Menopause may be a normal part of life, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer through it.
While it may be true that menopause doesn’t cause problems for everyone, estimates show that symptoms affect as many as 85% of women. They also tend to become more common and severe in later stages of reproductive life.
In the past, the only way to find relief involved hormone replacement therapies that posed more health risks than benefits, including higher chances of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer.
But times have changed, and now safer options can balance your hormones, even when you enter menopause.
Dr. Terry L. Franklin has extensive experience treating hormonal imbalances in both men and women. He’s also the only provider in Monterey, California, who offers BioTE® bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) — a fully customizable HRT that balances hormones without the risk of side effects or health complications.
If you’re struggling with menopause symptoms, here’s how BioTE bioidentical HRT can help.
Age may only be a number, but your body still goes through changes with each passing year. This is most apparent in fertility and sexual reproduction.
During your reproductive years, the healthiest follicles become mature eggs, and the ovaries start releasing them each month during the menstrual cycle. If sperm fertilize an egg, you can become pregnant. If it doesn’t, the process starts all over again the next month.
A woman’s fertile period typically lasts about 37 years, ending with menopause. You reach menopause when you haven’t had a menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months — on average around age 51 — and you can no longer become pregnant.
This entire process happens because of hormones, from your teenage years until your 50s. But your hormone production starts decreasing as your body prepares for menopause, and that’s when the uncomfortable symptoms can kick in.
Fluctuating hormones can cause problems at any stage in life. But because they decrease with age, they can cause a variety of issues, such as:
Many women begin noticing the symptoms approximately four years before their last period. This stage of life is called perimenopause. It’s the time when your hormones start changing, and it can last a few months or years. In fact, some women have symptoms for up to 10 years.
Symptoms also typically continue for around four years after reaching menopause, and 1 in 10 women continue experiencing symptoms for 12 years postmenopause.
In most cases, changes in hormones related to menopause involve estrogen. But that’s not the only hormone in your body that can lead to imbalances. About 1 in 8 women also develop a thyroid condition as they grow older.
To restore balance within your body, Dr. Franklin performs a comprehensive exam, discusses your symptoms, and runs blood tests to evaluate your hormone levels and determine the best course of treatment, like BioTE.
BioTE offers several distinct advantages over other forms of hormone therapy.
First, it’s considered a bioidentical hormone, meaning it has the same molecular structure as naturally occurring hormones in your body. It’s also from natural plant-based substances, so it comes without the same risks as synthetic hormones.
Unlike pills that cause spikes in hormone levels, BioTE hormones come in pellet form. Dr. Franklin inserts the pellet under your skin to ensure you receive the precise type and dose of hormones you need. The pellet slowly releases the hormones into your system.
When your system gets back into balance, it stays there — and you don’t have to take a pill every day.
When you undergo hormone replacement therapy with BioTE, Dr. Franklin regularly tests your hormone levels to make sure your type and dose don’t need adjustments and replaces your pellets every 3-6 months.
Are you ready to find relief from your perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms? Schedule an appointment with Terry L. Franklin, MD, in downtown Monterey, California, by calling 831-647-3190 today.
