It’s pretty normal for hormones to fluctuate throughout life, but sometimes these fluctuations go beyond normal, and you’ll see signs that you need hormone replacement therapy. At Le Reve Skincare & Laser Center in Fort Worth, TX, we offer solutions for both men and women, including injections, pellets, supplements, and other helpful treatments that can complement your hormone therapy, like Nutriceuticals and weight loss protocols. But how do you know if you need hormone replacement therapy?
What Are the Signs You Need Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Hot Flashes
This is a classic sign of hormonal imbalance and a good one to start our list. Women who are going through menopause are the most famous hot flashes sufferers, but you don’t have to be a middle-aged woman to experience a hot flash. Younger women can also experience them if their hormones are imbalanced. Men can also experience hot flashes as they reach andropause, though this is somewhat less common than in women.
A hot flash happens because hormones control our bodies’ temperature regulation. When hormones become imbalanced, the body simply doesn’t know what temperature it should be at times. Hormone Replacement Therapy can balance out the hormones and reduce hot flashes.
Low Sex Drive
This symptom of hormonal fluctuation can affect men and women at any time of life but frequently becomes worse as we get older. While some people assume that a growing lack of interest in sex is a natural part of the aging process, it may not be. It may very well be due to hormonal fluctuations and something that can be fairly easily fixed by evening out the level of hormones in the body.
It is worth noting that low libido can have causes other than hormonal issues. Low libido can be caused by certain medications and diseases, relationship problems, depression, and anxiety, or can even be a byproduct of extreme stress. However, even if these issues are making low libido worse, targeting the root hormonal issue can still help.
Erectile Dysfunction in Men
Men who have low levels of testosterone may experience not only a loss of interest in sex but also decreased ability to engage in sex successfully and comfortably. They may find it increasingly difficult to get an erection or to maintain it.
Again, erectile dysfunction can have many causes, but hormonal issues are always a possible culprit worth looking into, especially if ED is causing you to experience problems in your relationships or issues with self-confidence.
Vaginal Discomfort in Women
Hormones affect a woman’s reproductive system in many ways. If you are experiencing symptoms like vaginal dryness, itching, or discomfort, this could be due to hormonal imbalances. This discomfort and dryness can make it very difficult to enjoy sex and, in some cases, may make just getting through the day difficult.
This is a very common symptom of a hormonal imbalance, but it does not get a lot of airtime for obvious reasons. Thankfully, there is something you can do about it, and HRT can help balance out your hormones so that you feel more comfortable and experience healthy natural levels of vaginal lubrication.
Insomnia
Both men and women tend to experience issues with insomnia when their hormones are imbalanced. This may manifest as an inability to fall asleep or as an inability to stay asleep, even if you can initially fall asleep quickly. Hormones like melatonin control the body’s sleep functions, so when hormones become imbalanced, your body may simply refuse to sleep even when it’s exhausted.
If you are not getting to sleep, you need to function, or if you find yourself relying on sleep aids constantly, it’s time to talk to us about whether HRT could help you.
Weight Issues
Most of us change weights throughout our life, and gaining small amounts of weight, particularly around the holidays or after an illness, is really nothing to be too concerned about. However, if you are seeing a lot of weight gain, or if you suddenly find that you’re not able to shed the 5 to 10-pound weight gain from the holidays the way you used to with diet and exercise, the issue could be a hormonal imbalance.
Our metabolisms are controlled by our hormones, so when the hormones are not level, it’s almost impossible to lose weight or to keep it off, even if diet and exercise remain otherwise unchanged. By evening out your hormone levels, you should be able to get back to a healthy weight without a lot of difficulties. In addition to Hormone Replacement Therapy, we offer HRT with weight loss protocols that can help you see results faster.
Brain Fog and Difficulty Concentrating
Do you sometimes feel like you’re trying to sink in slow motion? Is it difficult to perform complicated tasks, or do you find your mind constantly drifting when you used to be able to concentrate easily on an important task? Many people assume that what we sometimes call “brain fog” is inevitable and just a natural part of getting older, but that is not necessarily true.
Brain fog can sometimes be a symptom of oncoming dementia or of a serious illness, but in most cases, it is actually due to hormonal imbalance. Getting HRT can get your hormones back to appropriate levels and help you focus again and feel more like yourself mentally.
Memory Loss
Memory loss is common as people get older, and if others in your family have experienced vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s, then you are at higher risk of developing these conditions, especially if this symptom is appearing early for you.
However, there’s also a strong possibility that a hormonal balance issue is in play. Not only that, but early HRT treatment may even be able to lower your risk of getting dementia in the first place. If you have a family history of dementia, it’s worth keeping a close eye on your hormone levels and proactively addressing any imbalances.
Mood Swings
Mood swings are typically associated with women, particularly women going through menopause, and this association is not entirely unfair. The drastic and sudden fluctuation of hormones in a woman’s body during this period does make it very difficult to regulate emotions and mood. However, anyone going through a hormonal imbalance can find themselves in the grip of sudden and extreme mood changes, and what is often not well understood is that men, too, experience mood swings as they enter andropause.
If you find that you are calm and feeling like yourself one moment and then suddenly angry, depressed, despairing, or simply blank, either at the slightest provocation or even with no precipitating factors, this is a strong sign that you have a hormonal imbalance. HRT can level out your hormones so that your mood is more stable and you can respond in healthy ways to live around you.
Depression
Depression can be absolutely destructive, and anyone who has gone through it is aware of how horrible it is. True depression is much more than just feeling a bit blue or sad: it is a constant feeling of hopelessness, helplessness, and despair.
Depression is a complicated issue that can be caused by many factors and exacerbated by even more. That said, in some cases, it really is as simple as a hormonal imbalance. As with other symptoms on this list, it would not be wise to assume the depression will definitely be cured with HRT; but it would also not be wise to ignore the possibility that HRT could make a significant difference.
Anxiety
If you find yourself constantly stressed out and worrying about every little thing, and especially if you’ve noticed this is a growing problem that is interfering with your life more and more each month, you might have an anxiety disorder: or, you might have a hormonal issue.
As with depression, balancing your hormones may not be a silver bullet that instantly clears your anxiety, but if the primary driver of your anxiety and stress is hormonal, you will notice a significant difference with HRT. You’ll feel more relaxed and able to enjoy the things you used to love without the constant stress and worry.
Get Back to Feeling Like Yourself
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms on this list, and particularly if you’re experiencing several of them, come talk to us at Le Reve Skincare & Laser Center in Fort Worth, TX, and see if HRT can help.
