Birth control is more than just oral contraceptive
When you hear about birth control, you automatically think of those pink pill dispensers that contain oral contraceptives you have to remember to take every day. Or, perhaps you think of an IUD. Maybe you’ve heard a little bit from your doctor about all of the different kinds of birth control and how they work.
Did you know that birth control has applications besides just preventing pregnancy? Specifically, hormone based contraceptives are prescribed for a variety of common ailments ranging from PMS to acne. In fact, there are so many applications that you may find it can be helpful to you. Read on to find out more.
Birth Control Helps Regulate Irregular Periods & Treat Menstrual Disorders
Many women struggle with unpredictable periods, periods that come too far apart or too frequently, or periods that stop coming all together. Other women experience extremely heavy bleeding, painful and debilitating cramps, or even serious conditions like endometriosis.
Frequently, women don’t think much of their irregular periods or other menstrual symptoms. However, menstrual issues are a sign of hormonal imbalance and should be taken seriously and discussed with a doctor.
Birth control is frequently used to help regulate periods and reset the hormone balance of women who are experiencing period related symptoms. In fact, birth control is used to treat a variety of menstrual issues, from lack of period to painful diseases like endometriosis.
Birth Control Helps Reduce Acne
Acne is a painful condition with both a physical and emotional toll — and it’s notoriously difficult to treat. The good news is that birth control has been found to successfully treat acne for a large percentage of women. The FDA has even approved specific types of birth control in the treatment of acne!
However, not all birth control pills are effective in treating acne and if acne is a primary concern, it’s best to speak to your doctor about which pill you should be using.
Birth Control Can Manage Unwanted Hair Growth
Unwanted hair growth can be a minor nuisance or a huge problem. It’s easy to wax off a few stray hairs here and there, but when you start growing large amounts of hair in unwanted areas like your face, chest, and stomach, it can be a really disheartening experience.
The current medical literature suggests this type of hair growth is due to an excess of male hormones and appears as a symptom in a variety of hormone balance related illnesses. The literature has also found that birth control is an effective way of curbing unwanted hair growth and containing the problem.
Mitigate Symptoms of Menopause with Birth Control
Women who have stopped menstruating due to menopause frequently find that with the stopping of their menses, they start to experience symptoms like hot flashes, irritability, bloating, and fatigue.
Scientific studies have found that this is likely due to an imbalance of hormones that begins with the end of ovulation. Doctors frequently prescribe birth control to women experiencing symptoms of menopause to help balance their hormones and mitigate their symptoms.
Considering Birth Control? Here’s What You Need to Know
As we have just learned, though birth control is commonly known to prevent pregnancy, it has a variety of medical applications ranging from the aesthetic to the physical, mental, and emotional. If you are experiencing any of these issues, they should absolutely be discussed with a trained medical professional.
Though most women have access to birth control for the purpose of preventing pregnancy, if you would like to consider birth control for other ailments, you absolutely need to discuss with a trained professional to pick the pill that is right for you.
Choosing the right birth control can be a little tricky because birth control pills come in a variety of brands and each type is different. There are many different types of birth control including the pill, patch, ring, and shot. Even within the oral pill, there are two basic types of pills: the combination pill and the mini pill.
The combination pill contains some combination of synthetic progestin and estrogen. These pills differ based on the proportion of each hormone, and since each woman’s body and condition is different, some pills are suited to certain women and certain conditions better than others. To add to the complexity, monophasic pills provide the same amount of hormones throughout the month, whereas other pills have varied dosage throughout the month. Further, birth control can interact with other preexisting conditions, so you need to make sure to have a thorough talk with your doctor so that she can recommend the best pill for you.
The mini pill contains only progestin and is recommended based on your specific medical history and needs.
If you consider that just the oral pills contain so much variation, considering the broad range of options with other types of birth control can be quite confusing.
Find the Right Care Provider For You
It all sounds complicated, but in reality, you don’t have to make all the decisions yourself. All you need to do is have a conversation with a trusted medical provider. Once you and your doctor choose the pill best suited for your particular ailment, it’s up to you to keep tabs on your condition. It’s perfectly normal to have questions or concerns, so it’s best to choose a professional who is understanding and available. Our team of professionals is available to help you with any questions or concerns that you are having. We offer a personalized consultation as well as observation and monitoring of results. We want to help you with a simpler, better health care solution.
