Menopause is a natural transition that typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 as a woman's ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This leads to the end of menstruation and fertility.
The transition through menopause can last for several years and brings physical and emotional changes. Common symptoms associated with menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, mood changes, and slowing metabolism. While some symptoms are mild for some women, they can significantly disrupt quality of life for others.
Timely treatment through hormone therapy and lifestyle adjustments can help ease challenging menopause symptoms. Hormone Health Center has extensive experience caring for women throughout perimenopause and postmenopause. Our holistic approach incorporates bioidentical hormone therapy, nutrition advice, fitness guidance, and emotional support to help women thrive.
The wide variety of menopause symptoms stem from declining estrogen levels. Some of the most problematic issues include:
Hot flashes and night sweats are hallmark complaints, experienced by up to 80% of menopausal women. Sensations of intense heat in the upper body, sometimes coupled with profuse sweating, can happen daily for years. Managing hot flashes and night sweats is a top treatment priority for many women.
As estrogen production slows, tissues in the vagina become thinner, drier, and less elastic. This atrophic vaginitis causes irritation, pain with sexual activity, increased infections, and bladder issues. Treating vaginal dryness can significantly improve comfort and quality of life.
Mood changes from menopause often look like depression and anxiety. More than 20% of menopausal women experience issues like mood swings, irritability, sadness, nervousness, and difficulty coping with stress. Emotional and mental health support can make a big difference.
Between hot flashes and hormonal shifts, most women have trouble sleeping during menopause. Night sweats and temperature changes disrupt sleep continuity. Stress and anxiety compound normal age-related reductions in sleep quality. Addressing sleep hygiene is key.
Bodies burn calories less efficiently after menopause. Weight often shifts to accumulate around the abdomen. A healthy lifestyle helps counteract this natural slowing metabolism and tendency toward weight gain.
In addition to quality of life impacts from menopause symptoms, women face some elevated health risks after menopause. Estrogen supports cardiovascular health, bone strength, neurological function, and more. When the body produces less of this protective hormone, risks increase for:
Weak, brittle bones that fracture easily characterize osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women lose bone mass rapidly in the first few years after menopause. Building strong bones protects against disability and loss of independence later in life.
Declines in estrogen correspond with increases in LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat circulating in the blood. An accumulation of plaque also accelerates in the arteries after menopause. Supporting heart health is extremely important.
The hormonal changes of menopause cause fat to shift to the abdomen. Increased belly fat hikes inflammation that can lead to blood clots or hardened arteries, heightening women's risks for stroke. Keeping middle body fat in check protects neurological health.
Thinning tissue and reduced muscular tone in urethras and bladders lead to a rise in urinary tract infections (UTIs) for menopausal women. Incontinence also becomes more prevalent. Pelvic floor therapy can improve bladder control and function.
The right menopause treatment helps counteract these increased health risks while also alleviating unpleasant symptoms to help women feel their best. Hormone Health Center provides comprehensive testing, diagnosis, and effective treatment plans.
Since so many perimenopause and menopause symptoms relate to decreasing hormones, accurate hormone tests provide the foundation. Comparing lab results to optimal range values for reproductive hormones and key biomarkers informs effective treatment plans.
Essential hormone labs include:
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- Testosterone
- DHEA
- T3 and T4 thyroid hormones
- FSH and LH
- Vitamin levels
- Complete blood count
- Metabolic panel
Testing also checks for potential issues like anemia, liver or kidney problems, high cholesterol, and blood sugar dysregulation. Diagnostic testing clarifies which symptoms and health risks apply for developing customized care.
After thorough testing, Hormone Health Center crafts bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT) to restore optimal balance. BHRT provides plant-derived hormones that perfectly match the body's estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. This natural hormone optimization activates vital processes in the body for feeling and functioning at one's best.
Bioidentical estrogens and progesterone effectively treat hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, bladder issues, sleep problems, sexual dysfunction, mood disturbances, and mental fogginess. BHRT directly targets the source of discomfort for significant relief.
Balanced hormones enhance metabolic function and energy levels which makes it easier to manage weight. Low estrogen reduces fat burning while testosterone builds lean muscle mass. Optimal hormonal balance facilitates reaching and maintaining a healthy weight.
Estrogen plays an important role in bone remodeling to build mineral density. Bioidentical estrogen preserves bone integrity to protect against osteoporosis. It also speeds fracture healing to restore mobility.
Estrogen supports healthy cholesterol balance and blood flow while tempering inflammation. Optimizing estrogen diminishes cardiovascular risks by fostering smooth artery walls and reducing plaque build-up and blood clots.
Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA all influence neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine to stabilize moods. Regulating stress response also protects emotional health. BHRT boosts resilience against anxiety, depression and memory loss.
The safety and effectiveness of BHRT depend upon appropriately restoring hormones to optimal levels based on an individual’s physiology and lab work rather than standardized doses. Hormone Health Center medical providers have advanced training in anti-aging medicine, bioidentical hormone therapies and nutrition to provide truly personalized care.
Hormone Health Center recognizes that no two women have the exact same experience with menopause. A customized approach delivers the best results. We build trusting partnerships with patients to explore lifestyle habits, symptom impacts, health history and hormone testing results to develop tailored treatment plans.
Our licensed medical providers look beyond hormones for whole person wellness. We offer emotional support plus guidance for nutrition, exercise, stress management and environmental factors to help alleviate symptoms. Each woman receives tools to empower her own good health.
Using the latest clinical evidence and precision testing, we prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and/or DHEA at optimal levels based on lab work. Careful dosing helps women feel like themselves again. Ongoing monitoring ensures effective treatment.
Vitamins, antioxidants and herbal preparations provide nutritional support for managing specific menopause concerns like hot flashes, sleep disruption, low energy, brain fog, weight gain, bone loss and vaginal health. We identify key supplements to enrich each woman's care plan.
Our center partners with experts across related specialties: gynecology, cardiology, gastroenterology, dermatology, sleep medicine, physical therapy, psychiatry, neurology, osteopathy, and dietary counseling. We tap this network for specialized care coordination when needed.
Menopause ends a woman's fertility but opens the door to her vitality in the second half of life. From perimenopause into the postmenopausal years, timely treatment tailored to her unique changes allows a woman to pursue her passions fully. Hormone Health Center delivers individualized therapy for revitalized health in midlife and beyond.
