Hormones are the chemical messengers of the body that are produced in one organ and then travel to others to let the bodily systems know what to do to run the body smoothly. If they are underproduced or overproduced, the resulting imbalance in hormones can impair the normal function of the various bodily processes – such as the sleep cycle, reproduction, and metabolism.
If you feel like your body is out of balance, then it is in your best interest to see a hormone specialist for an evaluation. Hormone specialists are medical providers who diagnose and treat problems that arise from having a hormone imbalance, and they can restore your level of the imbalanced hormone through targeted hormone replacement therapy.
So, how do you know whether you should see a hormone specialist? The following are a few of the most common reasons why people visit hormone specialists, and where you can find an experienced hormone specialist in the greater Minneapolis area.
Reason #1: To Manage Age-Related Hormonal Imbalance
Sex hormones decrease with age, and this can result in various unwelcome bodily changes.
For women, the level of sex hormones (estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone) drops during menopause – which is the cessation of menstruation, or when you stop having your period for good. When the body starts to adjust to the lower levels of these hormones, you feel various uncomfortable symptoms, such as:
- Hot flashes
- Nighttime sweating
- Breast tenderness
- Vaginal dryness, itching, and burning
- Painful intercourse due to thinning of vaginal tissues
Hormonal imbalance in women can also be due to pregnancy, menstruation, polycystic ovary syndrome, and hypothyroidism, which a hormone specialist can treat with hormone replacement therapy along with other interventions.
Similarly, in men, the level of testosterone decreases with age, resulting in andropause. Most men tend to ignore the symptoms of hormonal balance and consider it a normal part of aging. Common signs of hormonal imbalance that are more specific to men include:
- Erectile dysfunction (ED)
- Low sex drive
- Hair loss
- Low sperm count
Symptoms of hormonal imbalance that are common to both genders include:
- Reduced muscle mass
- Anxiety
- Unexplained fatigue
- Mood swings
- Sleeping problems
Reason #2: To Increase Defense Against Osteoporosis
In osteoporosis, there is a loss of bone mass, and so your bones become less dense – and therefore more fragile. Aging increases the risk of developing osteoporosis in both men and women, because the decreased levels of estrogen and testosterone cause the leaching out of minerals from bone tissue.
In addition to standard osteoporosis treatments such as increasing your calcium intake, taking medication to mitigate bone loss, and doing regular exercise to help keep the bones strong, a hormone specialist can provide hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This helps to protect your body from osteoporosis by replenishing the sex hormone levels and thereby suppressing bone loss.
Reason #3: To Improve Your Gut Health
Studies have shown that hormones such as serotonin – a brain chemical messenger produced largely in your digestive tract – can significantly affect your digestive health. Serotonin stimulates gastric and colonic mucus, controls the rhythmic movement of gut muscles, and regulates the digestive tract’s sensitivity to stomach/abdominal pain and fullness.
Underproduced serotonin can result in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is linked to various uncomfortable digestive symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, and bloating.
Hormone Specialist in Greater Minneapolis
At Between the Bridges Healing Center, our hormone specialist Dr. Jeffrey Kotulski takes an entirely different approach to your hormonal problem – an integrative approach. He will determine whether hormone replacement therapy is right for you, and he will offer customized treatments to maximize therapeutic effects and avoid adverse effects.
Call us today at (507) 388-7488 to arrange a consultation with our hormone specialist, or fill out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you feel great!
