Help Patients Mange the Impact of Stress with Hormone Replacement Therapy Training
For most patients, stress is an unavoidable part of daily life. In these challenging times, patients face stress at home and at work, including stress due to financial concerns and health issues. And – thanks to the pandemic – most people are experiencing more than they ever have.
While stress is a normal occurrence, and it cannot be avoided entirely, chronic stress is the larger issue. Hormones are an important part of a patient’s overall health affecting virtually every physical and mental function of the body. And it comes as no surprise to most physicians that there is an association between stress and an imbalance in hormones can lead to many problems. But the link between stress and hormonal imbalance is still not fully understood.
The SottoPelle® Method of Hormone Replacement Therapy Training can help physicians understand more about the effect of stress on hormones. In this article, our hormone experts explore some of the links between stress and hormones.
The Impact of Stress on Hormones
The body is impacted physically by stress in many ways. In fact, there are certain physical markers that accompany high levels of stress. The nervous system is in control of heart rate and breathing. As a patient experiences chronic stress, they are often consistently battling with rapid hard beat and shortness of breath. Typically, the human body does distinguish between an actual threat or an imagined or perceived situation.
When ancestral humans were threatened with dangerous situations their bodies released hormones that either helped them flee from danger or stay and fight. The two ways that the human body reacts to stress is called the “Fight or Flight” response.
Obviously, in modern society, humans don’t face saber tooth tigers on a day-to-day basis. However, modern humans typically do face chronically high levels of stress almost every day. And these modern-day stresses cause the body to release the same “fight or flight” hormones that early humans released when they faced attack.
If the body continually releases stress hormones on a daily basis, the body cannot keep up with demand. This then results in hormonal deficiency or imbalance. When the body is stuck in a perpetual state of fear and stress, it can cause serious health repercussions – including negatively affecting the production and balance of hormones.
Many patients report physical symptoms that are manifest when they are under chronic stress. These includes body aches, chest pain, racing heart, insomnia, muscle tension, low libido, and gastric distress.
The Connection Between Hormones & Stress
Understanding the physical representations of stress and the long-term damage caused by it is important. But for physicians who are interested in hormone replacement therapy, evaluating the connection between hormones and stress is extremely important.
Estrogen is responsible for regulating many chemicals that have an impact on mood. This includes chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. These aid in the feelings of happiness. As the body ages, and estrogen production decreases, dopamine and serotonin also decrease and result in chronic stress. Women who suffer from low estrogen production are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and stress.
Progesterone, which is commonly associated with female reproduction, helps to regulate the menstrual cycle, and support healthy pregnancy. But lack of progesterone is also linked to stress, anxiety, and mood disorders.
Testosterone is commonly thought of as a male sex hormone. But it is important for both male and female patients. Patients can be caught on a hormonal roller coaster with testosterone and stress because stress can cause lower testosterone levels and vice versa.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Training: Female Hormones and Stress
As women age, estrogen and progesterone levels begin to drop right before and during menopause. Testosterone levels also begin to fall during this stage of life. Perimenopause, during which levels start to fall, can begin as many as 15 years before menopause. Some studies have shown that the appropriate progesterone levels in women can help to reduce stress.
And studies have also indicated that estrogen replacement therapy helps to balance hormones and alleviate symptoms of chronic stress. Because estrogen has an impact on cognitive function and mood, it also has a critical role in the regulation of stress and neurotransmitters that are responsible for regulation of emotional responses.
Women who begin hormone replacement therapy early on in menopause have been shown to have favorable outcomes related to stress reduction and improved cognitive function. SottoPelle® Method physician hormone replacement therapy training can give women’s health care providers the knowledge and skills they need to replace female patient’s hormones that have been depleted by chronic stress.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Training: Male Low Testosterone & Stress
Andropause, sometimes referred to as male menopause, is the period in a male patient’s life where he begins to experience a decline in testosterone production. While andropause happens at a slower rate than menopause, it is still very impactful on a male patient’s life.
But recent studies suggest that stress can also result in decline in testosterone levels.
Symptoms associated with low testosterone (low t) – whether die to andropause or stress or both – include weight gain, muscle loss, fatigue and low energy levels, low libido, erectile dysfunction, and greater risk of chronic illness. Low testosterone can also lead to many emotional and mental problems for male patients including, anxiety, poor memory, and mood swings.
SottoPelle® Method physician hormone replacement therapy training can give physicians the knowledge and skills they need to replace patient’s hormones that have been depleted by chronic stress.
SottoPelle® Method Hormone Replacement Therapy Training
If your patients are experiencing physical or mental symptoms of increased stress levels, optimizing their hormones may help reverse the effects of chronic exposure to stress.
SottoPelle® Method Hormone Replacement Therapy Training gives physicians the tools to help male and female patients restore hormone balance, so they can lead happier, healthier, and more fulfilled lives.
Physicians nationwide can benefit from hormone replacement therapy training. Our staff is available to answer your questions and help you enroll today, so you can help patients restore their hormonal balance and live stress free.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Training: 323.986.5100 (press 1)
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as general information only and is not intended to be used as medical advice. While the benefits of hormone replacement are well documented through clinical research, we are not representing that hormone therapy is a “cure” for any disease. Only your treating physician can determine if hormone replacement may be a beneficial part of your healthcare regimen, based on your age, overall health, risk factors, and lifestyle.