Menopause Management
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her period stops because the ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. It can occur naturally or be induced by surgery or chemotherapy. The average age of menopause is 51 years, but symptoms can begin many years before the final menstrual period. Perimenopause is the time before the final menstrual period and the symptoms are the same as menopause.
Traditionally, the definition of menopause is no menstrual period in one year; however, there are other reasons that can cause a woman to not have bleeding such as hysterectomy, chemotherapy, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, prediabetes and diabetes and other medical problems. Therefore, making the diagnosis of menopause will be unique for each woman depending on the combination of bloodwork, symptoms and/or menstrual status.
Symptoms of perimenopause and menopause:
- A change in periods - shorter or longer cycles, lighter or heavier bleeding
- Hot flashes and/or night sweats
- Difficulty sleeping- staying asleep and falling asleep
- Vaginal dryness, painful intercourse
- Mood swings- increase in irritability, anxiety, depression symptoms
- Trouble focusing, brain fog
- Hair loss
- Increase in bladder urgency/frequency
- Decreased libido
- Difficulty with orgasm
- Heart palpitations
- Weight gain
- Fatigue
- Body aches
- Digestion changes
Many of the above symptoms can be treated. Perimenopause can begin at any age, even in a woman's thirties, and you do not have to wait until your last menstrual period to treat your symptoms. Talk to your health care provider about how to best manage your menopause. This discussion is best done at a separate visit from your well woman exam as menopause is a large topic to cover. There are many options to treat symptoms both hormonal and non-hormonal, and there are pros and cons to each.
