Menopause Care
Menopause is a point in time 12 months after a woman’s last period. In the years leading up to that point, called perimenopause, women may experience changes in their monthly cycles, hot flushes (often called hot flashes), sleep disturbance and irritability, or other symptoms (please see a full explanation of perimenopause here).
The Transition
The transition to menopause most often begins between ages 45 and 55, but it can happen in a woman’s 30s (due to surgical removal of the ovaries) or not until her 60’s. Even after a woman officially enters menopause, the signs of perimenopause may not end. For some, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, incontinence, fatigue, weight gain and forgetfulness or word-finding issues will continue for months, years, or even decades. In other words, you may be dealing with the symptoms of menopause for the rest of your life.
What can you do?
There are many ways of dealing with menopause symptoms. These include getting appropriate exercise and eating a healthy, balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables. However, as important as these lifestyle elements are, many women still struggle with symptoms of perimenopause or menopause and therefore may benefit greatly from hormone therapy.
What’s Required?
Among the hormones that may be prescribed are micronized progesterone, estradiol, thyroid and testosterone. At Ellithia Healthcare, we require you to do a thorough blood workup and talk extensively with our practitioners before any hormones are prescribed.