As you move through the phases of life, you encounter challenging physical and mental changes. Many of these shifts happen when your natural hormone production declines, which is an unavoidable part of growing older.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) offers a path back to feeling and functioning more like you used to.
Terry L. Franklin, MD, delivers a wide range of services to the greater Monterey, California, area, including highly personalized hormone replacement therapy. If you’re curious about whether this approach is right for you, here’s an overview of some of the issues HRT can improve.
When you think of hormones and weight gain, thyroid hormones may come to mind. But estrogen and testosterone also factor into your metabolism, which is the manner in which your body converts food into energy.
Women need estrogen to maintain muscle mass as they move into the later stages of middle age. Men need testosterone to keep their muscle mass the same as it was in their younger years.
Once you begin losing muscle mass, your body’s metabolic rate decreases and you begin to accumulate excess body fat.
One of the least-talked-about signs of hormonal imbalance is changes in your digestive function. Many men and women notice an increase in nausea and diarrhea, even when they’re eating the same foods they always did. For others, it’s constipation that causes problems.
If you’re experiencing changes in your bathroom visits, it might have nothing to do with your diet and everything to do with your body’s shifting hormone production. Getting your levels checked is as simple as a quick blood draw for lab work.
A fulfilling sex life is an integral part of overall health and wellness, but for many people, declining hormone production causes a decreased interest in sex.
It sometimes happens so gradually that you don’t even notice how much time has gone by until you or your partner realizes that weeks have passed.
Your body creates a number of different hormones that prompt a wide range of bodily functions. Some of those hormones create and support a healthy drive for sexual connection.
So many men and women accept a loss of sex drive as inevitable, but these connections go far beyond immediate gratification; they also serve to solidify the bond with your partner and keep you feeling connected with your own body.
Hormonal imbalance can also cause changes in your skin and hair. Men sometimes experience a loss of body hair, while women can run into excess hair growth in unusual areas. Both sexes often notice their skin becoming drier than usual, which can have an unwanted effect of making wrinkles look deeper.
Everyone has a unique experience of hormonal imbalance, so your skin could become warmer, drier, or more moist or coarse than usual.
If you’re going through any of the changes we mentioned here, it’s worth the time and effort to come in for hormone testing. You’ll get an idea of your current hormone levels, which provides a starting point for a conversation with Dr. Franklin about whether hormone replacement therapy is right for you.
Booking a visit is fast and easy. We love welcoming new patients to our practice or helping existing ones find solutions to health and wellness challenges.
