Our Services / Hormone Replacement Therapy

What is hormone replacement therapy?

When you have low hormone levels, hormone replacement therapy is the treatment you need to restore balance by bringing your levels back to normal.

You can develop many conditions that disrupt hormone levels. An endocrine gland problem, nutritional deficiencies, underlying health conditions, chronic stress, and illnesses can all cause low levels of many different hormones.

However, women most often need hormone replacement during menopause, while men frequently need treatment for low testosterone.

How does hormone replacement therapy help women?

Women's hormones start to fluctuate in the years before menopause. Then, when they reach menopause, their ovaries stop producing estrogen, and their hormone levels permanently drop. Before, during, and after menopause, women experience symptoms such as:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• Low sex drive
• Pain during intercourse
• Joint and muscle pain
• Depression and anxiety
• Mood swings
• Fatigue
• Weight gain

The loss of estrogen also dramatically increases a woman's risk of developing osteoporosis, heart disease, dry skin, and memory problems. 

Hormone replacement therapy relieves all the symptoms associated with menopause and prevents serious diseases like osteoporosis.

How does hormone replacement therapy help men?

Many men don't realize that they naturally lose testosterone as they get older. Though the loss isn't as dramatic as women experience during menopause, men's testosterone levels drop by as much as 2% every year after the age of 30.

Men can also develop low testosterone due to hypogonadism, a condition in which the testicles don't produce enough testosterone. Hypogonadism develops due to many conditions, including pituitary gland disorders, metabolic disorders, uncontrolled diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. 

Symptoms of low testosterone include:

• Loss of sex drive
• Erectile dysfunction
• Muscle loss and weakness
• Loss of body and beard hair
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems
• Weight gain

In addition to taking care of any underlying conditions, hormone replacement therapy is the primary treatment for low testosterone. 

What happens during hormone replacement therapy?

Your Northwest Arkansas Urology Associates provider does blood work to precisely determine your current hormone levels. Then they prescribe hormones in the dose you need and occasionally run additional blood tests to be sure you reach and maintain normal hormone levels.

Hormone replacement therapy is available in a variety of forms, ranging from pills and shots to creams and patches. Your provider explains your options and prescribes the form that works best for you.

To learn more about hormone replacement therapy, call Northwest Arkansas Urology Associates or book an appointment online today.