Did you know that most of your essential bodily functions are controlled by the hormones in your body? It’s true. Hormones act as the internal communication system between the cells in your body, directly impacting almost every bodily function. Because of this, when your hormones go out of balance, it has a direct effect on your health and well-being. While this can occur naturally during the aging process, certain health conditions can also make your hormones go out of whack. But, as we get older, it is natural that our hormonal flow begins to slow down. Luckily, there are ways to give our hormones a “boost” as we age to help keep us healthy, slow down the aging process, and allow us to live longer lives. To help, many turn to hormonal replacement therapies to ease their symptoms when their hormones drop or become unbalanced, especially women who are going through perimenopause and menopause. However, not all hormonal replacement therapies are created equal. There is a difference between traditional and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, both of which are known to treat women and men when their hormone levels become unbalanced.
Traditional and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can both be used as a solution for hormonal issues, but which one is better? To help you make an educated decision, continue reading to learn more about traditional and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
• Conventional or traditional hormone therapy consists of synthetic estrogens designed to mimic the hormones produced in the body. In contrast, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is considered to be the more natural approach to hormone issues since they are derived from plant estrogens that are chemically identical to what the body produces.
• Synthetic hormones consist of molecules that are not recognized by the body, which directly affects the breakdown process. Because it isn’t natural, the body doesn’t entirely know what to do with it, and this can result in the accumulation of toxins and carcinogens. While, unlike synthetic, bioidentical hormones are identical to the molecular structure of the hormones made in the human body. Because of this, bioidentical hormones are easily assimilated into the body and more easily absorbed.
• Conventional hormone replacement therapy comes in standard doses and are prepacked and dispensed by a pharmacy. However, since the progesterone and estrogen only come in standard combinations, it may take a while to find a suitable combination that produces the least amount of side effects. With bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, ‘compounded’ prescriptions are tailored to a patient’s prescribed dosage, allowing for a patient’s prescription to be easily altered based on their symptoms.
• Traditional hormone replacement therapy does not commonly prescribe vaginal progesterone or estrogen gels, even though they are available. Instead, conventional hormone replacement therapy is typically prescribed as a transdermal patch or an oral tablet. Bioidentical hormones come in a variety of forms, such as injections, creams, pills, gels, and patches.
• With conventional hormones, treatment methods and dosage are based on the patient’s symptoms, not on a blood test. When a patient is undergoing bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, they have regular blood tests to regulate dosage and control symptoms.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can be altered depending upon your requirements and going by your hormone test results; an appropriate treatment plan can be designed for you. At the Salerno Center for Complementary Medicine, we only use the finest of treatments and therapies. If you live in the NYC metro area and are interested in learning more about our bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, contact us today to learn more.
