Patients
I remember sitting in the doctor’s office, exhausted and defeated after yet another battery of unhelpful tests and fruitless appointments. Desperate for answers, I listened as my doctor dismissed how terrible I felt as "just part of aging." Once again, I was parroted the same line I’d heard my whole adult life, that my labs were “normal.” There was nothing more to be done for my chronic constipation, crushing fatigue, body aches, insomnia, depression, weight gain, hair loss, and non-existent libido other than the medicines we’d already tried that had failed me.
Tears burned in my eyes as I wondered, why can’t anyone figure out what’s wrong with me? Why can’t any doctor help me? I later discovered that my friend had gone through the same struggle—until finally, we both found relief in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT)—a holistic treatment that balances the body’s natural hormones. K.H., Hormone Patient
If this has been your experience with the healthcare system, sadly, you’re not alone. Many patients report feeling dismissed by healthcare providers who brush off their symptoms as a normal part of aging and view lab results as the be-all and end-all for getting help.
No One Deserves This
If your labs look “normal,” the message is clear: go home; there’s no help for you. Too often, patients leave feeling rushed, unheard, and burdened by symptoms that rob them of joy. No one deserves this. Everyone deserves to be listened to and helped, but sadly, this is not the reality in our modern healthcare system.
In fact, over half of patients report feeling that their health concerns are dismissed or downplayed by their providers (1). This experience can be deeply frustrating. Even when a diagnosis is made, symptoms may only partially resolve, leaving many patients longing for real solutions.
A Broken Healthcare System
While most providers genuinely want to help their patients, the structure of our healthcare system makes this incredibly challenging. For one, doctors are greatly outnumbered by their patients, often managing caseloads of over two to three thousand patients at a time, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants (2). This overwhelming workload limits the time and attention providers can devote to each patient. This is also why it can take several months to see a specialist, such as a rheumatologist or OB/GYN. The waitlists for some practices come close to a year or more. Meanwhile, patients are left to suffer, or crucial diagnoses are made too late.
Our healthcare system, stretched thin by rising rates of chronic disease, leaves patients feeling rushed, unheard, and frustrated by a lack of improvement in their health. It also emphasizes managing symptoms rather than addressing root causes.
The Solution: Find a BHRT Provider
Here’s the good news: there are healthcare providers trained to identify the root causes of health issues and who set aside the time and attention needed to provide comprehensive, unrushed care to patients. Functional medicine providers, naturopathic doctors, and certain osteopathic physicians often take this approach, but here we’re referring to providers trained in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
While BHRT often involves replacing hormones that decrease with age—such as estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, and DHEA—with bioidentical hormones (hormones that closely match those produced by the human body and are considered far safer than synthetic alternatives, which are often associated with the risks you may have heard about), BHRT is not just for those entering midlife, menopause, or old age. BHRT can also be used in young people, or those with genetic or environmental contributors that impact hormone production—such as the rise in endocrine disruptors—pollutants and other compounds in our environment that can impair natural hormone production and function.
BHRT for Everyone
Once again, BHRT is not just for menopause or old age. Men and women alike lose hormones as they age, though the decline tends to be sharper and more abrupt for women. For instance, BHRT can replace hormones that regulate appetite and support weight loss and healthy blood sugar in both sexes, regardless of age. Both men and women begin losing testosterone in their thirties. Left untreated, this decline can have significant health impacts, as testosterone (along with other key hormones) influences metabolism, body weight, muscle strength, skin health, and insulin sensitivity–a risk factor in nearly every modern chronic disease. BHRT offers a proactive approach to restoring these essential hormones and supporting long-term health for all individuals at any stage of life.
Young people can also experience hormonal imbalances that contribute to issues ranging from infertility and chronic fatigue to chronic pain, obesity, and depression. For instance, young women often deal with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition characterized by insulin resistance, which can fuel diseases like diabetes and cancer if left untreated—but few providers outside of BHRT know how to properly manage PCOS, underscoring the relevance of BHRT even in young people.
The wait to see a BHRT provider is generally shorter (such as a month) than a conventional provider, though this can vary by practice. Many WLM-trained BHRT providers operate on a cash pay system rather than accepting health insurance. Dealing with health insurance is time-consuming for providers because it adds significant paperwork, reduces doctor autonomy to treat in the patient’s best interest, and severely limits the time your provider can spend with you. Providers who accept insurance are often forced to comply with the insurance’s protocols for treatment, rather than your provider’s expertise and what is the best interest for you as an individual.
Because BHRT providers focus on a limited number of patients, you can take all the time you need with them, never feeling rushed. Many even allow texts or video chats between appointments.
Why You Need a WorldLink Provider
Many healthcare providers are beginning to recognize the critical role of hormones in chronic disease and are pursuing additional credentials in BHRT. However, few receive the specialized training necessary to practice it effectively. Most providers, whether trained in BHRT or not, are taught to achieve “normal” hormone levels for a patient’s age—not the optimal levels of a healthy young adult, known as “therapeutic levels.”
Conventional lab reference ranges are based on an average U.S. population, three-quarters of whom are overweight or obese and over half of whom are pre-diabetic or diabetic (3, 4). These ranges are not the ideal target if you want to feel and function at your best. Fortunately, our WorldLink Medical-trained providers are educated in these crucial distinctions, enabling them to optimize hormone levels for improved health and quality of life. The advanced education and experience of WLM providers can make all the difference in whether you receive the health outcomes you are looking for.
By restoring deficient hormones with the right dosing and bioidentical (never synthetic) forms, patients can address the root causes of their health issues, from depression and obesity to insulin resistance and diabetes. With optimized hormone levels, patients often experience increased energy, thicker hair, improved mood, higher libido, stronger muscles, denser bones, softer skin, and an overall slowing of the aging process, both inside and out. Now, who wouldn’t want that?
So, What Are You Waiting For?
Start your journey to a happier, healthier you today with a WorldLink-trained provider.
References
- MITRE-Harris Poll: Many Patients Feel Ignored or Doubted When Seeking Medical Treatment. MITRE. December 20, 2022. Accessed November 1, 2024.
https://www.mitre.org/news-insights/news-release/mitre-harris-poll-many-patients-feel-ignored-or-doubted#:~:text=MCLEAN%2C%20Va.%2C%20%26%20BEDFORD,10%20within%20the%20Hispanic%20community. - Rajaee L. How many patients does a doctor have a day? Elation. September 10, 2024. Accessed November 1, 2024.
https://www.elationhealth.com/resources/blogs/how-many-patients-does-a-doctor-have-a-day - Obesity and Overweight. CDC National Center for Health Statistics. Last Reviewed October 25, 2024. Accessed November 1, 2024.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm - Prater E. Nearly half of the U.S. population has diabetes or prediabetes—and many have no clue: Are you among them? FORTUNE Well. December 23, 2023. Accessed November 1, 2024.
https://fortune.com/well/article/diabetes-prediabetes-obesity-half-united-states-population-insulin-wegovy-type1-type2-signs-symptoms/