Women’s Health

those hormones with identical hormones rather than synthetic hormones, which contain over 10 different estrogens not found within the body.

All hormone replacement treatments are not created equal. This therapy requires ongoing and close monitoring by licensed medical providers, and the medication must be obtained by quality compounding pharmacies. Knowing the distinction between synthetic and bioidentical hormones in regards to HRT make a world of difference in not only how you feel but also your quality of life. Including bioidentical estrogen supplementation during menopause will not only alleviate the symptoms of menopause but can also improve bone density, enhance cardiovascular health, and decrease your risk of strokes.

So what’s next? At Live Young Wellness Spa, we provide bioidentical HRT in the forms of estrogen as well as testosterone and progesterone. All of our providers go to yearly training focused specifically in the field of HRT. Our goal is to help patients find that feeling they once had when they were younger as well as improve their health and wellness along the way. Our new location in the Castle Hills area is currently open and is accepting new HRT patients, and we would love to help you optimize your hormones.

“I felt so much better. I had so much more energy. Why didn’t my previous doctors do this?”

— Hormone Replacement Therapy Client

by Stephanie Stovall, Nurse Practitioner

Menopause. The dreaded word that makes most women cringe. Most immediately think about hot flashes, but there is so much more involved. Menopause is caused by declining ovarian function which ultimately decreases estrogen production. The symptoms produced by menopause include insomnia, night sweats, fatigue, depression/anxiety, skin thinning due to loss of elasticity, bladder problems, and vaginal dryness. Those are the symptoms women feel and notice daily. However, there are other dangerous effects of low-to-absent estrogen levels. The risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease increase during menopause. So, how do women combat the daily symptoms as well as the underlying disease risks with each passing day? One answer is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

In 2002, an alarming news report came out discussing synthetic estrogen hormone replacement and the subsequent increase in heart disease and cancer. Unfortunately, this report did not highlight the fact that the study involved analyzing chemically altered synthetic hormones only. In fact, bioidentical hormones produce the opposite effects according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2004. This makes sense considering our own hormones are beneficial to the function and well-being of our bodies. Once we lose those hormones, problems and deterioration can occur. Thus, we should be replacing

All hormone replacement treatments are NOT created equal.

972.691.7900 | liveyoungspa.com 2931 Long Prairie Rd, Ste.100 Flower Mound, TX 75022

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephanie Stovall, Nurse Practitioner

Stephanie Stovall is a certified and licensed Nurse Practitioner and co-owner of Live Young Wellness Spa - Castle Hills. Stephanie began her nursing career in 2002 after graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Texas at Arlington. After spending her career as a pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit nurse, Stephanie received her first Master’s degree in Nursing Administration soon followed by her second Master’s degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner. At Live Young Wellness Spa, Stephanie performs injectables and specializes in the medical management of our Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy patients. Stephanie has been married for almost 18 years and is a mother of three girls ages 12, 8, and 4.