Hormones are chemicals produced by the body that serve as messengers, traveling throughout your system to help manage important processes and functions, like metabolism, growth and development, mood, body temperature, heart rate, sleep cycles, sexual function, and more. In every person, the exact hormonal balance to achieve good health is different, and in many people, that balance can become out of whack for a variety of reasons. Depending on the cause of your hormonal imbalance, you may benefit from bio-identical hormone replacement therapy offered by board-certified family nurse practitioner Katherine Johnson. If any of these causes of hormonal imbalance seem familiar to you, contact the team at Johnson Family Medical in Frisco, TX.

1. Menopause

The most common cause of hormone imbalance in women is menopause, the natural decline in reproductive hormones that occurs after a woman reaches the end of her menstrual cycles, usually between the ages of 45 and 55.

Before menopause begins, many women experience a transitional period, perimenopause. During both perimenopause and menopause, a woman’s natural production of the hormones produced by the ovaries (estrogen and progesterone) begin to fluctuate wildly.

Many women experience hot flashes, mood swings, low sex drive, changes in weight, and irregular periods during perimenopause, a time that can last for just a few months or may stretch for many years. One year after their final period, a woman is considered to be in menopause, and some women find their symptoms ease after that time, though that is not the case for every person.

2. Andropause

Sometimes referred to as “male menopause,” andropause refers to a drop in testosterone production that occurs in many men as they age. Though similar in the sense that they both refer to declines in natural hormone production, one of the biggest differences is that andropause occurs slowly, taking place over the course of many years, while menopause is a more sudden change. After about age 40, most men begin to produce less testosterone, about 1% per year.

While their onset is typically different, andropause and menopause do have some things in common. For example, some symptoms may be similar. Many men experience a decline in their sex drive as testosterone levels drop, and hot flashes are also common.

Hormonal imbalances caused by andropause and menopause may also have a similar treatment. Frisco, TX area residents experiencing hormone imbalance should schedule a consultation with Katherine at Johnson Family Medical to discuss innovative bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).

Among the most notable differences between andropause and menopause is that even as they’re going through andropause, most men remain fertile, while women’s ability to reproduce ceases after menopause.

3. Cancer treatments

For both men and women, multiple types of cancer treatments can lead to hormonal imbalance. Chemotherapy can damage the ovaries, causing them to produce less estrogen and progesterone, while men who have chemotherapy for prostate cancer can see testosterone levels drop.

4. Adrenal and thyroid disorders

Disorders and diseases affecting the thyroid and adrenal glands can cause hormonal imbalance in both men and women. Hormones produced by the thyroid gland regulate how the body uses energy, while in adults, the adrenal glands produce the stress-controlling hormone cortisol, among others.

Schedule a consultation about your hormonal imbalance

Residents of the Frisco, TX area who are concerned that they might be dealing with a hormonal imbalance should contact board-certified family nurse practitioner Katherine Johnson at Johnson Family Medical to schedule a consultation. Our team can evaluate your symptoms and create a customized treatment plan for you, and if BHRT is right for you, we can prepare you for what to expect.