Menopause signals a natural transition in a woman's reproductive cycle, marking the end of menstruation and fertility. The hallmark sign is 12 consecutive months without a period. Perimenopause refers to the transitional stage leading up to menopause, which can last up to 10 years.
During perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen levels can contribute to unpleasant symptoms like hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, mood changes, and more. While experiences vary dramatically from woman to woman, supporting health and wellbeing during this adjustment is crucial.
Women may develop distressing signs and symptoms related to menopause, negatively impacting quality of life. Proper treatment can provide immense relief.
Hot flashes represent the most common complaint among perimenopausal and menopausal women. These sensations of intense internal heat can be accompanied by profuse sweating and skin flushing. Hot flashes tend to last from 30 seconds up to 10 minutes. In some cases, severe hot flashes may also induce dizziness, heart palpitations, nausea, headaches, and chills.
Night sweats are hot flashes occurring during sleep, often causing sleep disruption or insomnia. Managing hot flashes and night sweats is a top priority for many women.
Declining estrogen thickens and dries out vaginal tissues – a condition termed genitourinary syndrome (GSM). Many women develop vaginal dryness, irritation, itching, soreness, and painful sexual intercourse. Over time, thinning tissues become more fragile and prone to tearing and injury. Some women also struggle with recurring urinary tract infections, urinary urgency or frequency, and occasional urine leakage from stress incontinence.
Menopausal hormone changes don't just impact the body – they influence mood and cognitive function as well. Many women report problems with memory, concentration, organization, and word finding. Irritability, anxiety, sadness, insomnia, and reduced motivation are also common emotional issues. For some, mood disorders like major depressive disorder emerge during the menopausal transition as well.
Estrogen plays an integral role in bone remodeling – the continuous process of bone tissue breakdown and regrowth. During menopause, bone loss accelerates rapidly due to hormonal changes. This weakened bone density raises the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures later in life. Building strong bone density before menopausal bone loss begins allows women to start from a place of advantage.
Noticeable fat accumulation around the abdomen and alterations in cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and insulin sensitivity often emerge. Together with lifestyle factors, menopause can nudge women towards metabolic dysfunction or diabetes over time. Catching issues early and addressing risk factors is key.
Losing lean muscle mass while gaining body fat is also common around menopause and beyond, partially attributed to aging and hormonal shifts. Preserving lean muscle keeps bodies strong, mobile, and healthy.
While menopause heralds the end of fertility, it should not mean the end of health or happiness. Our compassionate practitioners aim to optimize wellbeing during midlife and beyond with personalized care. We perform thorough assessments exploring lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and stress while considering lab testing and family health histories.
Together, we craft tailored treatment plans addressing problematic symptoms and focused on protecting long-term health. Monitoring progress and adjusting approaches ensures optimal outcomes. We empower women with knowledge and solutions every step of the way.
Treatment plans may incorporate:
Hormone therapy often forms the foundation of treatment plans, restoring depleted hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and/or testosterone to premenopausal levels. Multiple delivery methods allow hormone dosing, types, and schedules to be adjusted for individual needs. Most women experience tremendous symptom relief and enhanced quality of life.
We carefully consider hormone therapy risks like blood clots, which are rare. By monitoring health parameters and selecting the lowest effective doses, risks drop to very low levels while benefits persist. Hormone therapy helps treat distressing vasomotor symptoms, GSM, mood issues, bone loss, and metabolic changes.
Sometimes systemic hormone therapy isn't necessary. For genitourinary syndrome focused exclusively on vaginal tissues, we often prescribe targeted vaginal estrogen applications to provide local relief while avoiding whole-body systemic effects.
Nutraceuticals like dietary supplements and botanical remedies serve as useful additions to strengthen overall wellness. We recommend science-backed options aligned with individual health goals.
Lifestyle modifications represent simple but powerful ways to nurture health during menopause. We provide customized lifestyle recommendations related to nutrition, physical activity, stress relief, and sleep hygiene. Small daily tweaks keep the body and mind performing at their best. We also highlight local resources for walking trails, fitness classes, yoga studios, and more to make healthy living easily accessible.
Riding out hormonal changes and miserable menopausal symptoms rarely plays out well. Prolonged estrogen deficiency enables progressive complications over time. It lays fertile ground for osteoporosis and bone fractures, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and higher mortality. But prompt treatment helps prevent these long-term effects.
After menopause officially occurs, women still spend 1/3 of life in this final reproductive phase. With modern life expectancies reaching into the 80s, healthy and active aging depends on protecting the body throughout this stretch instead of just enduring it.
Balance & Renew Clinic guides women through smooth menopausal transitions. We listen compassionately and craft solutions allowing full engagement with meaningful relationships, activities, and careers. Woman today should have every opportunity to thrive during midlife and beyond.
Book an appointment to start balancing hormones and restoring wellbeing! Our holistically-minded practitioners offer trusted guidance at every step.
A surprising new menopause treatment that is gaining attention is the use of testosterone therapy. Several studies have found that supplementing declining testosterone levels in menopausal women can effectively reduce hot flashes and improve sexual function, mood, and energy levels. However, long-term safety data is still limited, so more research is needed.
