Menopause can be a difficult transition for women. Menopause has varying stages and forms, and the effects can compromise a women’s quality of living. Many women’s mental and physical health can decline in the throes of menopause, which is essentially caused by a hormonal imbalance.

Now, an increasing number of women are turning to Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) to help reduce the negative effects of menopause. BHRT helps restore balance within the body, replacing what has been depleted by menopause so that the body can regulate itself better.

Millions of women are turning to BHRT to help rebalance their bodies — but what are the benefits? Here is a non-comprehensive list:

• Helps rebalance and restore estrogen levels
• Reduces menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes or night sweats
• Improves memory and brain function
• Relieves depression, anxiety, or changing moods
• Helps reduce weight gain and increase muscle mass
• Increases libido
• Increases quality of sleep
• Lowers risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis (higher bone density)

When a woman enters menopause, there are three stages. These phases consist of perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. Perimenopause is the earliest phase to present, often showing up as many as eight-to-ten years prior to actual menopause. Perimenopause, however, is the first sign of a hormonal imbalance and can often have similar effects on the body.

Perimenopause can present with several symptoms, including:

• Tenderness of breasts
• Weight gain
• Retaining water
• Unstable moods or increased PMS symptoms
• Decreased thyroid function (caused by increased production of thyroid binding globulin)
• Irregular periods
• Discomfort or pain during sex
• Hair loss or hair thinning
• Fibrocystic breast symptoms

Approximately one year after their last menstrual cycle, women then begin to experience full menopause. Menopause occurs when the woman’s body stops producing enough estrogen for the ovaries to function properly.

The symptoms of menopause are similar, albeit often more intense or frequent than those of perimenopause. Additional symptoms of menopause include symptoms of arthritis, a higher number of fine lines or wrinkles, vaginal dryness, and urinary incontinence.

Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy is growing in popularity as a solution to help with symptoms of menopause. BHRT often utilizes hormone pellets that contain a custom-made formula of estrogen and progesterone intended to be nearly identical to those naturally occurring in the woman’s body.

Studies have shown that BHRT is a safe and effective option for women undergoing perimenopause or menopausal symptoms and the resulting hormonal imbalances. In turn, using BHRT can help women feel younger, stronger, and healthier.

Using BHRT can take a few weeks before symptoms begin to show a reduced presence. It is advisable to consult with a professional to determine the best course of action when considering hormone replacement. However, BHRT has been shown to be one of the best options as it replaces the missing hormones with something that the body can recognize as nearly identical. This helps make the transition and therapy easier on the patient.

To find out if BHRT is a good option for you, contact StudioEros to set up an initial consultation. Hormonal imbalances are a commonality among women. In fact, most women will experience this issue at some point in their lives. Therefore, it is best to explore options and find the best treatment for your situation.