Menopause is a natural transition that typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 when a woman's ovaries stop releasing eggs, her menstrual periods stop, and production of estrogen and progesterone hormones decreases. This marks the end of a woman's reproductive years.
The lead-up to menopause is called perimenopause and can begin 8-10 years before the last menstrual period. As estrogen levels fluctuate and decline, many women experience symptoms including:
While menopause is a natural process, addressing bothersome symptoms through lifestyle changes and medical treatment can help women transition more comfortably.
Seeking timely medical care for menopause is important for several reasons:
Women experiencing severe, prolonged, or progressive symptoms are strongly encouraged to consult a menopause specialist who can develop a customized treatment plan.
There are various safe and effective options for managing menopause available to residents of Stokesdale and the surrounding suburbs.
The most common treatment, hormone therapy replaces estrogen and often progesterone at lower levels closer to what the body produced prior to menopause. Benefits include:
There are various forms and doses of hormone therapy including pills, patches, gels, sprays, and rings. Your menopause doctor will determine the safest option for your needs and health profile.
If symptoms are limited to the vaginal area, localized estrogen treatment can help with:
With minimal absorption into the body, localized therapy is considered safe for many women who cannot take systemic hormones.
Healthy lifestyle habits can lessen the severity of menopause symptoms naturally by:
Your menopause specialist can provide personalized recommendations on diet, activity levels, and stress coping techniques.
Vitamins and herbal preparations may help reduce discomforts for some women such as:
Always consult your menopause doctor before taking supplements which can interact with medications.
If hormone treatment is not advised for medical reasons, non-hormonal prescription medicines may be recommended for troublesome symptoms. These can include:
Your menopause specialist will determine if these options may be beneficial.
Partnering with a qualified menopause specialist for ongoing care ensures:
Annual visits allow evaluation of current treatments and introduction of new therapies as symptoms evolve over the menopause transition.
Your menopause doctor becomes an important ally helping you thrive physically and emotionally during this period of change.
The Hormone Harmony Menopause Center specializes in helping women navigate the changes leading up to, during and beyond menopause safely and effectively.
We perform thorough symptom evaluations, extensive blood and saliva testing if needed, and use results to develop fully customized treatment plans incorporating hormone therapy, lifestyle counseling, holistic options and more.
Our goal is to optimize relief of symptoms and quality of life during the entire menopausal transition and beyond into the senior years. We partner with each woman to meet her individual needs, values and health goals.
To learn more about optimizing your menopausal health through timely evaluation and treatment, please call our office today to schedule a new patient appointment.
