Some people believe 40 is the age of a midlife crisis. For women, it may certainly feel so as the body starts to change, hormones naturally decline, and you feel uncomfortable. While this is a natural phase of life, hormone therapy can help make you more relaxed and healthy.
But exactly what is hormone therapy? Are there different kinds? And are there benefits for women over 40? Here’s everything you need to know about hormone replacement therapy.
What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy is a treatment to restore hormones in the body, often those that naturally decline with menopause. There are many forms of treatment that fall into two main categories: synthetic and bioidentical hormones.
Synthetic hormones are usually a combination of chemical and animal-derived hormones. Bioidentical options are often derived from natural or plant sources and compounded to mimic those in your body.
The key difference between these two groups is the structure. Synthetic hormones are similar to those found in your body, while bioidentical hormone are tailored to match natural hormones exactly. The bioidentical nature may allow your body to better recognize and use the treatment for optimal results.
Benefits of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Women over 40 may start to experience perimenopause or menopause symptoms, which can last for years until menopause is complete. Bioidentical HRT can help soothe symptoms, improve sleep, and stabilize mood, restoring well-being and comfort.
1. Relieves Menopause Symptoms
Menopause symptoms appear as ovaries stop producing estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones, whether through natural decline, surgery, or cancer treatment. Menopause is a normal phase of life and not a disease or condition, but it can cause uncomfortable symptoms.
Replacing or restoring hormone levels through hormone therapy can help relieve these symptoms and make the transition easier. HRT can help ease:
- Night sweats
- Hot flashes
- Vaginal dryness
- Headaches
- Dry skin
2. Improves Sleep
Sleep problems are another significant symptom of menopause and perimenopause. About 40-69% of women report having some kind of sleep disturbance during this time, whether waking up often, trouble falling asleep, or waking early.
And these problems happen for a few reasons. During midlife, the sleep hormone melatonin naturally declines along with estrogen and progesterone. These sex hormones influence brain pathways responsible for sleep-wake cycles, so falling levels can cause sleeplessness. It can also cause night sweats and hot flashes that make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Replacing hormones with treatment brings these levels back up into the normal range and eases these symptoms. Women over 40 may especially notice improvement in sweats and flushing and overall sleep quality and length.
3. Stabilizes Mood
A drop in hormones may also lead to mood fluctuations. Women commonly experience irritability, anxiety, or depression during menopause, which can be worsened by lack of sleep. These mood changes happen because of declining progesterone specifically, which is generally responsible for emotion processing and mood.
Hormone therapy helps rebalance levels, relieving uncomfortable symptoms and problems that add to irritability. It also provides a calming effect, helping to stabilize the mood and improve the overall quality of life.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement in Jacksonville, FL
BHRT is a safe and effective treatment for women over 40 experiencing peri- or menopausal symptoms. Our team at OBI Institute uses the patented Evexias hormone pellet therapy known as EvexiPEL to provide steady, consistent relief.
Treatment starts with comprehensive testing followed by personalized treatment, pellet insertion, and follow-up testing and care. Regain balance and feel like yourself again with Evexias solutions. Book an appointment to learn more.
