Menopause: that often-dreaded, life-changing experience women must eventually face, which in the United States happens to most women around age 51. Menopause is a time that marks the end of fertility and menstruation, which has some positive benefits. But it’s also a time in a woman’s life that can lead to dramatic physical, mental, and emotional changes and severe symptoms like hot flashes and insomnia.
Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be a cringe-worthy time if you know what to expect and you have the right tools to handle it. Here at BodyLogicMD of Hartford in Glastonbury, Connecticut, Dr. Anita Petruzzelli is an experienced, compassionate family physician who offers bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for women who feel out of control — physically, emotionally, or both — as a result of debilitating menopausal symptoms.
Read on to learn how bioidentical hormone therapy can help you effectively manage menopause and get your life back to normal again.
Menopause isn’t a disease or a condition, but rather a natural part of a woman’s life as she ages. However, when your hormones are out of balance, as they commonly are when you transition out of your childbearing years, menopause can certainly feel like a debilitating condition that adversely affects every aspect of your life, including:
It affects everyone differently, and for some women, menopause feels like your life is turned upside down. Hot flashes, night sweats, depression, and physical changes can result from the drop in estrogen and progesterone — the hormones your body has been producing naturally up until this point in your life.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) uses supplemental hormones to restore your body’s natural hormone balance. Bioidentical hormones are made from plants and are molecularly identical to the hormones your body naturally produces. This makes BHRT an ideal solution to relieve a variety of symptoms brought on by the sudden hormonal imbalance that occurs during menopause.
Dr. Petruzzelli customizes a BHRT plan based on your individual needs, taking your bothersome symptoms into consideration. She tests you for hormone deficiencies and then prescribes a treatment that helps restore your body’s natural balance. You can opt for bioidentical hormone supplements in the form of pills, creams, injections, patches, or even tiny pellets that Dr. Petruzzelli inserts just below the surface of your skin.
Over time, your body gradually adjusts to the supplemental hormones, which helps reduce many of the unpleasant effects of menopause. When Dr. Petruzzelli tailors your BHRT to include estrogen and progestin, it often provides relief from hot flashes. Estrogen also helps prevent bone loss and may also help reduce vaginal dryness — two potential side effects of low hormones and menopause.
If you feel like you’re not yourself, or if the changes leading up to menopause are negatively affecting the quality of your life — including your intimate relationships — bioidentical hormone therapy may be the best solution.
As part of her personalized, holistic approach to health care, Dr. Petruzzelli works closely with you to develop a comprehensive plan to improve not only your menopause experience, but also your overall health and well-being. She may recommend BHRT along with nutritional and lifestyle changes so you get the most benefit from your treatment.
Suffering through menopause can feel lonely and frustrating, yet many women don’t seek medical attention for relief from unpleasant symptoms. You don’t have to allow menopause take over your life. With customized bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, we can help you get back on track and feel like yourself again.
Give our caring team a call at 860-341-1205 to schedule a consultation, or book an appointment online anytime.
