I Need Help With... Menopause

Answering Your Questions About Menopause

Many women like you come to us with questions about menopause. They want to understand the menopause symptoms… early menopause, peri menopause, menopause hot flashes, and more.

The best way to get your questions answered is to come in and talk with us. We hope that you’ll find the following information helpful before your visit.

What is menopause?

Basically, this is the time in your life when your period stops. Technically, we say that you’ve reached menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months in a row (and you’re not pregnant or ill).

As you lead up to menopause, your body makes less estrogen and progesterone. You’ll find this change typically happening between the ages of 45 and 55. You’ll notice certain symptoms of menopause as your body changes. By knowing what these changes are, most of your fears will be alleviated. However, if these symptoms are causing you any discomfort or concern, we’d be happy to speak with you. There are many treatments we can offer.

What are the symptoms of menopause? How can I tell if I’m going through menopause?

No woman is alike, so your symptoms won’t match a “perfect” description. Some women experience more severe “hot flashes,” and others only experience of menopause symptoms is the stopping of their period. Common symptoms of menopause include:

  • Your period become longer, shorter, heavier, or lighter
  • Hot flashes (sometimes called hot flushes), night sweats (sometimes followed by a chill)
  • Trouble sleeping through the night
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Feeling crabby or having unexplained crying spells
  • You can’t seem to focus on things like you used to
  • Or, you’re finding that your hair is getting thinner or you have more hair growth on your face

 

What menopause treatment is available?

There are many ways we can help you. Most important is to ensure that you have a healthy diet and are exercising regularly. Most women don’t need any special treatment, and there is no one perfect treatment.

One thing we want to ensure is that your bones stay strong. Estrogen levels fall at menopause, which can weaken your bones. Most likely you won’t need any kind of hormone therapy, but we want to make sure that you’re getting the nutrition and exercise that will keep your bones strong.

Hormone Therapy

If used properly, hormone therapy can deal with the more difficult symptoms of menopause. It's the only therapy that is approved by the government for treating more difficult hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Hormone therapy should NOT be used solely to prevent heart or bone disease, stroke, memory loss, or Alzheimer's disease.

Since there are many kinds of hormone therapies, we’d like to see if this is an option for you, and if so, which therapy would be best.  Be aware that hormone therapy can increase your chance of getting blood clots, heart attack, stroke and breast cancer. If you think you’re pregnant, have had problems with vaginal bleeding, or problems with your heart or liver, then this is NOT an option for you.

“Natural” treatments for menopause

The jury is still out on the effectiveness of natural treatments, such as soy. Many people find that they are allergic to soy products, and there is no proof that soy does anything for relieving the symptoms of menopause.

Others swear by various herbs, such as black cohosh and wild yam. Again, there is no scientific proof that these actually work to relieve hot flashes. It’s best to check with us before jumping onto a “natural” bandwagon, since there’s no proof they work, and there’s also no proof that they’re actually safe!

Menopause exercise

Your goal should be regular exercise… with or without menopause. We’d want to review your exercise plan with you to make sure that you’re not overstressing, doing to much, and doing the right kinds of exercises. Usually, we’ll recommend about 30 minutes of brisk walking to get your heart rate up during the week.

Other menopause symptom remedies

Hot Flashes: Try paying attention to the pattern of your hot flashes. If you find that eating or drinking hot or spicy foods brings on a hot flash, then avoid eating or drinking hot or spicy foods! Stress can bring on hot flashes, so avoid (as much as possible) stressful situations. Some women wear heavy sweaters at work and complain about hot flashes! By all means dress in layers. And, again, regular exercise can help.

Vaginal Dryness: Try using a water-based, over-the-counter vaginal lubricant (like KY® Jelly) if sex is painful. You can also use an over-the-counter vaginal moisturizer to provide some relief. If your vaginal dryness is really bad, we might recommend hormone therapy. Be sure to talk with us about this, as there’s no reason for you to go through this life change in pain!

Problems sleeping: Exercise, exercise, exercise. Physical activity is the best way to ensure that you sleep well at night. Also don’t eat big meals just before you go to bed. And by all means cut down on caffeine, smoking or working up until the last minute. Some people find relief from stress by meditating daily… it calms your mind so that you don’t spend all night thinking.

Mood swings:  Feeling a little blue? You’re not alone. If you had bad PMS or post-partum depression, you might also find that you have dramatic mood swings around menopause. These will go away over time, but some women find that hormone therapy helps. Certainly physical activity will help!

Is my menopause premature?

Menopause is called “premature” if it happens at or before the age of 40. This can be brought on naturally, or brought on by some medical procedure (induced menopause). Check your family history to see if there is a pattern. If you’ve had your ovaries removed, you’ll also have premature menopause. Also, any cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy to the pelvic area can damage the ovaries.

Be aware that premature menopause puts you more at risk for osteoporosis, so be sure to talk with us about your options – exercise, diet, or possibly hormone therapy.

What is postmenopause?

Postmenopause is the term for all the years beyond menopause. It begins after you have not had a period for 12 months in a row--whether your menopause was natural or medically induced.

Come see us…

Your health and well being is our top priority. We want you to be informed, but we also want you to have the best care possible. As you age, it’s important that you maintain more vigilance over your diet, exercise, and your bone density. During menopause, it feels as though everything has changed… it has.

Please call for an appointment. We’ll take you step-by-step through all your options before, during, and after menopause.

Additional Menopause Information:

 

National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIH, HHS
Phone: (800) 222-2225
Internet Address: http://www.nih.gov/nia

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Phone: (888) 463-6332
Internet Address: www.fda.gov/womens/menopause

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)
Phone: (800) 774-5342
Internet Address: http://www.menopause.org