Feeling less zest for life than usual? If you are of menopausal age (anywhere from 35 – 55) and are feeling “off,” “not myself,” or are suffering from “brain fog,” you may have a hormonal imbalance.
What are hormones, exactly? If you’re like most women, you’ve felt the effects of hormones at some point in your life, perhaps as a passionate teenager struggling to gain independence or a newly-pregnant mama weeping suddenly at Campbell’s soup commercials.
Hormones are regulatory chemical messengers sent from one cell to another to create specific states within the body. Because women are physically built to bear children, the female body is particularly sensitive to hormone changes. These messengers send signals to the body to make the necessary changes to accommodate new life, and, with menopause, to release that capability.
In menopause, a woman transitions out of her childbearing years and her hormones send messages to the body to let go of the fertility established in puberty. This phase brings physical changes, including joint pain, hot flashes, changing skin tone, sleeplessness, weight gain, as well as mood swings like irritability, sadness, and anxiety. Rest assured, these symptoms are normal, although they can take you by surprise.
If your symptoms lead to strong feelings of discomfort in your own skin and a sense that something is wrong (not just “different,”), hormone issues beyond the normal menopausal shifts may be present. Women are blessed with highly attuned intuitive capacities, so trusting your instincts will allow you to determine if the way you feel is negatively affecting your daily life. If so, you can take healing action.
Bioidentical hormone therapy refers to chemically altered hormones that are made molecularly identical to those occurring naturally in humans. These hormones originate in natural sources such as soy or wild yam plants, as well as animals like horses, and are altered to match your own hormones and help you achieve balance that puts your body and mind at ease.
Bioidentical hormones are not one size fits all, so personalization is key. Treatments are specifically tailored to suit your body in doses that target and treat your needs. A knowledgeable practitioner will adjust your hormones until they are completely balanced and your symptoms disappear, remaining by your side throughout the process with frequent follow up appointments.
Because bioidentical hormone therapy treatments are specialized to match your own biochemistry, the best way to get the most from this therapy is with a naturopathic doctor. At Water’s Edge, we assess your hormonal health by listening to your personal story and use our innovative diagnostic test, the Female Hormone Panel, to determine your hormonal care plan. Once treatment starts, we closely monitor your progress and support your healing by adjusting dosages as needed.
Ready to start feeling better? Call our specialists to determine if bioidentical hormone therapy is the best choice for you.
