The impact of hormones on your physical, emotional, and psychological development is significant. In fact, hormones play a crucial role in various functions of your body, such as regulating sleep, managing stress, maintaining alertness, and promoting happiness. Having a healthy balance of hormones is important for feeling and looking great - especially for women. Unfortunately, when hormone levels fluctuate, several adverse effects can manifest that affect your health and well-being.
One day, you wake up in the morning and attack the day with a smile on your face and a goal in your mind.
The next day, it feels like your emotions are all over the place. Despite sticking to a healthy diet, your weight keeps going up. To make matters worse, hot flashes seem to pop up out of nowhere, making you irritable both at work and at home. The simple truth is that life is hard for ladies after their 50th birthday. That's especially true when it seems like your body is plotting against you every day of the week.
If you're a middle-aged woman and you notice your body going through changes, you should know this is a natural process of aging. It's called menopause - and according to the National Institutes of Health, over a million women experience this transition per year. During this time, it's common for your hormones to start depleting. When that happens, you'll probably notice symptoms that can be challenging to deal with and overcome.
Take a moment and see if any of these signs sound familiar:
Trying to deal with hormone deficiency can be a big ordeal for women and their partners. Thankfully, going through menopause and getting older doesn't mean you have to settle for an undesirable life. Hormone replacement therapy in Huntersville, NC addresses the hormonal imbalances in your body so you can get back to feeling normal. These clinically proven treatments are now available from Better Life Carolinas and can help women just like you reclaim the youthful vigor you're used to having.
Before we explore the many benefits of HRT for women, let's first look at two of the hormones that can fluctuate during menopause - progesterone and estrogen.
As a female, your reproductive health thrives on progesterone and estrogen. Made by your ovaries, these hormones play a major role in a range of functions, such as:
During your childbearing years, estrogen is responsible for preparing the lining of your uterus for a fertilized egg, while progesterone helps prepare and sustain the pregnancy once the egg has implanted. However, as you age, both of these hormones begin to decline, leading to a stage known as perimenopause, which occurs before menopause.
This transition period is characterized by significant changes in your body as it prepares for the next stage of life, where you can no longer bear children. Unfortunately, the years leading up to menopause can be extremely uncomfortable due to these hormonal fluctuations. That's where female HRT starts to make a lot of sense.
During menopause, many women opt for hormone replacement therapy. Menopause marks the end of the reproductive phase, and as you enter perimenopause, your estrogen and progesterone levels decline, and eventually, your body produces a fraction of the hormones it used to. This hormonal imbalance results in uncomfortable symptoms.
Hormone replacement therapy restores the depleted levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in your body, helping to alleviate the common symptoms of menopause and reducing the risk of long-term diseases. At Better Life Carolinas, our goal is to provide hormone replacement therapy that ensures healthy and balanced hormone levels for your overall wellness.
Maintaining hormone stability is crucial for women to live a healthy life. This is where Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) comes into play, as it helps in balancing the hormones that would otherwise get altered due to menopause.
At Better Life Carolinas, we recognize that every woman is unique, and, by extension, every patient is different. Therefore, our team of specialists and doctors offer personalized treatment options by combining holistic treatment, nutrition, fitness plans, and more to supplement our HRT treatments for women.
Many women wonder if HRT is the solution to their exhaustion, weight gain, and mood swings. It's hard to say if you're a good candidate for treatment without a comprehensive examination by an HRT expert at our clinic. What we can say is that when a woman's hormones are better balanced, she has a much better chance of enjoying life without the debilitating symptoms that other women experience. At Better Life Carolinas, that's our primary goal - to help you live a healthy life that you love.
Unlike some women's health clinics, money isn't our main motivator. Our HRT options aren't meant to keep you coming back for years and years. They have been developed to help provide your body with the balance it deserves through a patient-focused approach.
The Better Life program by Dr. Barber empowers patients with information about their health and wellness and, most importantly, puts in place a plan for the future. Most of us have a financial plan, but very few have a health plan. Our greatest asset is our health, and setting goals to manage our health plan is vital.
Better Life wants to partner with you to make the right choices for optimal health. For women going through menopause, hormone replacement therapy is often the best choice to reclaim your quality of life. Most of us know we need to lose weight, exercise, eat better, and quit smoking. Unfortunately, very few of us understand how to get out of the rut we tend to fall into. Our experienced team will design custom programs to empower you to make this life change for years to come.
One of the first and most frequently asked questions that our women's health doctors get usually focuses on the benefits of hormone replacement therapy. If you're trying to ease your way into menopause, chances are you're wondering about that too. When combined with healthy life choices like diet and exercise, we're happy to say that the benefits of HRT are both numerous and significant.
By now, this benefit probably sounds like a no-brainer, but it's one of the major advantages of HRT, so it's worth mentioning again. Menopause can often lead to uncomfortable symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and difficulty sleeping. These symptoms can vary in intensity and can significantly impact your daily routine. Hormone replacement therapy is a treatment option that can help regulate estrogen and progesterone levels, thereby alleviating many of these symptoms.
While the most obvious benefit of HRT for women is relief from menopause symptoms, there's good evidence that suggests this treatment helps improve bone health, too. One study conducted on over 25,000 women aged 50-79 found that HRT reduced the risk of fractures. This benefit is especially important for women who had their uterus and ovaries removed before the age of 45 and experienced "surgical menopause." Such women are at a higher risk of bone loss and osteoporosis.
Your brain's ability to get energy from glucose, your body's primary fuel source, decreases during menopause due to a drop in estrogen levels. As a result, your brain switches to using fats (lipids) for fuel, which unfortunately leads to the harvesting of fat from the brain's white matter. This process produces ketones - chemicals created in the liver - to provide energy. However, starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) before reaching menopause can reduce the risk of this fuel switch and cut a woman's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in half.
As people age, their libido tends to decline, which is true for both men and women. For women, menopause can also cause vaginal dryness, which can make sexual intercourse less appealing. Hormone replacement therapy in Charleston can help boost your libido by restoring the levels of reproductive hormones in your body. When your reproductive hormones are balanced, you can get a boost in sex drive and alleviate problems like vaginal dryness.
As you approach menopause, you may notice that your weight tends to fluctuate more frequently. While this is a common occurrence as you age, it can make it difficult to shed extra pounds. Hormone replacement therapy isn't a magic solution for weight loss, but it can address the hormonal aspect of weight gain. Hormones can make it harder to maintain or lose weight, and hormone replacement therapy can help with that. By combining hormone replacement therapy with a healthy diet and regular exercise, you may be able to manage your weight more effectively and improve your overall health.
The benefits listed above are only a snapshot of what HRT can help you deal with and overcome. Contact Better Life Carolinas to learn about other advantages of hormone replacement treatment. But our women's health services don't end with HRT. Our doctors also provide several pain-free, non-surgical solutions for female intimacy problems.
We're talking about Femiwave Therapy, O Shot, and the Emsella Kegel Chair.
Are you ready to enjoy a normal sex life without having to rely on strange pills or invasive procedures? Femiwave therapy uses pulse waves to improve blood flow to the vaginal area without ever needing to go under the knife. This procedure enhances sensitivity, lubrication, tightens, strengthens, and improves the physical appearance of your vagina and the surrounding area. It has been shown to boost sexual satisfaction and function with no downtime, drugs, or lasers, and the results are long-lasting. The procedure is based on established shockwave therapy and has been backed by clinical studies for years to increase blood flow and restore healthy tissue.
Ideal candidates are women experiencing low libido, urinary incontinence, menopause symptoms such as painful intercourse and vaginal dryness, or women looking to improve their sex life. This procedure is quick and comfortable with no downtime, meaning you can swing by our office when it's best for your schedule and get treatment without disrupting your day.
Women in South Carolina use Femiwave therapy alongside hormone replacement therapy in Huntersville, NC because it is:
While our male patients have enjoyed many benefits from our P-Shot (or Priapus Shot), we know that women deserve to enjoy some fun, too. Better Life Carolinas now provides a powerful treatment called the O-Shot (Orgasm shot) that can deliver incredible results for women. This simple procedure utilizes platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to stimulate new tissue growth, and as a woman's own PRP is used, the O-Shot is completely safe and free of side effects. The health benefits of the O-Shot are numerous, and a revitalized sex life is just one of them.
The O-Shot earned its name by increasing a woman's intensity during orgasm, but it is also a natural approach to treating the following:
The Emsella Chair is a breakthrough innovation for women experiencing urinary incontinence. This common issue affects over 15 million women in the US and can cause embarrassing leakages, loss of sleep, and poor work performance. The Emsella Chair offers a non-invasive solution to this problem without the need for surgery or medication.
The Emsella Chair is an FDA-approved device designed for patients who want to improve their quality of life by addressing the symptoms of urinary incontinence. Sometimes referred to as the "Kegel Throne," this comfortable chair is an excellent option for those who have tried other solutions like medication and surgery but found that they negatively impact their daily lives.
The Emsella Chair uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic technology (HIFEM) to stimulate contractions in your pelvic floor muscles. These contractions can help you regain control of your bladder and improve the strength of your pelvic floor muscles, much like kegel exercises but with greater efficiency. The Emsella Chair is unique in that it targets the entire pelvic floor with thousands of contractions per session, making it a highly effective treatment option for women.
While using the Emsella Chair, you may feel your pelvic floor muscles contracting. This is a normal reaction and indicates that the machine is functioning correctly. You might also experience a mild tingling sensation during the treatment, but it is not painful. After your session, you're free to resume regular daily activities without any downtime required. The best part is that, unlike surgery, there is no need for any medications to manage the pain or grogginess that usually comes after an invasive procedure.
The Emsella Chair is an excellent solution for women of all ages, but it is more commonly used by older women who tend to experience urinary incontinence. There are various symptoms related to urinary incontinence which can be effectively treated with the Emsella Chair.
Some of those symptoms include the following:
As thousands of women across the United States have said, our doctors can help you say "NO!" to urinary incontinence with Emsella Chair treatments.
At Better Life Carolinas, we're proud to be a partner on your path toward better wellness and healthy aging. Our team of women's health specialists and doctors provides constant encouragement, status checks, and recommendations to ensure that you receive personalized and ongoing medical management. We believe that receiving plenty of face-time and individual care from your personal physician is crucial to making a profound difference in your life - both now and in the future.
Whether you're approaching middle age or have already started menopause, our hormone replacement treatments could be an answer to your age management challenges. Contact our office today to learn more about the Better Life Carolinas difference and how our team provides the guidance you need to achieve a healthy life.
Get in touch with us today and let us help you achieve your goals!
Lowe’s Family Night Out promises hands-on fun for all agesCHARLOTTE, N.C. — This week, Lowe’s is transforming two Charlotte-area stores into vibrant community hubs with Ladies’ Night Out and Family Night Out, free events designed to spark creativity, connection, and a little DIY magic.Brian Shaunfield, Lowe’s Store Manager, joined Charlotte Today to share what makes these nights so special. “We wanted to create something that felt more like a celebration than a shop...
Lowe’s Family Night Out promises hands-on fun for all ages
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This week, Lowe’s is transforming two Charlotte-area stores into vibrant community hubs with Ladies’ Night Out and Family Night Out, free events designed to spark creativity, connection, and a little DIY magic.
Brian Shaunfield, Lowe’s Store Manager, joined Charlotte Today to share what makes these nights so special. “We wanted to create something that felt more like a celebration than a shopping trip,” said Shaunfield. “Ladies’ Night and Family Night are about bringing people together in a space that’s familiar, but reimagined.” Here is what to expect:
Ladies’ Night Out – Thursday, Nov. 6 | 6–8 PM (Sold Out)Lowe’s at 16830 Statesville Rd, Huntersville, NCThis evening is all about relaxation and creativity. Guests can sip mocktails, enjoy tasty bites, and groove to a live DJ while snapping selfies in front of a flower wall. The highlight? A hands-on terrarium-making station. Terrariums are a great starter project,” Shaunfield explained. “All you need is a glass container, some soil, pebbles, and a few small plants. We’ll show you how to layer it all together.” Every attendee receives a 20% off coupon for future projects—just one perk of being a MyLowe’s Rewards member.
*While this Ladies' Night Out is Sold Out - you can still get the kits to make a Terrarium at home. Brian encouraging people to continue to check their websites because they are always adding activities.
Family Night Out – Friday, Nov. 7 | 5–8 PMLowe’s at 2115 Matthews Township Pkwy, Matthews, NCThis event is built for all ages! Kids can dive into slime-making with CAMP, race through an obstacle course, and build surprise projects in a hands-on workshop. “We know it’s hard to find something the whole family enjoys,” Shaunfield said. “So we turned part of the store into a playground. It’s about making memories together.” Both events are free and open to MyLowe’s Rewards members. To register, visit lowes.com/events and search for your local store.
Whether you're crafting with friends or chasing kids through a turf maze, Lowe’s is proving it’s more than a hardware store—it’s a place where creativity and community come to life.
Family Night Out:
The video above is a live stream of WBTV and affiliated programming, and may not be directly related to the article below.CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Tuesday is Election Day across the Carolinas, where local municipal elections were being held in dozens of counties.On Tuesday, Nov. 4, ballots were being cast in North Carolina and South Carolina for local offices including mayors, council members, commissioners, and other local issues and offices. WBTV was tracking election results for races throughout the Charlotte region, ...
The video above is a live stream of WBTV and affiliated programming, and may not be directly related to the article below.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Tuesday is Election Day across the Carolinas, where local municipal elections were being held in dozens of counties.
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, ballots were being cast in North Carolina and South Carolina for local offices including mayors, council members, commissioners, and other local issues and offices. WBTV was tracking election results for races throughout the Charlotte region, in both North and South Carolina.
On the election results page, results are organized alphabetically by county. To toggle between North Carolina and South Carolina election results, click or tap the green “More Elections” button at the top of the page.
Election results will populate in real-time as they are reported after polls close.
Election results are not official until they are certified by a board of elections. County boards of elections in North Carolina were scheduled to meet to certify Nov. 4, 2025, election results on Nov. 14.
In North Carolina, polls were open from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
In South Carolina, polls were open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
For voters in either state: If you are in line at your polling place before polls officially close, you will still be allowed to vote even if polls close. You cannot get in line to vote after polls close.
If you still need to return your completed absentee ballot, you must drop if off in person before polls close on Tuesday.
In North Carolina, you can deliver your completed absentee ballot to your local county board of elections office. Click here to find your local office.
In South Carolina, you can deliver your completed absentee ballot to your county voter registration office. Click here to find the office in your area.
Ballots must be returned before polls officially close in either state.
Each voter is assigned a polling place for Election Day based on their residential address.
You can look up a sample of your ballot in North and South Carolina.
WBTV reached out to candidates in several high-profile local races to get their take on a number of issues.
Click the links below to read responses from dozens of local candidates.
On the ballot for Mecklenburg County voters this year is a proposed one-cent sales tax increase.
Residents were voting in favor of or against a transit tax referendum designed to increase the sales tax to benefit transportation initiatives and infrastructure in the county.
If the referendum gets approved, revenue from the increased sales tax would fund improvements for roads, rail, and buses to address traffic congestion and improve transit options across Mecklenburg County.
The sales tax rate in Mecklenburg County would increase from 7.25% to 8.25%.
Click here to learn more about the referendum.
The video above is a live stream of WBTV and affiliated programming, and may not be directly related to the article below.HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) - Huntersville was among several towns across North Carolina holding local municipal elections this November.Huntersville stretches into parts of both Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties.After polls officially close, election results will populate in real-time as they are reported. Election results will be listed in alphabetical order by county, and then by city/town/...
The video above is a live stream of WBTV and affiliated programming, and may not be directly related to the article below.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) - Huntersville was among several towns across North Carolina holding local municipal elections this November.
Huntersville stretches into parts of both Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties.
After polls officially close, election results will populate in real-time as they are reported. Election results will be listed in alphabetical order by county, and then by city/town/village, at the page linked above.
Every voter in North Carolina is assigned a polling place for Election Day based on their home address.
Click here to find your specific polling place.
Want to plan ahead before going to the polls? You can look up a sample of your ballot on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.
Registered voters can use the official Voter Search to find specific voter details, including their polling place, sample ballot (when available), absentee ballot information, and voter history.
Click here to access the Voter Search portal.
There are three ways to register to vote in North Carolina: online, by mail, or at the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles.
While Oct. 10, 2025, was the deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 4 election, it’s important to note that would-be voters can register to vote in person during the early voting period. Eligible North Carolina residents can use same-day registration to register to vote and cast their ballot in the same day.
To do same-day registration, residents will need to provide a current ID and documents that proves residency, like a piece of mail, a pay stub, or a similar document.
You must have lived in the county where you are trying to vote for at least 30 days in order to use same-day registration.
---> More on that:
The early voting period ends on Nov. 1, which means that same-day voter registration ends then, too.
Are you voting by mail this election?
After filling out the absentee ballot you received in the mail, you can drop it off to your county board of elections office. Click here to find your local county board of elections office.
During the early voting period, you can also deliver your completed absentee ballot to an election official at an early voting site. Election officials will take your completed absentee ballot anytime during that site’s open voting hours.
Looking for election results for counties in the Charlotte region in both North and South Carolina? Click here to see our real-time results that will become visible as they’re reported (after polls close).
Birkdale Village has new owners again, with Texas-based real estate investment firm Hines taking over the property.HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — The popular Birkdale Village shopping and residential center in Huntersville has changed hands again, marking the third ownership transfer since 2024 and reigniting concerns among neighbors about controversial expansion plans.Global real estate investment firm Hines announced it has acquired the 673,000-square-foot mixed-use property through its flagship U.S. core plus fund. The sale tran...
Birkdale Village has new owners again, with Texas-based real estate investment firm Hines taking over the property.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — The popular Birkdale Village shopping and residential center in Huntersville has changed hands again, marking the third ownership transfer since 2024 and reigniting concerns among neighbors about controversial expansion plans.
Global real estate investment firm Hines announced it has acquired the 673,000-square-foot mixed-use property through its flagship U.S. core plus fund. The sale transfers control from a joint venture between Nuveen and Jamestown, which had pushed through a contentious rezoning plan just last year. Hines, based in Houston, Texas, has approximately $92 billion in assets across its portfolio.
"My immediate reaction is we knew this was going to happen," Julia Kiewit, who lives near Birkdale Village and was among residents who opposed the previous owner's expansion proposal, said.
The rezoning petition, approved by Huntersville town leaders in 2024, cleared the way for significant development including a boutique hotel, new apartments, additional office space, parking decks and expanded retail. However, construction has yet to begin under the new ownership.
Kiewit and other neighbors had argued the expansion would fundamentally alter the village's character.
"There's issues with parking, density, safety, but in addition was maintaining the integrity of Birkdale Village," Kiewit said. "My concern was this is going to go from a village to a New York City skyline."
The property currently features 255,000 square feet of retail space that is 99% leased, housing tenants including Apple, Arhaus, Kendra Scott, Lilly Pulitzer, lululemon, North Italia, Pottery Barn, Sweetgreen, Warby Parker and Williams Sonoma. The center also includes 320 apartment units above the retail space that are 97% leased, offering studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts with amenities such as a pool, fitness center and dog park.
Residents worry the approved development plans will now be implemented by an entirely different company than the one that negotiated them.
A spokesperson for Jamestown told WCNC Charlotte that "all commitments made during the rezoning are connected to the land sale and binding as part of the purchase agreement."
Paul Zarian, managing director at Hines, said the firm is taking a measured approach.
"We agree that properties should evolve over time to meet the needs of their communities," Zarian said. "With that said, the first step is to learn the intricacies of how Birkdale operates. Once we do that, we will have a better idea of what our customers' and guests' needs are, and what we can do to meet and exceed their expectations in the future."
Conor Lalor with Newmark represented the seller in the transaction. Paul Zarian and Jesse Amundson led the acquisition on behalf of Hines.
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Students at Barnette Elementary cheered on their classmate Ella, who has a rare disease, as she crossed the finish line at a fun run event this week.HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — At the Buster Move Fun Run at Barnette Elementary School in Huntersville earlier this week, students came together to cheer on one of their classmates: a 3rd-grader named Ella who is fighting a rare disease that's impacted her motor skills.Ella has Vanishing White Matter Disease, according to her family's website tracking her health journey. The "A ...
Students at Barnette Elementary cheered on their classmate Ella, who has a rare disease, as she crossed the finish line at a fun run event this week.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — At the Buster Move Fun Run at Barnette Elementary School in Huntersville earlier this week, students came together to cheer on one of their classmates: a 3rd-grader named Ella who is fighting a rare disease that's impacted her motor skills.
Ella has Vanishing White Matter Disease, according to her family's website tracking her health journey. The "A Miracle for Ella Rose" website notes that her disease is progressive, and there is currently no cure.
"The prognosis is very -- it's devastating. It's depressing, in a sense. I mean, when you're told your child has after diagnosis, has about five to eight years of their life," Jesse McKee said. "Her life is just pure joy. I mean, she lightens up the room when she comes into school. She's like a celebrity."
One of those moments of joy came at this week's fun run at her school.
As Ella crossed the finish line using her walker, her classmates cheered her name and clapped, and some walked alongside her.
Her parents say Ella has recently entered a drug trial in Boston, which has shown great promise for her symptoms, allowing this moment to happen.
"It has allowed her to propel her wheelchair farther, walk with her walker farther, farther," Heather McKee said. "Has really just done incredible things for her in just the short time that she's taken this drug, whereas years before, she's never really been able to do this."
The family expressed their gratitude to the school and local community for their support.
"We are extremely lucky to have everybody kind of rally behind us," Jesse said.
Ani Mercincavage, the mom of another student at the school, recorded the moments her classmates cheered her on and said it brought many in attendance to tears. Mercincavage added it showed the "empathy and joy of children who instinctively support one another."
Those who are interested in helping support Ella Rose's medical fund can make donations on the A Miracle for Ella Rose website.
For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.
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