Menopause is a natural transition in a woman's life when her menstrual periods stop permanently and she can no longer become pregnant. The years leading up to menopause are called perimenopause. During perimenopause, levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones fluctuate irregularly, causing symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, and mood changes.
Menopause officially begins when a woman has gone 12 months without a period. The average age for menopause is 51, but it can happen from 40s to mid 50s. Genetics, ethnicity, and lifestyle factors affect when you'll go through menopause.
The most common symptom women associate with menopause is hot flashes. A hot flash is a sudden feeling of intense heat in the upper body, like a wave spreading from your chest up to your neck and face. Flushing and sweating often follow. Hot flashes can wake you up from sleep.
Other common menopause symptoms include:
For some women, symptoms are mild and quite manageable. But for others, the physical and emotional changes seriously disrupt daily life. Proper treatment can provide immense relief.
Over time, low estrogen levels associated with menopause lead to risks like:
That's why it's so important to discuss treatment options with your menopause specialist. Optimizing hormones now protects your health for years to come.
Bioidentical hormone replacement (BHRT) can help relieve uncomfortable symptoms for perimenopausal and menopausal women. BHRT provides synthetic hormones that are molecularly identical to the estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone made naturally in the woman's body.
With BHRT, we craft a customized prescription with the optimal types, ratios, and doses of hormones based on your lab testing and specific needs. The hormones are created at a compounding pharmacy in creams, tablets, capsules, or sublingual drops.
Benefits of bioidentical HRT include relief from:
BHRT may also provide:
Hormone pellet therapy is another option for hormone replacement in menopausal women. The bioidentical estrogen, testosterone (if needed), and progesterone are compressed into tiny rods called pellets. The pellets are inserted under the skin during an office procedure, then steadily release hormones over 3-6 months.
Advantages of pellet therapy are convenience and consistency. You don't have to remember to take pills or apply creams every day. The hormones are released slowly to keep your levels balanced 24/7. Follow up pellet insertions continue delivering a steady stream of hormones for lasting relief.
The first step in treating menopause with HRT is diagnosing any hormone deficiencies through laboratory blood, urine, and saliva tests. We check levels of key hormones like estradiol, estrone, estriol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, melatonin, and cortisol.
Testing also checks FSH, TSH, blood counts, cholesterol panels, vitamin D, and markers of heart disease risk, diabetes risk, and bone loss. From the test results, we can pinpoint exact hormone imbalances contributing to your menopausal symptoms.
After beginning treatment, follow up tests help us adjust your hormone therapy to achieve optimal levels. Most women feel significantly better within a few weeks as hormones normalize.
Don't dismiss menopausal symptoms as an inevitable part of aging. There's no need to live with debilitating hot flashes, insomnia, vaginal pain, weight gain, fatigue, mental fog, and mood swings. Consider getting your hormone levels tested if you have:
Mild, Moderate, or Severe Symptoms: - Hot flashes - Night sweats disrupting sleep - Lack of energy and stamina - Weight gain and bloating - Vaginal dryness and painful intercourse - Urinary urgency or incontinence - Emotional changes like anxiety, irritability, depression - Memory and concentration problems - Other physiological changes
Family History: Genetics mean you may experience menopause earlier or more severely than average.
Health Conditions: Thyroid disorders, anemia, and other issues can exacerbate menopause symptoms.
Medications: Certain prescription drugs influence hormone levels.
Previous Hysterectomy: Surgical removal of ovaries rapidly plunges estrogen levels.
Don’t hesitate to book a consultation if you’re struggling with perimenopause or menopause. There are solutions!
The Optimal Hormone Health Center Menopause Center provides specialized care to help women gracefully transition through perimenopause and menopause. Our goal is restoring wellbeing, vitality, and quality of life.
Our clinic brings together a team of highly skilled, compassionate practitioners dedicated to optimizing women’s health during midlife changes.
We take time listening to your health history and concerns during an extensive initial consultation. Diagnostic testing coupled with a physical exam pinpoints any hormone imbalances or deficiencies contributing to your symptoms.
Then we thoughtfully design a treatment plan to meet your individual needs. Follow ups monitor progress, and we adjust approaches as necessary.
In addition to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, we craft holistic protocols utilizing:
Lifestyle changes are key for managing menopausal symptoms and protecting long term health after menopause. We provide guidance on:
Studies show that practicing yoga can help ease many of the symptoms associated with menopause. Specific poses that promote relaxation, circulation, and emotional balance have been found to reduce hot flashes, mood swings, sleep issues, and muscle tension in menopausal women. Yoga's focus on mindfulness and body awareness provides a holistic way to care for oneself during this transitional time.
Marshall offers a supportive environment for women to transition through perimenopause and menopause. Our small city provides community connections while the beautiful countryside facilitates relaxation and self-care.
With warm, sunny weather year round, it's easy stay active outdoors in Marshall which helps manage menopausal symptoms. Cool ocean breezes keep summer heat moderate. Curling up by the fireplace with a cup of tea makes winter storms cozy.
Specialized local businesses assist with health, nutrition, fitness and emotional wellbeing during this transitional time.
Pure Vida Spa offers massage, facials, yoga classes and more in a peaceful sanctuary environment. Their Mind-Body package lets you design your own half or full day of treatments culminating in a relaxing float pod session.
The Marshall Community Acupuncture provides affordable acupuncture treatments in a relaxing group setting. Their menopause support packages include customized modalities to soothe symptoms.
Urban Harvest Farmer’s Market is filled with the freshest local organic produce, artisanal food products, and prepared meals. Their weekly newsletter provides healthy recipes and eating tips.
Breakwater Fitness is a women’s only gym with specialized classes like cooling yoga for menopause and strength training to prevent osteoporosis. Their outdoor bootcamps take place on the beach and in Marshall’s nature parks.
The Picnic Table Cafe serves nutritious, locally-sourced comfort food in a cozy renovated craftsman bungalow. It's a popular hangout for residents. On Wednesdays they host wellness seminars on topics like managing stress during life transitions.
The White Heron Tea Room’s extensive collection of imported teas make it the perfect refuge during any time of day when you need to literally just chill.
Menopause support groups that provide community, understanding, and tips for navigating this transition meet at rotating Marshall library branches.
Don’t delay seeking help if you’re struggling with perimenopause or menopause. Ignoring troubling emotional and physical symptoms can negatively impact your relationships, career, overall wellbeing, and long term health. Too many women endure menopause misery thinking it’s normal.
The longer your hormone levels are out of optimal range, the higher your risks for:
A customized bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT) regimen tailored to your hormonal status is the most effective solution for avoiding the above consequences. BHRT helps regulate estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and other hormones to levels consistent with youthful good health.
In addition to feeling better in the present, balancing key hormones now protects your health in the future by preventing disease. Don’t hesitate to book a consultation at our clinic to discuss safe, effective treatment options. You deserve to feel your best during midlife and beyond!
