Menopause is a natural transition that most women experience between the ages of 45 and 55 as their ovarian function declines. The years or months leading up to menopause are called perimenopause, when hormone levels become irregular but a woman is still menstruating. Once a woman has gone 12 months without a period, she has officially reached menopause.
Some key things to know about menopause:
While menopause marks the end to menstrual cycles, it should not mean discomfort or reduced quality of life. With the right support, women can thrive through perimenopause and beyond.
Fluctuating and declining hormones during perimenopause and menopause can trigger a variety of symptoms. Some women breeze through “the change” with minimal discomfort, while others endure significant symptoms lasting years.
Understanding common signs of hormone imbalance empowers women to seek the right testing and care to find relief.
The hallmark menopause symptom, hot flashes impact 75-85% of women in perimenopause. A hot flash is intense heat in the upper body, sometimes accompanied by profuse sweating, flushing, chills, and heart palpitations. They may last 30 seconds to 10 minutes and can occur a few times a month or upwards of a dozen times daily.
Night sweats are severe hot flashes happening while asleep, often causing sleep disruption. Managing hot flashes and night sweats is critical for improving quality of life in menopause.
Thinning tissues and decreased elasticity in the vulvovaginal areas due to lower estrogen is known as vaginal atrophy. Many women experience associated symptoms like:
These symptoms progressively worsen without treatment and can severely impact sexual health and enjoyment.
Given estrogen’s influence on serotonin and norepinephrine production (key mood regulators), it’s no surprise many women undergo mood swings during hormone fluctuation:
In some cases, these changes are due to hormonal causes, while in others, difficult menopause symptoms trigger mood disturbances. Often treatment of one helps improve the other.
While the above issues are most common during menopause, some women also deal with:
In addition to bothersome symptoms impacting quality of life, menopause can increase risks for other health conditions over time due to hormone changes. These include:
- Bone loss accelerates without estrogen, increasing fracture risk
- Bone density screening important to assess needs for calcium, vitamin D, diet/lifestyle changes
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) rises to the top women’s health risk after menopause
- Cancer still prevalent but heart attacks and stroke incidence increases significantly for women post-menopause
- Estrogen protects neurological function, so lower levels correlate with poorer cognitive outcomes
- Studying optimal hormone therapy usage to balance cardiovascular and brain health
Catching potential problems early allows customizing care to prevent long-term consequences down the road.
If you are currently experiencing potential perimenopause or menopause symptoms, don’t just chalk it up to “aging”! There are many options to find relief through testing, lifestyle measures, and medical treatment when needed.
Hormone Health Center clinic specializes in customized care for women throughout the menopause transition and beyond. Our compassionate providers partner with patients to:
We provide education and support services as well so you understand the changes happening in your body and feel empowered about your choices.
Getting the right hormones tested is key for understanding what exactly is happening in your body. Initial bloodwork typically includes:
Checking levels of these hormones relative to “normal” ranges for reproductive age gives insight on menopausal status and symptoms. We may recommend repeat testing over months for additional clarity.
Other relevant labs include:
- Thyroid function (TSH)
- Vitamin D
- Complete blood count
- Metabolic panel
- Lipid profile
- Hemoglobin A1c
- C-reactive protein (inflammation marker)
Reviewing these screening labs helps gauge overall health risks and determine the safety of potential treatments like hormone therapy. Let our knowledgeable providers interpret your results and explain what they mean for developing your care plan.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle serves as the foundation for managing menopausal symptoms and long-term health during midlife and beyond. Key strategies include:
Diet and Exercise
Stress Reduction
Not Smoking and Limiting Alcohol
We provide personalized lifestyle coaching and referrals to registered dietitians or mental health providers if needed. Addressing factors in your control first makes other aspects of treatment work that much better!
If symptoms persist despite lifestyle remedies, adding hormonal support provides the next step for finding relief. When accurately dosed and carefully monitored, hormone therapy is safe for most women and very effective for treating troublesome symptoms. Options include:
Available as oral tablets or skin patches/gels/sprays, estrogen supplementation treats hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal atrophy symptoms, bone loss and may provide cardiovascular and brain benefits when started in early menopause. Those with a uterus require concurrent progesterone to avoid thickening the uterine lining.
Progesterone or similar compounds called progestins help balance the effects of estrogen on the uterus. When used long-term, research indicates certain types like Prometrium provide additional bone building and cardiovascular benefits lacking with synthetic progestins. We carefully select the optimal type for your needs.
Male hormones like testosterone, DHEA and growth hormone also decline in women over time. Boosting levels when clinically low treats persistent fatigue, poor libido, musculoskeletal pains, mood changes and loss of muscle mass. Androgens often help when other hormonal options fall short for relief.
This unique medication acts like low-dose estrogen, progesterone and androgens all in one. It effectively treats hot flashes, vaginal dryness, bone loss and libido changes. Tibolone seems particularly helpful for sexual symptoms that linger despite other interventions.
Finding the most effective hormone therapy is an individualized process. Let our menopause specialists tailor options to provide symptom relief while taking safety considerations into account given your health history and risk factors. We partner together to determine the minimal doses that help you feel your best.
Rather than “tough out” frustrating menopausal symptoms or assume they will pass in time, reaching out for professional care helps women overcome challenges and thrive in midlife and beyond. There are so many excellent options now to find real relief!
In addition to dramatically improving quality of life, properly treating bothersome symptoms may help minimize long term health risks like heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia. Supporting a woman’s transition through measured, thoughtful care allows enjoying this vibrant stage of life to the fullest.
At Hormone Health Center, we specialize in helping patients navigate perimenopause and menopause through accurate testing, lifestyle support and when needed, customized medical treatment. Our goal is for patients to feel heard, understood, and effective solutions for restoring comfort and balance.
What sets Hormone Health Center apart is our compassionate, evidence-based care from true menopause experts. Key elements include:
In addition to our Providers’ expertise, we offer mental health referrals, dietary guidance, fitness prescriptions, supplement advice and community resource referrals. We help identify potential factors making symptoms worse, like thyroid problems, less common hormone imbalances, inflammation issues, prior surgeries/illnesses, chronic health conditions, genetics, medications or excess stress.
Then we thoughtfully craft dynamic treatment plans addressing root issues for transformative results. Patients often report life-changing improvements within months that make all the difference.
When receiving care at Hormone Health Center Menopause Clinic, rest assured our exceptional providers have your best interest at heart. We serve as patient advocates and caring partners through the changes ahead.
You deserve to feel your best during midlife and beyond! We handle menopause care so you can focus on enjoying this exciting, fulfilling stage of womanhood.
