An Introduction to Hormone Therapy

Aging is an incredible thing. It’s the circle of life, the inevitable truth, the thing that makes us value life and hold onto every moment.

But with aging come uncomfortable symptoms that are challenging to say the least.  Bone and joint aches, chronic pain, restlessness, weight gain or loss, moodiness …the list goes on. There’s no wonder doctors, scientists and geriatric specialists are striving to find not a cure, but relief for all of these symptoms and improve our overall quality of life for all of us.

One of the recent trends that’s been gaining lots of buzz is a treatment known as hormone therapy. But what exactly do our hormones have to do with aging, and how can we begin to use hormone therapy to increase the quality of life for our loved ones and ourselves over time?

Here are a few facts and information – check it out!

1. Often blamed for mood swings between your adolescent years and of course, menopause, hormones are very important in directing the way every part of our body functions, but, as you may have guessed, the number of hormones we have lessens as we age.
2. Hormones act as the “messengers” in our bodies. They live in every single cell in the body, and control the way the body growths, metabolizes food into energy, and even how we behave.
3. As we age, the hormones deplete, which leads to imbalances in our body’s cells and delays our growth, ability to “bounce back” from immune disorders, infection and more. This is exactly why a woman going through menopause can suffer from moodiness. During this period of time, your ovaries are producing less hormones that control estrogen, which leads to chemical imbalances and the feeling that you’re not as control of your emotions as before. Hot flashes are another side-effect.
   

   So, how can hormone therapy help?

   Hormone therapy can replace hormones naturally. The treatment is similar to that of a birth control implant, like an IUD. Small pellets are placed under the skin, and releases hormones over a period of time to optimize your hormone levels. Other methods include patches, gels and creams, but there is still a bit of controversy surrounding which method is best for both men and women and which is safest.

   As always, we’re all about doing research and reading up on the latest facts and figures about aging, so don’t hesitate to do your own as well. If interested in this kind of therapy for yourself or a client or loved one, talk to your doctor, and check out more information here on the ways hormone depletion affects your body!

   Link: http://menopause.northwestern.edu/content/how-hormone-depletion-affects-you