When you’re experiencing menopause, it can seem inescapable. You may be suffering from symptoms ranging from vaginal dryness and hair loss, to fatigue, dizziness, and breast pain. So it’s perfectly natural to want to find a way out of the unpleasant stage of menopause. Fortunately, one potential treatment for symptoms of menopause is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Read on to learn about bioidentical hormones, their benefits and their dangers.
What You Need to Know about Bioidentical Hormones
Bioidentical hormones were first developed by a Canadian researcher named James Collip. He developed early bioidentical hormones by extracting orally-active estrogen found in pregnant women’s urine. Although this may sound a little off-putting, it was the building blocks on which modern bioidentical hormones were constructed.
Modern bioidentical hormones are developed by extracting chemicals from plants. The readily available source of plants extracts means that it has been possible to mass produce bioidentical hormones. These days, bioidentical hormones are widely used; even television personalities like Oprah Winfrey use them. Read on to learn about the benefits of bioidentical hormones.
Bioidentical Hormones Can Reduce Menopause Symptoms
Many of the multitudes of menopause symptoms you may be experiencing are caused by fluctuating levels of hormones in your body. Hormones help to regulate lots of the functions in your body, including the menstrual cycle.
During menopause, the levels of hormones in your body change, causing symptoms like depression, irritability, and panic disorders. Bioidentical hormone treatment may be able to combat your menopause symptoms by redressing hormone imbalances. However, bioidentical hormone treatment comes with its own side effects. Read on to learn more.
Are Bioidentical Hormones Safe?
Bioidentical hormones are often marketed as being a “natural” alternative to traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, although bioidentical hormones are sourced from plants, they are not organic compounds. Bioidentical hormones are created in laboratories, and are no more natural than synthetic HRT.
There is much controversy over the safety of this therapy. Using bioidentical hormones may have side effects similar to those of HRT, including potentially increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and even breast cancer. However, further studies are needed. Also, many bioidentical hormones have not been tested or approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so there could be a risk in taking this therapy if it has not been prescribed by a doctor.
There are alternatives to HRT available. Click on the following link to learn more about herbal treatments for hormonal imbalances and lifestyle changes that could help you combat your menopause symptoms.
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