Menopause marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycles and fertility. It is diagnosed after 12 months without a menstrual period. The transition to menopause, known as perimenopause, begins for most women in their late 40s to early 50s.
During perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen levels can cause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood changes, trouble sleeping, and more. While some symptoms are merely annoying, others can greatly impact quality of life.
Timely treatment is important for relieving symptoms and reducing long-term health risks associated with hormone changes.
Hormone therapy can provide effective menopause symptom relief. Types include estrogen alone or estrogen combined with progestin. Potential benefits include relief from hot flashes/night sweats, vaginal dryness, and bone loss prevention.
Lifestyle adjustments can also ease some menopause symptoms: - Stay cool - dress in layers, keep the thermostat low, avoid triggers like spicy foods - Healthy habits - regular exercise, nutritious diet, limited alcohol intake - Stress relief - yoga, meditation, counseling for mood issues
Annual well-woman exams allow careful tracking of changes during perimenopause and postmenopause. Bloodwork and bone density scans help gauge hormone levels and screen for risks like osteoporosis.
Located in , New Beginnings HRT Clinic provides personalized and compassionate care for women navigating menopause.
Our board-certified menopause specialists offer safe, effective treatment plans to control symptoms and support long-term wellness. We provide cutting-edge hormone therapies along with complementary therapies like nutrition counseling and mindfulness training.
At New Beginnings HRT Clinic, we understand this profound transition and help patients address physical, emotional, and quality of life challenges. Contact us today to learn more or schedule an is a 5-topic FAQ on menopause treatment with about 500 words total:
The most common symptoms that women may experience during menopause are hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness or itching, trouble sleeping, mood changes like irritability or anxiety, difficulty focusing or "brain fog", weight gain, faster heart rate, joint pain, headaches, and dry skin or eyes. These symptoms may begin a few years before your last menstrual period and can last up to a decade after. Their severity varies between women.
There's a lot you can do to ease menopause symptoms without medication. Regular exercise helps reduce hot flashes and improves mood and sleep. Eating soy foods like tofu appears to curb hot flashes too, as do sufficient vitamin E, vitamin D, magnesium, and calcium intake. Quitting smoking, drinking less caffeine and alcohol, practicing stress-reducing techniques like yoga, getting enough sleep, and dressing in breathable clothing can also provide symptom relief.
If symptoms significantly disrupt your life, hormone therapy medications may help. Low-dose vaginal estrogen treat vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex. Low-dose antidepressants curb hot flashes, night sweats, and mood changes. Gabapentin is sometimes prescribed for night sweats and hot flashes too. Discuss risks and benefits with your healthcare provider when considering these meds for severe symptoms.
Recent research suggests hormone therapy is likely safe for most healthy women if taken at the lowest dose possible for less than 5 years. Oral combination estrogen-progestin therapy has some health risks like blood clots or stroke when used long term. But transdermal patch, gel, or spray estrogen paired with micronized progesterone has not been found to raise these health risks substantially. Discuss your personal and family health history with your doctor.
Your primary care doctor can diagnose menopause and prescribe medications if appropriate. But a women's health nurse practitioner or gynecologist specializes in managing menopause and can provide personalized symptom relief guidance. A nutritionist can advise dietary changes. Mental health professionals like therapists help handle mood issues. Pelvic floor physical therapists treat vaginal atrophy. Be sure to see practitioners experienced in perimenopause and menopause care.
Studies show that some herbal remedies like black cohosh, red clover, and chasteberry may help relieve hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. However, the long-term safety of these botanicals needs more research as they have the potential to interact with medications.
