Hormones play a vital role in regulating many essential bodily functions. When hormone levels become too high or too low, this can lead to uncomfortable symptoms and health issues. At Balance Hormone Clinic clinic in Sumter, our experienced medical team specializes in identifying and treating hormone imbalances through customized hormone therapy plans.
There are several potential causes of hormone deficiencies, including:
The symptoms of hormone imbalance can vary greatly depending on factors like a person's age, sex, and which hormones are affected.
Common signs of low hormone levels include:
Paying attention to these warning signs and getting your hormone levels tested can help uncover an underlying imbalance early on when treatment is often most effective.
Hormone replacement therapy and other treatment regimens can help correct hormone deficiencies and relieve unpleasant symptoms. The right approach depends on your health history, lab test results, lifestyle factors, and treatment goals.
Some of the main hormones we focus on optimizing at our Sumter hormone clinic include:
Often referred to as the “male” sex hormone, testosterone plays a vital role in men’s health. Low testosterone (Low T) has been associated with symptoms like:
Testosterone therapy can effectively and safely treat testosterone deficiency in men. Treatment plans are customized based on your lab results and may include prescription gels, injections, implants or other Low T medication.
The most prominent female sex hormone, estrogen starts declining during perimenopause and drops more sharply at menopause. Low estrogen can cause issues like:
Estrogen therapy can help relieve estrogen deficiency symptoms. Low-dose vaginal estrogen is commonly used to treat vaginal dryness and discomfort during intimacy. Estradiol pills, patches, gels and injections may also be appropriate in some cases.
These hormones regulate metabolism. An underactive thyroid can cause weight gain, fatigue, mood changes, dry skin, hair loss, feeling cold, heavy periods, and other symptoms.
Treating hypothyroidism with oral or injectable thyroid medication can reverse the problematic symptoms of this common condition.
Growth hormone production starts dropping around age 30. Deficiency in adults has been linked to higher belly fat, cholesterol levels, cardiovascular risks, fatigue, muscle loss and weaker bones.
In cases of confirmed growth hormone deficiency, treatment with injectable synthetic growth hormones can offer anti-aging and metabolic benefits.
There is no “one size fits all” approach to hormone therapy. The medical providers at Balance Hormone Clinic thoroughly assess each patient before designing a personalized treatment plan aimed at restoring balance. We utilize the latest evidence-based protocols focused on safety and effectiveness when prescribing any bioidentical hormones, synthetic hormones or other medications tailored to your needs.
If you’ve noticed potential signs of a hormone imbalance and want to explore treatment options, the first step is booking a new patient appointment with one of our Sumter hormone specialists. Here is an overview of what you can expect:
During the initial consultation, your provider will:
Fully understanding your overall health allows us to best assess possible hormonal causes of any unpleasant symptoms.
Based on your medical evaluation, our team will order the appropriate hormone blood tests. Analyzing these lab results allows us to compare your levels against optimal reference ranges to gauge whether there is a true deficiency or imbalance.
Some examples of key hormones we commonly test include:
For women: Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA sulfate, thyroid hormones
For men: Testosterone, free and total, estradiol, thyroid hormones, DHEA, IGF-1
Once we confirm a specific hormone imbalance through your bloodwork results and exam, our physicians will explain the best treatment options for you including:
The goal is restoring your hormone levels back towards more youthful ranges to alleviate symptoms and support better health.
Research shows properly managed hormone therapy is safe and effective when appropriately prescribed and monitored under a specialist’s care.
The right treatment regimen can provide significant relief from disruptive hormone deficiency symptoms that negatively impact your daily quality of life. Restored wellbeing helps you feel more like yourself again.
Normalized hormone concentrations lead to beneficial body composition changes like decreased body fat, increased lean muscle mass, and stronger bones. These effects translate into looking and feeling better.
Balanced hormones are vital for overall good health and active longevity. Hormone optimization has been shown to benefit the brain, heart, metabolic and sexual health while also slowing aspects of aging.
When hormones are flowing at youthful levels, many patients report improved energy, sharper thinking, positive mood boosts and greater productivity going about their daily lives.
Research illustrates certain hormones play an influential role in immune system activity. Regulating hormones towards more optimal ranges can strengthen immune defenses.
Hormone therapy can sometimes be used to treat mental health conditions like depression and bipolar disorder. While hormones are often associated with physical changes, emerging research shows that balancing hormones like estrogen and testosterone may lift mood and ease anxiety in those with mental illness when used alongside traditional medication.
You deserve compassionate care from a trusted team that prioritizes open communication, patient education and personalized treatment plans for your unique needs. Here’s how we stand out:
We pursue advanced continuing education and training to offer the most innovative, evidence-based hormone balancing protocols for exceptional patient outcomes. Our founder Dr. Clayton Peters brings over a decade of experience providing effective bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
To save you time and hassle getting the care you need, our welcoming Sumter clinic offers streamlined consultations, in-house blood draws, a full in-house pharmacy and flexible appointment scheduling during extended hours.
While specialized in hormone therapy, our clinicians look at you as a whole person rather than isolated symptoms. We coordinate seamlessly with your other healthcare providers for integrated care.
No pre-set formulas - your symptoms, bloodwork, health history and goals inform the tailor-made prescription plan created for your unique biology and needs.
Once therapy begins, we schedule follow-ups to run bloodwork assessing your response, fine tune dosages accordingly, manage any side effects and support you each step of the way.
With professional care from our hormone experts focused on your restoration, relief and revitalized wellbeing awaits!
Optimize therapy results and your overall vitality by also focusing on the following:
Eat a balanced, unprocessed diet emphasizing produce, lean proteins, healthy fats and complex carbs to provide essential nutrients that support hormone function. Stay adequately hydrated daily.
Chronic stress takes a major toll on hormones like cortisol, thyroid, testosterone and growth hormone. Adapt healthy coping techniques like sufficient sleep, relaxation practices, fun hobbies, gratitude journaling and saying “no” to maintain steadier equilibrium.
Aim for 150 minutes weekly of cardiovascular and muscle strengthening activities which stimulate beneficial hormonal cascades while burning calories. This supports achieving or maintaining a healthy fitness level and body composition.
Heavy drinking is clearly linked with disrupting reproductive, thyroid and stress hormones among potentially other metabolic consequences. Keep alcohol consumption within advised limits to protect hormone health.
Caring for your body enables it to function at its best. Prioritize proper sleep quantity and quality nightly. Additionally nurture yourself with gentle movement like yoga or Tai Chi and self-care activities such as enjoyable hobbies, massage or spirituality.
We hope these recommendations complement your treatment for optimal restoration! Please reach out with any other questions.
