Could hormone treatments bring balance to your life? This Millcreek business owner thinks so
Dec 10, 2019 01:15PM ● By Hannah La FondSuzi Sands, founder of Aviva Woman, sits on her desk. (provided by Suzi Sands)
By Hannah LaFond | [email protected]
On Nov. 6, Aviva Woman hosted a free hormone and thyroid clinic to discuss how hormones can affect the health and balance of daily life. Aviva Woman is a medical spa located in Millcreek and this is the third event like this they’ve hosted over the past three months.
As a medical spa, Aviva Woman provides a variety of treatments. Some of these are mostly cosmetic such as fillers, anti-aging treatments and anti-wrinkle Botox. However, they also offer hormone optimization treatments, which is what the hormone and thyroid clinic focused on.
Suzi Sands, founder and executive director of Aviva Woman, explained how many people could benefit from hormone optimization. According to Sands, hormone treatment can improve many symptoms such as fatigue, low libido, mental clarity, sleep, menstruation and osteoporosis. But many women aren't aware these symptoms could be related to hormones. Which is why she’s started these clinics to bring more awareness to the topic.
“Many women wonder if they have a hormone imbalance and get a few levels checked and are told (by there healthcare provider) ‘Everything is normal,’" Sands told the Millcreek Journal. "We aim at differentiating normal and optimal and helping individuals get to the optimal health range.”
So, what exactly is hormone optimization? Many treatment centers, including Aviva Woman, use bio-identical hormone replacement Tterapy to treat a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, trouble sleeping, migraines and other symptoms Sands listed.
According to an article published on the subject by the Cleveland Clinic, “Bio-identical hormones are man-made hormones that are very similar to the hormones produced by the human body.”
After testing someone’s hormone levels, treatment centers like Aviva Woman administer bio-identical hormone pellets to patients. These man-made hormones aim to balance the patient's hormone levels.
Of course, as with any treatment, there are possible side effects to look out for. These may include tiredness, blurred vision, weight gain, cramping and so on. It's always important to do your research and be careful.
However, Sands said she’s seen many lives changed by this treatment. She described one man who gets hormone treatments for headaches. He comes to Aviva Woman every five months and one week. A pretty specific schedule, but according to Sands, they have perfected the timing of his treatments.
“He suffered for decades with debilitating migraines and the hormone pellets are the only thing that has helped him live like a normal person. He says if he goes any longer than the five months and one week he will get migraines again the next day,” Sands said. “We have fine-tuned his treatment plan so we don’t treat him too soon but don’t let him go too long without optimizing his hormones.”
She talked about another patient who they helped with sleep disturbances. According to Sands, the woman had visited sleep specialists and tried various drugs on the market to help her sleep. Nothing helped until she started doing hormone optimization.
“After 30 years she is finally sleeping through the night and waking up well-rested,” Sands said.
Sands hopes through these clinics she can find more patients to help. Aviva Woman’s next hormone and thyroid clinic is scheduled on Dec. 4.