Feeling unusually tired or less interested in sex than you used to be? These changes aren’t always an inevitable part of getting older. For some women, they could indicate an underlying hormone imbalance.
Jennylle Zanzi, FNP-C, takes a personalized approach to hormonal health at RVA Regenerative Wellness. She offers comprehensive evaluations and tailored treatment options, including BioTE® bioidentical hormone therapy, to help you feel like yourself again.
Most people associate testosterone with men, but women’s bodies also need a certain amount of this hormone. Here’s what you should know about testosterone and the role it plays in your health.
While estrogen seems to get the most attention when it comes to women’s hormones, testosterone is the most abundant active sex hormone in the female body. Before menopause, women actually produce three times more testosterone than estrogen.
This hormone influences several important aspects of your health and wellness, including:
Testosterone drives both sexual desire and physical response. When levels are low, you may feel less interested in sex or find it less satisfying, which can take a toll on your relationships and quality of life.
Testosterone interacts with chemical messengers in the brain that help regulate mood, memory, and focus. Healthy levels can contribute to emotional balance and mental clarity, whereas a deficiency may cause fatigue, low mood, anxiety, or brain fog.
Both estrogen and testosterone help preserve bone density and keep osteoporosis at bay. Testosterone also helps you build and maintain muscle mass, supporting your strength and stamina as you age.
Testosterone levels don’t stay the same throughout your life. They constantly fluctuate during your menstrual cycle, even throughout the day, and gradually decline with age, often beginning in your 30s.
Unlike estrogen, testosterone doesn’t typically undergo a sudden drop during menopause. Levels tend to stabilize instead, with the ovaries continuing to produce testosterone even after your periods stop.
Certain medications, including hormonal contraceptives, may impact testosterone levels, while conditions that affect the ovaries or adrenal glands can disrupt hormone production. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), for example, can cause excess testosterone.
Symptoms like fatigue, mood changes, and a reduced sex drive may point to low testosterone, but these changes can have many other causes, too. Jennylle performs a thorough evaluation, including comprehensive hormone testing, to identify the issue.
If an imbalance is involved, she may recommend bioidentical hormone therapy to help restore your levels. The BioTE system uses tiny pellets placed beneath the skin to release hormones steadily over several months.
You can also support your hormonal balance through simple, healthy daily habits, such as:
Are you concerned about your testosterone levels? Contact RVA Regenerative Wellness in Midlothian, Virginia, to schedule a consultation and find out what’s going on with your hormones.
