbalance & Menopause

You have organs located in various areas of your body called endocrine glands. These glands produce different chemicals, called hormones, that your body needs. The glands release the hormones directly into your bloodstream, where the chemicals can be circulated throughout the body.

Hormones act as messengers or triggers and play a vital role in essential bodily functions, including:

• Metabolism
• Growth and development
• Reproduction

A hormonal imbalance occurs when your body is producing too much or too little of hormones. This imbalance can cause a range of unpleasant and sometimes serious symptoms that could seriously affect your quality of life.

For women, perimenopause followed by menopause is an almost universal experience that happens because of a hormonal imbalance. Perimenopause may begin as early as your late 30s, as production of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone begins to slow. When you reach middle age – usually around age 50 or so – you have such low levels of estrogen and progesterone that your periods stop for good. After 12 months without a period, you are considered to be in menopause. Perimenopause and menopause are natural processes. However, the lack of estrogen and progesterone can cause years of disturbing symptoms for many women.

Another type of hormonal imbalance that's particularly common in women is thyroid disease. The most widespread form of this condition is hypothyroidism, which results in low thyroid hormone levels. Left untreated, hypothyroidism is potentially life-threatening. Fortunately, restoring your thyroid hormone balance is an effective long-term solution for this condition.

If your hormone imbalance is caused by perimenopause or menopause, you may experience years of disturbing signs and symptoms, including:

• Hot flashes, night sweats
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Thinning skin and hair
• Vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse
• Memory problems
• Decreased libido
• Insomnia

If your hormone imbalance is caused by thyroid disease, particularly hypothyroidism, you may experience the following signs and symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Weight gain
• Hair loss
• Depression
• Skin problems

If your body isn't making enough hormones to keep you healthy and functioning properly, the provider team at Dekalb Women's Specialists has a solution – in the form of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).

Bioidentical hormones are plant-derived medications that exactly match the hormones your body naturally produces. Many practitioners believe they're superior to synthetic HRT, as your body is less likely to react negatively to the treatment, and the natural hormones are easier to absorb.

Our team uses BioTE medical BHRT. BioTE comes in the form of tiny pellets that are injected under the skin, typically in the hip, buttock, or thigh area. The bioidentical hormones are released slowly, over time, contributing to a more consistent hormone level in the body than with oral medication. In addition, you don't have to worry about remembering to take your pills.