Simply put, hormones are chemical messengers in the body. A hormone is secreted in one tissue and then travels through your bodily fluids to other tissues. They can affect growth, behavior, reproduction, and more.

Women have both testosterone and estrogen. Testosterone is associated with libido, reproduction, and the production of new blood cells.

Estrogen isn’t a single hormone, but an entire class of hormones including estriol, estradiol, and estrone. Estradiol is an essential hormone for women. Not only is it responsible for sexual function, reproductive development, and bone health, it’s tied to gynecological conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, and some cancers unique to women.

Your hormone levels fluctuate every day, but when they change significantly, they can lead to negative physical symptoms.

Hormone deficiency affecting testosterone and estrogen -- especially estradiol -- causes numerous symptoms, including:

• Decreased mental clarity
• Mood swings and irritability
• Memory loss
• Fatigue
• Weight gain
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Reduced sex drive

Many women also experience difficulty sleeping, dry eyes, and migraine headaches. Researchers have even linked hormone deficiency to osteoporosis and central obesity.

When ignored, hormone imbalances can cause severe degeneration of general health and overall quality of life. However, Dr. Gorens can correct estradiol and testosterone imbalances using bioidentical hormone therapy.

Bioidentical hormone replacement is far safer than traditional synthetic hormone treatment. While there are situations where the use of synthetic hormones is appropriate, they carry risks which may outweigh their benefits.

Unlike bioidentical hormones, which match the chemical structure of your natural hormones, synthetic hormones are chemically altered. That makes it difficult for your body to assimilate them. Synthetic hormones have been linked to increased risk of:

• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Breast cancer
• Cardiovascular disease

Synthetic hormone treatments can also cause your body to have higher hormone levels than average. That leads to unwanted androgenic side effects like acne, hair loss, deepening of the voice, and the growth of facial hair.

Properly designed, monitored, and administered bioidentical hormone replacement therapy maintains hormone levels so that they approximate the optimal levels produced naturally by the body.

Dr. Gorens delivers bioidentical hormone therapy to replace testosterone or estradiol through pellets implanted under your skin. That allows for the hormones to be released based on your activity levels, in a process similar to the normal release by glands in your body that produce hormones.

Effective treatments begin with accurate testing of your hormones. After Dr. Gorens has tested your hormone levels and devised a treatment plan, she inserts a pellet under the skin of your upper hip. She numbs the area with a small dose of lidocaine before the procedure for your comfort.

Following the pellet implant, Dr. Gorens monitors your hormone levels for four to six weeks to see how your body is responding to the hormones. During this time, she may adjust the dosage to reach optimal balance.

If you’re experiencing symptoms associated with hormone imbalance, call Marsha E. Gorens, MD, or schedule an appointment online today.

Menopause begins when a woman hasn’t had a menstrual period for 12 months in a row. When you reach menopause, you can no longer become pregnant.

While you’re in your reproductive years before menopause, your ovaries take turns producing an egg each month. At the same time, they create the hormones estrogen and progesterone. In perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause, your body produces less of these hormones.

When your body produces less estrogen and progesterone, egg production ceases and your periods become less frequent until they finally stop. That can happen suddenly or occur gradually over the years.

Most women experience menopause between 40 and 50 years of age. Menopause is a natural part of the aging process, but it can also happen if your ovaries are surgically removed, or as the result of medical treatments like radiation or chemotherapy.

Perimenopause and menopause can lead to uncomfortable symptoms because of hormonal changes in your body. Symptoms can be mild to severe and last briefly or for years, but some women may not experience any symptoms at all.

The first thing you may notice is a fluctuation in your menstrual cycle. That can include your menstrual flow and your period’s frequency. Additional symptoms include:

• Hot flashes or night sweats
• Weight changes
• Fatigue
• Inability to concentrate
• Insomnia or difficulty sleep
• Mood swings, irritability, anxiety, or depression
• Urinary incontinence (leakage)

You may also experience vaginal dryness and painful intercourse, as well as reduced libido. Some women also have less of a physical response to sexual stimulation.

Bioidentical hormone therapy replaces your missing hormones. Bioidentical hormones have the same chemical structure as those that your body produces. That means your body won’t be able to tell the difference between its natural hormones and those used in bioidentical hormone therapy.

Dr. Gorens uses bioidentical hormone therapy to help you overcome the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause, so you can begin living a fuller, happier, and healthier life. At Marsha E. Gorens, MD, bioidentical hormone therapy treatments are designed for maximum safety and results.

Call the office or schedule an appointment online to relieve your perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms today.

Hormone deficiency can come in the form of low testosterone or low estrogen. Hormone imbalance can produce a wide variety of symptoms, including decreased mental clarity, mood swings, memory loss, fatigue, increase in body fat with a decrease in lean body mass, anxiety, depression, and diminished sex drive. Some report inability to sleep, dry eyes, and migraine headaches. Hormone deficiencies have even been linked to osteoporosis and central obesity. Many of the symptoms mimic and amplify the aging process and can be mistaken for clinical depression.

Bio-identical Hormone Replacement should not be confused with synthetic hormone replacement therapy. Although there may be situations where the use of synthetic hormones is appropriate, they carry risks which may outweigh their benefits. Synthetic hormones are chemically altered so that they may be patented, and women's bodies often experience difficulties assimilating these chemicals. The use of synthetic hormones has been linked to increases in strokes, heart attacks, breast cancer, cardio-vascular disease in women over 65. These results are documented in a 2003 study by The Women's Health Initiative, sponsored by the National Institute of Health. The study also concluded that there were no clear benefits on quality of life for patients on a combined course of estrogen plus progestin hormone replacement therapy.

Hormone replacement medicines and creams sometimes produce unpleasant androgenic side effects, such as acne, hair loss, deepening of the voice, and growth of facial hair. These are usually caused by an imbalance of hormones in the opposite direction, meaning levels of hormones that are higher than normal. The reason for this is that the "one-size-fits-all" medications react differently from individual to individual. The body needs lower levels of hormones when it is at rest and higher levels during times of physical activity or stress. It is nearly impossible to maintain optimal hormone levels with traditional medicines and creams.

One of the most exciting developments in the field has been the use of pellets implanted under the skin to deliver supplemental hormones. When the person increases her level of activity, whether to perform activities of daily living or to engage in vigorous exercise, the increased flow of blood around the pellets causes them to release more hormones. This process mimics the action of the glands that naturally produce hormones. In the same way, a normal increase in stress will trigger an increase flow of blood and cause the pellets to release an appropriate amount of hormones. Properly designed, monitored, and administered, pellets can maintain hormone levels that are closer to the optimal levels produced by naturally by the body in its prime.

A prescribed dosage of pellets is inserted under the skin of the upper hip using an instrument designed for the purpose. The procedure is performed in the doctor's office and administered after numbing the area with a small dose of lidocaine. A small piece of tape is used to cover the incision, and the patient is instructed not to exercise for the remainder of the day. After approximately four to six weeks, the patient is tested to determine how the body is responding to the increased dosages of hormones, and the dosage may be adjusted up or down. Once an optimal balance is reached, a routine test as part of each annual checkup is all that is needed, unless signs of imbalance begin to manifest.

Results are often experienced within days to weeks after the pellets are administered. Patients have reported that a feeling of well-being emerges and a sense that a weight or veil has been lifted off them. This positive emotional reaction is in part attributable to the freedom of not having to administer daily doses of pills or creams, but is also due to the body's perception of a new balance within-a return to the normal optimal functioning of youth. Over time, patients may also experience improved mental clarity, reduction in mood swings, renewed interest in sex, and greater zest for life. In addition, the patient may develop healthier skin and hair, giving the added bonus of a more youthful appearance.

Good treatment begins with accurate measurement of current levels of hormones by testing blood. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms described above, you should schedule an appointment for a consultation and evaluation, including hormone determination. From there, the doctor will be in a better position to determine whether hormone pellet treatment is right for you.

For women, menopause has become a well-known and well-documented issue and women now properly seek treatment for it as it arises. However, in men there is a very similar issue that has only come to light more recently. It's called andropause, and is the result of an imbalance in the body's testosterone levels due to the body's decreased production as it ages. 

If you have noticed any of the following symptoms, please contact Dr. Gorens to set up a consultation:

• Decreased Energy Levels
• Decrease in Muscle Tone
• Lower Sex Drive
• Weight Gain, Including "Beer Belly"
• Mood Swings and Irritability
• Forgetfulness
• Enlarged Male Breasts
• Erectile Dysfunction

Because of the link between testosterone levels, sex drive, and erectile dysfunction, older men who are experiencing any form of erectile dysfunction should have their testosterone levels checked, and consider natural hormone replacement therapy if their levels are shown to be low. 

Often, restoring the body's natural testosterone balance will eliminate or reduce erectile dysfunction, while also increasing sex drive.

Hormonal imbalances in men, such as andropause, contribute to many factors that affect energy levels. Restoring youthful testosterone levels can eliminate or greatly decrease these factors, restoring a more youthful energy level.

Just as menopause is known for creating mood swings in women, the same is true of andropause and testosterone deficiency in men. If you've noticed that you are more irritable, or if you just don't feel as calm as you used to, natural hormone replacement can help restore your mood.

As the body ages and testosterone levels decline, the fiber size of muscle cells also drops, resulting in lowered muscle mass and longer recovery time from exercise. Increasing testosterone levels with natural hormone replacement can often work to reverse this, increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing recovery time.

Along with decreased muscle mass, men will frequently begin to gain weight as their testosterone levels decrease. This trend has also shown to reverse as the body's testosterone level is returned to its natural balance through hormone therapy.

Loss of concentration levels, or mental fogginess, is yet another result of the body's hormonal balance being thrown off by decreasing testosterone production. As testosterone levels drop, studies have shown that the quality and amount of sleep that a man gets also drops. As sleep levels drop, generally so do concentration levels. Natural hormone replacement can help you restore a proper sleep cycle, and regain mental acuity.