/assets/images/provider/photos/2701656.jpg)
Manage Your Pesky PCOS Symptoms with HRT
If you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), you’re familiar with the frustrating symptoms it causes. As you enter perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause) and menopause, you might think your PCOS will become a thing of the past.
Unfortunately, menopause doesn’t cure PCOS, which means your pesky symptoms can continue even after you stop getting periods. The good news is hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help.
At New Horizons Wellness Center & MediSpa in Spring, Texas, our board-certified medical providers help women in The Woodlands area manage PCOS symptoms and menopause. Take a moment to learn how we can help.
What you should understand about PCOS
PCOS is a reproductive condition that affects between 6-12% of women. PCOS is linked to hormonal imbalances related to having too many androgens (“male hormones”) and too much insulin in your system.
These imbalances affect your reproductive health because your menstrual cycle relies on balanced hormones. When your hormones are in balance, they stimulate your ovary each month, causing them to produce a sac (cyst).
The cyst holds one of your eggs, which is released for fertilization when the egg matures. When you have PCOS, your body forms many of these cysts, each with an egg. But they don’t mature, so they’re never released.
In other words, with PCOS, your body doesn’t ovulate. Not ovulating causes your hormones to become more imbalanced.
Researchers are still working to determine the exact reasons certain women develop PCOS while others don’t, but they’ve determined some of the factors that increase your risk, including a family history of PCOS, weight challenges, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation.
In addition to pesky symptoms, like acne, weight gain, excessive body and facial hair, skin problems, thinning scalp hair, and irregular periods, PCOS is also linked to significant health problems, including:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Heart disease and stroke
- Endometrial cancer
- Sleep apnea
In addition, many women with PCOS experience mental health and emotional trouble, including anxiety, depression, and low self-confidence.
Things to know about menopause and PCOS
Menopause does NOT cure PCOS.
In addition, the years leading up to menopause (perimenopause) can be different for women with this condition than those without. That is because both PCOS and perimenopause are characterized by hormonal imbalances and changes.
When you have PCOS, your levels of androgens are already higher than usual. During perimenopause, when all hormone levels begin to drop, your androgen levels may approach normal, and your periods may become more regular.
That means women with PCOS typically stay in perimenopause longer than women without PCOS, extending frustrating symptoms associated with perimenopause for more time. These symptoms may include the following:
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Insomnia and other sleep issues
- Decreased libido or painful sex
- Vaginal dryness
- Brain fog, confusion, or forgetfulness
Many women also experience psycho-emotional symptoms, including mood swings, depression, and anxiety.
How hormone replacement can help
At New Horizons Wellness Center & MediSpa, our providers use safe and effective bioidentical hormone replacement (BHRT) to help women struggling with the symptoms associated with hormonal imbalances.
BHRT offers a natural treatment with hormones derived from natural plant compounds. They’re sourced from plants like wild yams and have the same chemical structure as your natural hormones.
Your New Horizons Wellness Center & MediSpa provider creates a customized BHRT plan for you after checking your current levels and evaluating your symptoms. This treatment eases your symptoms and restores your body to optimal functioning levels, helping manage pesky PCOS and perimenopause symptoms with one treatment.
Most women experience a quick improvement in their symptoms soon after starting BHRT treatment. Every few months, we check your progress and make adjustments as needed so you continue to feel your best.
If you’re tired of frustrating PCOS and perimenopause symptoms, don’t wait to schedule an appointment with a provider at New Horizons Wellness Center & MediSpa in Spring, Texas.