Tuesday, June 5, 2012

All About Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy

By Jake Alexandre


As the name indicates, bio identical hormones are hormones that have been extracted from organic matter to match those in the human body. The molecular structures of the hormones extracted from natural matter are modified in a lab to replace your body's hormones. Bio identical hormones differ from synthetic hormones as these hormones are produced in animals (mostly pigs and horses) and are not an exact match to human hormones like bio identical hormones are. Hormones produced in the human body treat hormones extracted from animals as aliens and can either reject them or produce side effects. Bio identical hormones are viewed by the body as coming from the human body and does not reject them or cause any side effects. That's why bio identical hormones are considered safer than synthetic hormones.

Bio identical hormone replacement therapy is widely used by doctors to supplement loss or reduction in hormones of patients. The most common symptoms of reduction in hormones are caused in women when their body stops producing estrogen and progesterone hormones when she is going through menopause. The body which has been used to these hormones for so many years is suddenly made devoid of these hormones and it reacts. The most common side effects that women face during menopause are; hot flashes, night sweat, mood swings, fatigue, listlessness and a general feeling of not being well.

Hormones are the chemical messengers that are produced in the human body by various glands. The hormones travel in the blood network and attach themselves to receptor cells. These cells in turn trigger a reaction and start acting the way the hormone wants them to act. With aging the production of certain hormones reduces and the human body either adjusts to this decline in hormone production or starts reacting adversely to the change. The decline in hormone production can also be caused by other medical ailments and surgery.

It's not only women that suffer from menopause. Millions of men suffer from andropause, which is the male equivalent of menopause. The male body stops producing testosterone gradually, this decline in production causes; weight gain, sleep problems, memory loss, erectile dysfunction, lack of sex drive and loss of energy and stamina and libido. Until recently men generally ignored the symptoms and blamed it on aging and never thought about it as a hormonal imbalance that could be corrected. But now men have become aware that this ailment can be corrected and most opt for bio identical hormone replacement therapy. Testosterone is the male hormone and is equivalent to the female hormone estrogen. It is produced in the testes and the adrenal gland. Testosterone is necessary for men to have normal sexual behavior.

Both men and women can opt for bio identical hormone therapy and it's considered to be quite safe and has been successfully practiced for a while now. However to get this therapy done, you must go to a proper clinic and get yourself checked by a physician. It's the doctor who can determine which hormones are deficient and how much treatment is required. They will also determine the dosage, the duration and the most suitable method to deliver it. Never buy bio identical hormones from online stores and try the therapy yourself as this can lead to serious health issues.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment