Hormones are your body’s way to regulate the functions of various organs and tissues. They travel through your bloodstream and act as the body’s chemical messengers. If your hormones are not balanced, it can affect a variety of body functions including:

• Reproduction
• Mood
• Metabolism
• Sexual Function
• Physical Growth

When you are young, your body produces all the hormones it needs. However, this production can slow for some people as they get older. The natural function of your body is affected by these decreased hormone levels. Men and women can suffer shortages of testosterone, and women often also experience a lack of estrogen.

Women make up 80 percent of all people who need their hormones balanced while men make up the remaining 20 percent. When women experience a hormone imbalance, they are generally in their late 30’s or 40’s. For men, this occurs a little later in their life, often in their late 40’s or 50’s.

Several symptoms appear when your hormones are not balanced. These symptoms can include:

• Hot flashes
• General fatigue
• Weight gain
• Lower than usual energy
• A confused or disorganized feeling, also known as “Brain Fog”
• Discomfort during sex
• Vaginal dryness

A blood or saliva test is usually all that we need at InShape to determine if your hormones need to be balanced. There are several conditions, such as thyroid issues, that can cause a hormone imbalance. We will screen you for these conditions and begin treatment if any are diagnosed. If there is no underlying condition causing your hormone imbalance, we will start a hormone balancing treatment plan for you to help manage your symptoms.

We use bioidentical hormone replacement therapy cream for hormone balancing. Small doses of hormones will be in this cream, and you apply it directly to your skin. Once applied, the skin will quickly absorb the hormones. If you need multiple hormones to be balanced, those additional hormones will be in the cream as well. Dosages can be adjusted to find the right amount to address your symptoms.

Unless an underlying condition is causing your hormones not to be balanced, then this treatment is long term. Once your body slows its hormone production, it is unlikely to increase again. This decrease in hormone production is just a natural part of getting older. Regular visits to InShape will help us monitor your hormone levels and make adjustments to your treatment if needed.

We usually see improvements in symptoms in about a couple of weeks once treatment begins.

InShape is located at 107 Edinburgh S. Drive, Suite 215 Cary, NC 27511. Our summer hours of operation are:

We are now open
Monday – 9 am to 6 pm
Tuesday – 9 am to 6 pm
Wednesday – 9 am to 6 pm
Thursday – 9 am to 6 pm

Would you like to learn more about hormone balancing or make an appointment for an evaluation with our Hormone Therapy Specialist? Call our friendly staff today.