Menopause signals a transition in a woman's life, marking the end of her reproductive years. The hallmark of menopause is when a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. It typically begins in a woman's 40s or 50s.
The transition to menopause is a gradual process that can take several years. This transitional time prior to menopause is known as perimenopause. During this time, hormone levels begin to fluctuate and decline, and women may start experiencing symptoms.
Some of the most common symptoms associated with menopause and perimenopause include:
Other symptoms may include sexual dysfunction, urinary issues like incontinence, weight gain, hair loss or thinning, and changes in breast size. The severity and duration of symptoms varies significantly among women.
The primary cause of menopause is decreasing production of the female reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone. This occurs naturally as women age. Specifically, the ovaries slow down in producing these hormones resulting in irregular menstrual cycles and eventually, menstruation ceases permanently.
Premature or early menopause can occur before age 40. This may be due to medical conditions, certain surgeries, or treatments like chemotherapy. The symptoms are typically more severe in premature menopause.
For many women, symptoms associated with menopause can significantly disrupt daily life. Hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbances take a toll physically and emotionally. Vaginal dryness and discomfort can affect intimacy, relationships and quality of life. Furthermore, the hormonal changes of menopause increase a woman's risk for certain medical conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease when left untreated.
Seeking proper medical care and treatment is essential for managing symptoms, improving quality of life, and protecting long-term health during the menopausal transition and beyond. The good news is, effective relief is available through hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other treatment options.
Here are some of the major long-term health implications associated with menopause:
Along with treatment, lifestyle measures like weight-bearing exercise, calcium and vitamin D supplementation, and healthy diet can help minimize potential long-term effects on health.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be highly effective for relieving symptoms and addressing hormonal changes during and after menopause. The goal is to supplement the decline in hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone that occurs with menopause.
Benefits of HRT include:
Treatment is individualized based on each woman's health profile and needs. At Balance Hormone Clinic of Fort Mill, we offer a full range of HRT options including oral tablets, skin patches and gels, vaginal treatments, pellet implants and more.
HRT is most effective when initiated within a few years of menopause onset or ovulation ending. Treatment may be short-term for symptomatic relief or it can safely be continued longer term.
Bioidentical hormone replacement provides plant-based hormones that are molecularly identical to the estrogens, progesterone and testosterone made in the female body. This allows treatment to be customized to help rebalance a woman's specific hormone deficiencies and ratio imbalances.
Benefits of bioidentical HRT:
At Balance Hormone Clinic, bioidentical hormones are our preferred form of treatment for perimenopause, menopause and beyond. Our clinicians have extensive experience optimizing bioidentical replacement regimens to help women find relief.
For vaginal dryness and discomfort specifically, local vaginal estrogen preparations can be very effective and are available in cream, tablet or ring formulations. This low-dose treatment allows estrogens to act directly on vaginal tissue without significant absorption into the whole body.
Advantages of localized estrogen:
Used along with systemic HRT or alone, local vaginal estrogen is an excellent option for managing troubling vaginal symptoms during or after menopause while avoiding excess hormonal exposure.
Testosterone levels also naturally decline in women as they age, and this drop frequently accelerates during perimenopause and menopause. Low testosterone can negatively impact energy, mood, sexual health, muscle tone, memory and more.
Benefits of testosterone replacement in women:
Working closely with patients at Balance Hormone Clinic in Fort Mill, our medical providers determine when testosterone replacement is appropriate to complement other hormonal therapies.
Optimizing hormone health naturally through smart lifestyle and nutrition choices can bolster treatment results. Here are some tips:
Following an overall healthy lifestyle supports hormone health during menopause while also providing key protections against heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, mood changes and more both now and in later years.
At Balance Hormone Clinic in Fort Mill, our clinicians provide comprehensive lifestyle guidance, recommend targeted nutritional support, and offer stress management techniques as a holistic complement to your hormone replacement protocols. Contact us today to learn more!
While hormone therapy is commonly used to treat menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, some recent research has found that cognitive behavioral therapy focusing on changing thought patterns around menopause may be equally as effective for improving women's quality of life during this transition.
