In the United States, women reach menopause in their early 50s on average. The hormonal changes accompanying menopause may elevate your risk of chronic health disorders, yet menopausal symptoms affect everyone differently. If you have concerns regarding menopause in Houston, you can find solutions at Memorial Women’s Specialists. For compassionate care and a world-class treatment experience, call or go online to schedule a consultation.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is a normal transitional period in a woman’s life that signals the end of her menstrual cycle. Menopause is diagnosed after you have gone 12 months without menstruation. Many of the symptoms associated with menopause emerge long before you stop menstruating. Around the age of 30, the synthesis of estrogen and progesterone begins to drop, affecting your fertility.
During your forties, you may begin to notice inconsistencies in your menstrual cycle. Your menstrual cycle may be shorter or lighter. You could miss a month or two. During this transitional period, called perimenopause, the fluctuation in your hormone levels may cause many of the symptoms associated with menopause.
Common Menopause Symptoms
Menopause symptoms might appear months or years before you enter menopause. Your symptoms’ intensity may vary. Menopause symptoms can be disturbing to some women’s daily lives. Common symptoms include:
- Insomnia
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Night sweats
- Hot flashes
- Weight gain
- Vaginal dryness
- Pain during intercourse
- Irritability
- Low libido
Your declining estrogen levels increase your likelihood of developing chronic health concerns, including heart disease, osteoporosis, and incontinence, in addition to the physical symptoms. Regular gynecological visits at Memorial Women’s Specialists will help you regulate not only your physical symptoms but also avoid the emergence of long-term health problems.
Treatment of Menopause
Based on your symptoms’ complexity and medical history, Memorial Women’s Specialists develops tailored menopausal treatment regimens. Although you cannot avoid the biological shift, your OB/GYN can help you maintain your health and well-being.
Your treatment regimen may consist of the following:
- Nutritional supplements
- Healthy diet plan
- Medication for osteoporosis
- Exercise program
- Gabapentin or clonidine for hot flashes
- Low-dose antidepressants
Hormone replacement therapy is also accessible at Memorial Women’s Specialists to help relieve symptoms and promote bone health. For relief, vaginal dryness, and discomfort, vaginal estrogen may be advised.
For many women undergoing menopause, hormone replacement therapy is an effective and acceptable treatment option. If you have a history of cardiac complications, blood clots, or breast cancer, your doctor may not recommend hormone replacement therapy.
How Long Will Perimenopause (The Menopause Transition) Last?
The duration of each stage of the menopause transition varies among individuals. Perimenopause lasts roughly four years on average. Some women may only witness this stage for a few months, while others may spend more than four years in this period. You are no longer perimenopausal if you have not had menstruation for more than 12 months. It can be difficult to identify the particular stage of the menopause transition if you are taking drugs or have a medical condition that affects your periods.
Final Thoughts
Do not allow menopause to take control of your life. For a thorough treatment plan that relieves your symptoms, call Memorial Women’s Specialists or book an appointment online now.
