Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can reduce your fatigue and elevate your sex drive. If you’re approaching menopause or have low testosterone, Lori Tucker, DO, can prescribe and manage hormone replacement therapy to improve your symptoms with private care or telehealth in Cincinnati, Ohio. Call Lori Tucker, DO, or book an appointment online to find out if you’re a good candidate for hormone replacement therapy today. 

What is hormone replacement therapy?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a way to balance your body’s natural hormones by introducing bioidentical or synthetic hormones into your system. Your hormones play major roles inside your body, driving many important processes like growth and development, your sleep cycle, menstruation, and metabolism. 

When your body doesn’t produce enough of a specific hormone, a range of symptoms can occur that you might not initially link to a hormone imbalance. A blood test can confirm the imbalance and help Dr. Tucker plan your treatment. 

There are several different ways you can take hormones, including patches, pellets, and injections. Dr. Tucker manages your treatment with frequent follow-ups to ensure your hormone replacement therapy improves your symptoms. 

How can hormone replacement therapy benefit women?

Women tend to benefit from hormone replacement therapy as a way to treat the hormone fluctuations that happen as they approach menopause. Menopause, which typically happens in your 40s or 50s, is the time when your menstrual cycle officially comes to an end. Your ovaries slow the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. 

Hormone replacement therapy with estrogen can treat menopause symptoms like:

• Fatigue
• Hot flashes
• Insomnia
• Mood swings
• Weight gain
• Memory problems
• Night sweats
• Aches and pains
• Vaginal dryness

Not every menopausal woman experiences severe enough symptoms to warrant intervention, but hormone replacement therapy can improve many unpleasant and uncomfortable symptoms. 

How does hormone replacement therapy benefit men?

Men don’t go through menopause but can similarly experience hormone imbalances, many of which are age-related. Men who experience symptoms of low testosterone can benefit from hormone replacement therapy with testosterone, the hormone that drives male sexual development, muscle growth, and body hair growth. 

Testosterone replacement therapy improves symptoms like:

• Erectile dysfunction
• Loss of muscle mass
• Irritability
• Depression
• Low sex drive
• Fatigue

Besides aging, you can experience low testosterone because of testicular injury or loss, certain medications, or high body fat. Since symptoms of low testosterone can have other causes, too, Dr. Tucker explores every possible avenue before prescribing hormone replacement therapy.  

To learn more about hormone replacement therapy and find out if it can benefit you, call Lori Tucker, DO, or schedule an appointment online today.