Hormone Therapy Specialist

What are hormones?

Hormones are chemical messengers made by your endocrine system. They travel in your blood, telling your tissues, organs, and body systems what to do.

Your hormones control your metabolism, mood, heart rate, digestion, and reproductive system.

Estrogen and progesterone are female hormones that control your menstrual cycle. Production of these hormones slows down in the months and years leading up to menopause. You officially reach menopause when you go an entire year without a period.

Though these hormonal changes are a normal biological process, the loss of estrogen and progesterone affects your physical and emotional well-being.

What is hormone therapy?

Hormone therapy is a treatment that helps restore your body’s normal hormone levels to ease your menopausal symptoms.

Hormone therapy for women can also improve bone health, providing some protection against osteoporosis, a disease that makes your bones weak and brittle.

What kinds of hormone therapy are there?

There are two kinds of hormone therapy for women: estrogen therapy and estrogen/progestin therapy (EPT).

Estrogen therapy

Estrogen therapy is a form of hormone replacement that only includes estrogen. Your provider at Collaborative Women’s Care prescribes estrogen therapy if you no longer have your uterus.

With estrogen therapy, you’re given a low dose of the hormone in pill or patch form. Estrogen therapy is also available as a gel, spray, and vaginal ring.

EPT

If you have your uterus, your hormone therapy can include estrogen and progesterone (EPT). Taking both hormones can reduce your risk of developing uterine cancer. EPT is available as a pill or patch.

Am I a candidate for hormone therapy?

Schedule a consultation at Collaborative Women’s Care to see if you’re a candidate for hormone therapy. It could be the treatment for you if your estrogen and progesterone levels are low and your menopause symptoms affect your quality of life. These symptoms include:

• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• Urinary urgency
• Insomnia
• Mood swings

You might not be a candidate for hormone therapy if you have a history of breast or uterine cancer, stroke, heart attack, or blood clots. You might also not be a candidate if you have abnormal bleeding or you’re at risk of developing blood clots.

To find out more about hormone therapy and how it can help you, call Collaborative Women’s Care today or schedule an appointment online.