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 James Island, SC 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 James Island, SC 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!
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - While everyone is talking about who will be elected South Carolina’s next governor in 2026, dozens of local elections are taking place in just few weeks.Voters in towns and cities across the state will head to the polls on Nov. 4 to determine the fates of hundreds of candidates looking for seats on councils and mayoral offices.But early voting begins on Monday, two weeks ahead of the general election.Below is a list of all of the races and candidates in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester ...
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - While everyone is talking about who will be elected South Carolina’s next governor in 2026, dozens of local elections are taking place in just few weeks.
Voters in towns and cities across the state will head to the polls on Nov. 4 to determine the fates of hundreds of candidates looking for seats on councils and mayoral offices.
But early voting begins on Monday, two weeks ahead of the general election.
Below is a list of all of the races and candidates in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties. This guide also has everything you need to know about how to vote and when you can do it.
Click the heading to jump to the section to see who will be listed on municipal ballots.
Note that voters will only see races that correspond with the district in which they live, not necessarily all of the races listed under their municipality.
In the lists below, an asterisk indicates an incumbent candidate running for reelection.
Republicans
Democrats
City Council District 2
City Council District 4
City Council District 6
City Council District 8
City Council District 10
City Council District 12
Commissioner of Public Works
Town Council (4 seats open)
Town Waterworks
Town Council District 1
Town Council District 3
Town Council District 5
Commissioner of Public Works
City Council (3 seats open)
Town Council (3 seats open)
Commissioner of Public Works
City Council (3 seats open)
City Council (4 seats open)
Water and Sewer Commissioner
Town Council (2 seats open)
Town Council (3 seats open)
Town Council (3 seats open)
Town Council
Town Council (3 seats open)
Town Council (3 seats open)
These towns have elections but none of them are contested:
JAMES ISLAND — Voters elected two additional representatives to join an expanded Town Council.After passing a referendum in 2023 that grew James Island Town Council’s governing body from four to six members, the Nov. 4 election decided who would join the town’s leaders.With all precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Julia Drayton-Crumblin and Michael O’Shaughnessy Williams holding 30 percent and 27 percent of the vote, respectively, ahead of candidates Stanley Kozikowski and Kristen Meredith Post...
JAMES ISLAND — Voters elected two additional representatives to join an expanded Town Council.
After passing a referendum in 2023 that grew James Island Town Council’s governing body from four to six members, the Nov. 4 election decided who would join the town’s leaders.
With all precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Julia Drayton-Crumblin and Michael O’Shaughnessy Williams holding 30 percent and 27 percent of the vote, respectively, ahead of candidates Stanley Kozikowski and Kristen Meredith Poston.
“I’m beyond excited. Everyone in the community showed up and made sure they made their voice heard,” Drayton-Crumblin told The Post and Courier. “This community raised me, and they made sure that the person they raised was supported…this is only the beginning. This is the start of a long journey, I promise you.”
Drayton-Crumblin, a lifelong James Island resident, previously told The Post and Courier she wanted to focus on giving back to the community and encourage connectivity with the residents. She said she was considering starting a community garden, wants to explore options for affordable housing and hopes to ensure smart development.
Williams was in second behind Drayton-Crumblin.
“I am beyond excited to put my energy — and sometimes intensity — into work for James Island,” Williams told The Post and Courier. “It’s a very exciting prospect that I actually get to work for the change that I had hoped for.”
Williams, who said he fell in love with James Island when he first moved there seven years ago, previously told The Post and Courier that he considered Town Council to be “a lifelong calling.”
His priorities center around land preservation and pushing back against development. He said he wants to work with both the city of Charleston and Charleston County because they have jurisdiction on James Island. He hopes collaboration will help solve issues residents have.
While she was not elected, Poston said she still felt good because of the support she’s received from residents and public service district staff. Poston previously told The Post and Courier her focus would be on the residents and ensuring their voices are heard.
Kozikowski’s platform focused on slowing development, not only to improve the infrastructure but also to save green space for wildlife. He did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
All council seats are at-large, and each member will serve four-year terms.
Results are unofficial until certified by election officials later this week.
JAMES ISLAND — On Nov. 4, residents will choose two new representatives to join the Town Council.After voters passed a referendum in 2023 that expanded James Island Town Council’s governing body from four members to six, the time to add those new council members has come. The four residents who are running to fill the two seats said they are committed to serving the residents but differ slightly in how they plan to do so.‘We are one James Island’Julia Drayton-Crumblin has lived on the island her...
JAMES ISLAND — On Nov. 4, residents will choose two new representatives to join the Town Council.
After voters passed a referendum in 2023 that expanded James Island Town Council’s governing body from four members to six, the time to add those new council members has come. The four residents who are running to fill the two seats said they are committed to serving the residents but differ slightly in how they plan to do so.
Julia Drayton-Crumblin has lived on the island her whole life. She’s opening a childcare center for kids ages six months to 3 years old in January and runs a rental property business with her sister.
Her platform revolves around town connectivity and giving back, from exploring ways to keep housing affordable to encouraging more neighborhood connections. Drayton-Crumblin said she’s considering starting a community garden.
“I do believe we are one James Island, and I want all of us to remember that so we can still become successful and thrive as a community,” Drayton-Crumblin said.
While she's still exploring specific approaches to affordable housing, Drayton-Crumblin said she wants to ensure there is smart development on the island. She’s open to visiting other municipalities to see what they’re doing to keep housing accessible for residents.
Stanley Kozikowski is retired, but said when you live on James Island, you never really retire.
“There’s too many people to help,” he said.
Kozikowski spends a lot of time volunteering with various nonprofits on the island and enjoys helping his neighbors out. He hopes to continue helping the community on Town Council, mostly by working to slow down development.
There are multiple reasons for pacing the rate of development, he said. The island needs infrastructure to catch up with the growth. Kozikowski added he also wants to save more green space for wildlife.
He’s committed to being a voice for residents when coordinating with neighboring municipalities and Charleston County, he said.
Kristen Meredith Poston, a server and bartender, said her job has many similarities to a community leader.
Poston has served a term on the James Island Public Service District Commission. She said that role has helped her learn to listen to people, whether they’re talking about issues or something they’re excited about.
Poston hopes to continue her focus on residents if she’s elected to Town Council. While she would be an elected official, she would be working for the residents and ensuring their voices are heard, she said.
She added that while the Charleston area is becoming more popular and more people are moving here, she wants to curb development and preserve James Island’s character. Poston said she’d want to keep the island calm and as far away from over-development as possible.
Michael O’Shaughnessy Williams said when he moved to James Island seven years ago, he fell in love with the town and knew he never wanted to leave. He also realized this is where he’d want to run for office to help the community, describing it as a lifelong calling.
Williams’ top priority if elected is land preservation and pushing back against development. The marsh, creeks and tree canopy help make James Island special, and he wants to protect that.
The town needs leaders who have the determination to push back against the city of Charleston and the county when it comes to zoning for future development, Williams said. He added that he wants to work with both local governments because they all have jurisdiction on James Island and hopes collaboration will help solve issues residents have.
JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - James Island residents could move closer to flood relief as infrastructure improvements face review by the City of Charleston Technical Review Committee Thursday morning.The infrastructure project, which has been on the committee’s agenda three times now, aims to modernize aging infrastructure and make the area’s drainage system more efficient and resilient.Plans include widening existing drainage channels and replacing older pipes with larger, box-shaped tunnels called box culverts. The ...
JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - James Island residents could move closer to flood relief as infrastructure improvements face review by the City of Charleston Technical Review Committee Thursday morning.
The infrastructure project, which has been on the committee’s agenda three times now, aims to modernize aging infrastructure and make the area’s drainage system more efficient and resilient.
Plans include widening existing drainage channels and replacing older pipes with larger, box-shaped tunnels called box culverts. The city also plans to install muted tide gates and check valves at the system’s lowest points to allow stormwater to drain into nearby creeks while preventing high tides or creek water from flowing back into neighborhoods.
Charleston officials said the goal is to reduce the frequency and severity of flooding, especially in low-lying areas that struggle during heavy rains and high tides.
While the project moves through the approval process, the city is also working to secure funding. In September, leaders applied for $1.5 million in grant funding from the South Carolina Infrastructure Authority and are awaiting a response.
Charleston County is already working nearby to prepare for future storms. Central Park Road remains closed between Riverland Drive and Fleming Road for a $2.7 million project to install new pipes and raise the roadway.
Steve Kirk, the city’s stormwater project management practice lead, said these improvements are critical for protecting both homes and infrastructure.
“Like many areas in Charleston, whether it’s downtown, James Island, John’s Island, West Ashley, a lot of those areas are older. The infrastructure that is currently in the ground… might be undersized,” Kirk said. “It might not be appropriate for the amount of development that has happened and also specifically, with respect to the Central Park area, it is low and it drains into a tidal influenced body of water. So that means, when tides are high, the water moves out much more slowly.”
He said the upgrades would make a noticeable difference for residents.
“The project will allow the water to move through and out of the drainage basin a whole lot faster,” Kirk said. “So, what you’re going to see is a reduction in the duration, in the frequency and in the severity of any flooding that does occur.”
Kirk said every drainage project begins with understanding the problem before finding the right solution.
“When we address flooding concerns, when we address drainage problems in the city, you have to define what the problem is first,” he said. “What is the scope of the project going to be? You have to define the service area. Once you have that, you do a study on the area to fully understand what those problems are. Once you understand what those problems are, then you can begin looking at potential solutions.”
He added that this approach is part of a larger citywide effort to strengthen Charleston’s drainage systems and ensure long-term resilience.
“We have an extensive list of stormwater projects,” Kirk said. “We go through and prioritize those projects. We have input from the mayor, we have input from city council… so we try to ensure that we are addressing drainage throughout the city, not just in one or two locations.”
He said that while the process takes time, it’s vital that the city gets it right.
“Just know that we are working through the process,” Kirk said. “It does take time. We need to make sure that the project is designed and constructed properly so that it works for years to come.”
If the project is approved, the city will move forward with securing funds, applying for permits and finalizing the design. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 with completion targeted for mid to late 2027.
James Island (7–1) hosts Ashley Ridge (5–3) Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in CharlestonThe Ashley Ridge vs James Island Live matchup features the James Island Trojans hosting the Ashley Ridge Swamp Foxes at James Island Charter High School in Charleston, SC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, with live streaming and digital tickets available for fans.The James Island Trojans enter with a ...
The Ashley Ridge vs James Island Live matchup features the James Island Trojans hosting the Ashley Ridge Swamp Foxes at James Island Charter High School in Charleston, SC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, with live streaming and digital tickets available for fans.
The James Island Trojans enter with a 7–1 overall record, including a 5–0 home record, averaging 37.5 points per game while allowing 65 points. James Island has been effective offensively in the first three quarters (8.0, 9.0, and 7.7 points on average), giving them a strong start and steady scoring advantage. Their 2–1 region record highlights their competitive position in South Carolina.
The Ashley Ridge Swamp Foxes come in at 5–3 overall, including a 3–1 away record, averaging 34.0 points per game while conceding 178 points. Ashley Ridge has shown strong scoring in the first and second halves (8.8 and 9.3 points on average in Q1 and Q4), but they will face a challenge against James Island’s balanced offense and stout defense. Their 3–0 region record keeps them in strong contention within the conference.
This matchup features James Island’s Trojans and high-scoring offense against Ashley Ridge’s Swamp Foxes, creating a compelling conference contest with playoff implications and district standings on the line.
How to Watch and Get TicketsFans can stream Ashley Ridge @ James Island Live on GoFan, accessible on computers, tablets, and mobile devices starting at 7:30 p.m. for full coverage.
Tickets are available via GoFan—early purchase is recommended for guaranteed entry and smoother stadium access. Don’t miss the chance to see the Trojans take on the Swamp Foxes in this key South Carolina conference matchup.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Charleston, SC.
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