From metabolism to sleep cycle, from your heart rate to your libido, hormones flow throughout your body, triggering the processes that help you feel good. Over the course of your life, the amount of hormones your glands produce changes, but sometimes those changes lead to uncomfortable symptoms.
Most people are familiar with hormone replacement therapy and its uses to treat the uncomfortable symptoms associated with perimenopause. Dr. Deborah Viglione, a pioneer in the field of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, finds that her patients at Living Waters Regenerative Medicine Center go from symptomatic discomfort to thriving when their hormones are properly balanced.
Given the number of bodily processes that hormones trigger or control, it can sometimes be difficult to know whether you’re experiencing a hormone imbalance or not. Often, when patients come to see Dr. Viglione with vague symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty sleeping, or reduced interest in sex, she checks whether their hormones are balanced.
If you have these symptoms, you may have a hormone imbalance:
Women nearing the average age of menopause, which is 51, commonly have hormone imbalances because the body begins to produce less estrogen. Similarly, many men experience a decline in testosterone production with age. Dr. Viglione also checks your levels of thyroid hormones when she’s evaluating your hormonal balance.
Hormone replacement therapy isn’t a new concept, and there are synthetic forms of various hormones available, often derived from animal sources. For menopausal women, a type of estrogen extracted from mare urine is widely used.
Bioidentical hormones, on the other hand, are chemically identical to the hormones the human body produces — estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, among other hormones — but they’re derived from plants.
Bioidentical hormones are available in different forms, depending on the hormone and your needs. You may use pills, patches, creams, or gels, take injections, or have pellets placed under your skin.
One goal of treatment at Living Waters Regenerative Medicine Center is to help you reach an optimal level of health so you can enjoy an active life. It’s difficult to be active or to reach your personal health goals when you’re dealing with the impact of a hormonal imbalance.
For example, if your hormones make it difficult for you to sleep, you may well feel too tired to take on your normal activities. Additionally, lack of adequate quality sleep leaves you vulnerable to a cascade of other serious health conditions. Balancing your hormones can address the underlying cause of your sleeplessness, preventing problems like weight gain and fatigue.
If you suspect that you may have a hormone imbalance, or if you have symptoms that are difficult to define but leave you feeling unwell, schedule an appointment with Dr. Viglione. She can investigate potential causes of your symptoms and help you find the most appropriate treatment.
