During puberty and menopause, the body undergoes a series of changes due to changes in hormone production in the body. Hormones such as estrogen and testosterone signal to a number of cells throughout the body and promote fertility and development. Patients with hormonal imbalances, or patients undergoing menopause, typically seek out hormone therapies to supplement natural hormone levels and prevent the development of side effects as a result of hormonal imbalances. The use of several types of bioidentical hormones--drugs with an identical molecular structure to natural hormones--can help treat natural hormone imbalances and improve patient quality of life.
Estrogen
Many women receive bioidentical estrogen hormone therapy at the onset of menopause. As a woman enters menopause, her ovaries become non-functional stop secreting estrogen, leading to an overall decrease in total estrogen levels in the body. As a result, women entering menopause may suffer from hot flashes, forgetfulness and develop an increased risk of diseases like osteoporosis. Bioidentical estrogen drugs can supplement the levels of estrogen in the body and alleviate these symptoms. Harvard Medical School indicates that these drugs may be received as a pill, patch or vaginal ring. Though bioidentical estrogen is indistinguishable from estrogen normally produced by the ovaries, the use of estrogen hormone therapy may have a number of side effects, such as an increased risk of breast cancer.
Progesterone
Another type of bioidentical hormone is progesterone, a hormone that works together with estrogen to signal to tissues in the female reproductive system. During menstruation, progesterone complements estrogen levels to allow for proper ovulation and menstruation, and aids in breast development during pregnancy. Bioidentical progesterone is typically used as part of hormone replacement therapy for women undergoing menopause. The presence of progesterone in hormone replacement therapy works as a complement to estrogen and helps reduce the risk of developing breast cancer from hormone therapy, according to the Center for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research. Women undergoing hormone replacement therapy may receive a customized mix of bioidentical hormones to help control their symptoms with minimal risk for developing harmful side effects.
Testosterone
Bioidentical testosterone drugs can help supplement natural testosterone levels in the body. Testosterone is a typically "male" hormone, and signals to a number of tissues in the body to promote a number of processes including body hair growth, growth of lean muscle tissue and promote sexual desire. Testosterone production markedly increases at the onset of puberty to allow for sexual maturation, and slowly diminishes as a man ages, according to MayoClinic.com. A loss of testosterone may also develop as a result of other medical treatments or due to hormonal disorders, causing a number of side effects such as loss of libido, increased body fat and reduced bone density. The use of bioidentical testosterone creams can supplement natural testosterone to alleviate the symptoms associated with decreased testosterone production.
