What is Hormone Therapy?
In simplest terms, hormones are chemical messengers that travel through our bloodstream and enter tissues, where they ensure appropriate communication between cells and organs.
Hormones affect nearly every aspect of our lives because they regulate body functions – the many body functions that help keep us feeling physically fit, mentally sharp and emotionally stable.
A delicate balance exists between the various hormones produced within our bodies.
This balance is the key to maintaining our sense of health and well-being.
When the hormone levels in our body fluctuate, it can affect everything from our mood to our resistance to disease, to our ability to conceive and bear children.
In fact, every cell of the human body – as well as every biological system – is influenced by hormones.
A Vital, Yet Fragile System
Unfortunately, the body’s endocrine system – made up of glands that produce hormones – is fragile.
Chemical exposure, caffeine use, smoking, sleep deprivation, stress and emotional upheaval can throw our hormonal make-up off-kilter.
This can lead to problems including fatigue, aches and pains, hair loss, weight gain, anxiety and depression.
In women, it can cause menstrual abnormalities and infertility.
The aging process also contributes to hormonal imbalance because the glands that produce hormones become less vital with the passage of time.
Finally, the stresses of modern life take their toll; a high-pressure, fast-paced lifestyle affects body chemistry – and not for the better.
Sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint the source of a problem, because a weakness in one area of the body can throw off the hormonal balance in another area entirely.
For example, when women stop ovulating, they produce a lower level of a female sex hormone called Progesterone.
Hormones produced in the Adrenal glands can sometimes make up for this deficit.
But if the Adrenal glands are exhausted, the level of Progesterone will continue to be insufficient.
This, in turn, can slow down hormone production in the Thyroid and trigger a range of very unpleasant symptoms.
Every sector of society suffers from hormone imbalance, and studies show that seven out of ten adults experience the problem to some extent.
Luckily, being aware of the problem is the first step toward finding a solution – a solution that works for you.
What Are Your Options for Combating Hormonal Imbalance?
If you test positive for a hormonal imbalance, you may choose to do nothing.
However, even if you think you can suffer through the symptoms, this is not a good strategy for your overall health.
This is because hormonal imbalance, left untreated, can wear you down and leave you more vulnerable to serious diseases in the future.
The preferred option for regaining your optimal hormonal balance is to seek medical treatment.
There are two kinds of therapies you can choose from:
Conventional Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) attempts to alleviate symptoms by replacing hormones that are lacking.
Patients are frequently given drugs that have been developed and marketed by major pharmaceutical companies, sometimes
derived from the urine of horses and manufactured to look somewhat similar to human hormones.
Since they are not exact replicas of human hormones, they may not be metabolized in the body like our own hormones.
In addition, these substances are pre-packaged in just one or two standard dosages, making it difficult to tailor the exact dosage to the needs of the patient.
While Conventional HRT can reduce symptoms in the short term, these substances have been shown to create undesirable side-effects and potentially lead to a higher incidence of disease.
Worse yet, the majority of Conventional HRT is focused on treating symptoms, leaving the underlying problems unsolved.
Since hormonal imbalances can create symptoms such as anxiety and irritability, we see far too many practitioners prescribing anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications which do nothing to solve the underlying hormonal imbalance!
Targeted Hormone Balancing Therapy is a comprehensive alternative to conventional HRT regimens.
Used successfully by tens of thousands of physicians over 45 years, this therapy targets the core problems by achieving balance between the major hormones in the body.
When hormones levels are too high, we use techniques to reduce the level, and when too low, Targeted Hormone Balancing Therapy utilizes Bio-Identical hormones to increase the levels.
Bio-Identical hormones are compounds derived from wild yams or soybeans that are chemically altered in the laboratory to look and behave EXACTLY like our own human hormones.
Is Targeted Hormone Balancing “Alternative” Medicine? Is it Safe?
Hormone Therapy is well known and widely prescribed by the medical community at large.
For example, the use of Hormone Therapy to treat Thyroid illness is widespread and there is a good chance that you actually know someone that is being treated for a Thyroid Hormone illness.
Today, pharmaceutical companies bombard us with television and magazine advertisements for FDA-approved Testosterone gels for men and various Estrogen patches for menopausal women.
However, FDA-approval does not always guarantee safety.
For example, there has been a great deal of confusion regarding the use of hormones for treatment of symptoms of Menopause.
The wide-scale 1991 WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) study involving more than 16,000 post-menopausal women conclusively established a link between the use of Premarin/Prempro and increased risk of breast cancer and stroke in women.
As a result, some health care practitioners now refrain from prescribing any type of hormone therapy.
Premarin/Prempro are equine estrogen imitators derived from the urine of pregnant horses and are not the same molecular structures as human hormones.
Worse yet and despite the known risks, the FDA still approves these drugs for use by women, and many doctors still prescribe them frequently!
Unfortunately, the WHI study did not include a control group using Bio-Identical hormones.
In the meantime, we do find many FDA approved Bio-Identical hormones on the market, Bio-Identical indicating that unlike Premarin/Prempro, the molecular structures are exactly the same as human hormones.
Despite the fact that the WHI study did not include women using Bio-Identical hormones, there are still numerous smaller studies and trials that demonstrate the effectiveness of Bio-Identical hormones, and clinical experience over the last 45 years has shown that women do benefit from improved quality of life with fewer side-effects when using them.
It is also important to note that Targeted Hormone Balancing goes far beyond treating symptoms of Menopause in women.
Targeted Hormone Balancing is equally useful for men and women of all ages, and evaluates the interactions between all of the Male and Female hormones, Thyroid hormones and Adrenal hormones.
In some cases, hormone balance can be acheived by simple changes to diet, sleep and lifestyle without the need to supplement with hormones.
In other cases, simply bringing poor Adrenal hormone function up to normal can "jump-start" low levels of Male and Female and Thyroid hormones, eliminating the need for lifelong medication.
How Targeted Hormone Balancing Therapy Works
Targeted Hormone Therapy is a medical approach that restores hormonal balance to individual patients.
The treatment begins with testing to determine a baseline hormone profile.
Physicians then correct the patient’s hormonal imbalance by prescribing a customized treatment with Bio-identical hormones, combined with the nutritional supplements and lifestyle changes needed to restore optimum health.
Targeted Hormone Therapy begins with a thorough evaluation by a medical practitioner.
Unlike a typical medical check-up, the evaluation will involve in-depth questions related to symptoms, as well as diet and lifestyle habits.
By taking a holisitc look at all of the major hormones, there are many instances where hormone balance can be acheived without lifelong medication.
We see cases in women where a weak Thyroid is being caused by high Estrogen.
Reduce the Estrogen and the Thyroid often improves.
We see cases in men where high Cortisol causes low Testosterone.
Reduce the Cortisol and Testosterone levels often improve.
When women stop ovulating, they produce lower levels of Progesterone.
Hormones generated by the adrenal glands can sometimes make up for this deficit.
But if the Adrenal glands are exhausted, the level of Progesterone will continue to be insufficient.
This, in turn, can slow down hormone production in the Thyroid.
Here we see a complex chain reaction.
If we simply improve the Adrenal function, it may be possible to improve the Thyroid function without the need for life-long Thyroid medication.
Creating a Customized Treatment Plan:
Based on the results of hormone testing, the physician creates a treatment plan designed to restore the patient’s health.
The treatment may include a prescription for Bio-identical hormones, compounded in a specialized compounding pharmacy according to the patient’s specific needs.
For optimal safety and results, Targeted Hormone Balancing prescribes only the lowest dose of hormones required.
The most common method for administering Bio-indentical hormones is by rubbing topical creams on the forearms.
Unlike pills, topical creams avoid interaction with the digestive system and allow a steady absorption of the hormones over time.
Unlike patches, topical creams allow you to easily control and adjust your dosage as your needs change.
Along with the hormones, the treatment also involves an individualized course of vitamins and/or supplements as well as advice about exercise and lifestyle.
Medical Follow-Up and “Fine Tuning” of Treatment:
Once you start treatment, you’ll want to be in regular touch with your medical practitioner to report your progress.
It may be neccessary to retest the hormone levels from time to time as there are many situations in life that have an impact on our hormone levels.
Your practitioner will be able to increase or decrease your dosages to keep you feeling your best.
Targeted Hormone Balancing Therapy does not reverse the aging process.
However, when pursued in partnership with a knowledgeable medical practitioner, it can potentially give patients a new lease on life.
By establishing proper hormone balance while making positive steps in terms of diet and lifestyle, patients will feel better, and maintain a healthy glow for years to come.
Taking Your Health into Your Own Hands
Targeted Hormone Balancing Therapy is at the heart of a holistic approach toward the human body and its ever-changing needs.
In a world where a high-pressure lifestyle is the norm, and where our natural hormonal balance is affected by aging, by stress, and by harmful, man-made toxins, Targeted Hormone Therapy offers a medically effective, comprehensive and customized solution for restoring each patient to optimum health.
Your practitioner is trained to treat the entire patient – not just his symptoms – and that makes all the difference.