BHRT: Bio-identical hormone replacement
Bio-identical Hormone Replacement (BHRT) refers to hormones which are similar to those that can be actually found in the body of humans. It is used to help various symptoms in women in the peri-menopause or menopause stage. It is different from synthetic hormone therapy, as only natural hormones are used for the treatment. Bio-identical hormones are used for treating hormonal imbalance in women, especially those in the menopausal stage or before and after menopause. As hormones identical to those in the body are used, the treatment is safer.
Why Is BHRT Needed?
Almost every woman above 40 years of age start experiencing hormonal imbalance, which can manifest in the form of various symptoms such as respiratory problems, tiredness, blood sugar imbalance, depression etc. The exposure to dietary and environmental toxins over the course of time leads to the decline of hormones naturally.
Bioidentical hormones are being used for over two decades now for the treatment of hormonal imbalance in women, and cure peri-menopause, post-menopause and menopause symptoms. These are natural hormones which use individualized treatment doses. Highly trained doctors implement these hormones after proper diagnosis and the use of a personalized treatment plan.
BHRT Categories
Some of the main types of BHRT therapies include the following:
- Natural Estrogens – Most of these are oral medications which are transformed into estrone and stored in the GI tract. Estriol is a natural estrogen used to take estrogen level in the body back to pre-menopause level. Estradiol and Estrone are two other types of estrogens used for cure.
- Natural Progesterone – It is manufactured by the ovaries in the pre-menopause level. It is used to rectify hormonal imbalance of estrogen and progesterone, two of the main hormones in the female body. It can improve the action of thyroid hormone, make blood sugar levels more normal, improve clotting of blood, make ovaries act normally, improve balance of copper and zinc levels and act as a natural diuretic and anti-depressant.
- Natural Androgens – Supplemented or Natural androgens are used by the body as an estrogen source. These do not result in side effects associated with synthetic testosterone, and can help maintain normal development of sexual characteristics and assist in the development of strong bones, skin and muscle.
The bio-identical hormones that are used in Hormonal Replacement Therapy come with exactly similar type of molecular structure like the hormones that can be found in the female body before menopause.