Hormones have a bad reputation for causing mood swings and hot flashes, but the reality is that your hormones aren’t bad. You need your hormones. Problems arise when your hormones are out of balance — and unfortunately, that’s something that happens all too often during menopause.
Weight gain, mood swings, and hot flashes are just a few of the ways that hormone imbalances can affect you.
If hormone imbalance is making you feel not quite like yourself, the team here at Aurora OB/GYN in San Antonio, Texas, is here to help.
Read on as board-certified OB/GYN Karen Allsup, FACOG, MD, explains how hormone replacement pellet therapy can restore your hormone balance so you can feel healthier and lose weight.
Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers, and they help regulate various bodily functions, including your metabolism, energy levels, mood, and sleep. You need the right levels of specific hormones at the right time to achieve all these tasks.
For example, rising estrogen can help prepare your uterus for a potential conception, and a drop in hormone levels can trigger menstruation if an egg isn’t fertilized. This is a carefully balanced system to keep your menstrual cycles on track.
If your reproductive hormones become unbalanced, you might struggle with irregular periods — a typical struggle for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Hormonal imbalances are particularly problematic during menopause. Hormone fluctuations during menopause occur as a natural part of the aging process, specifically due to the decline in estrogen and progesterone production by your ovaries.
Unfortunately, low estrogen can also contribute to weight gain. On the flip side, individuals who are overweight tend to have too much estrogen, which can increase their risk of chronic conditions and some cancers.
The bottom line is that your hormones need to be balanced — not too high or too low.
Factors such as aging, stress, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and lifestyle choices can disrupt your hormonal balance and lead to symptoms such as:
Researchers estimate that 51.4% of menopausal women struggle with poor quality of life because of symptoms like these. You don’t have to struggle with these symptoms on your own — hormone replacement pellet therapy can help.
Hormone replacement pellet therapy involves the insertion of tiny hormone pellets beneath the skin. These pellets release bioidentical hormones, such as estrogen, testosterone, or a combination of both, into the bloodstream gradually over several months.
Because they’re inserted just under your skin (usually in your hip area), you won’t have to worry about daily pills, patches, or messy topical creams. It’s truly a set-it-and-forget-it way to balance your hormones.
Hormone pellet therapy can:
Hormone pellets can help restore your energy levels and alleviate fatigue so you can feel more vibrant and productive throughout the day. Not only does having energy feel good, but it also means that you’ll have the energy to squeeze your workout into your schedule, too!
Balancing hormones can support your metabolism and fat burning, so it’s easier to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Hormonal balance is closely linked to mood regulation and cognitive function. Hormone replacement therapy can help stabilize mood swings, reduce irritability, and improve mental clarity and focus.
Restoring hormonal balance can reignite your libido and improve sexual function.
When you balance your hormones, it helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle, which in turn leads to improved sleep quality. There’s nothing quite like a good night of sleep to help you feel more like yourself.
As a bonus, improving your sleep quality and quantity also helps support a healthy metabolism.
Hormone replacement pellet therapy isn’t right for everyone, which is why we start with a blood test to check your hormone levels. If your hormone levels are imbalanced, Dr. Allsup then creates your treatment plan. Having hormone pellets inserted typically involves a quick and minimally invasive procedure, similar to a simple injection, with little discomfort.
Dr. Allsup can also help you lose weight with nutritional counseling, supplements, and exercise counseling — all of which complement your pellet therapy.
To get started with hormone replacement pellet therapy or medical weight loss programs, give us a call at 210-547-4700 or click here to book your consultation.