Search Here
Entering menopause marks a significant transition in a woman's life—a time when the body undergoes various changes, both physically and hormonally. While it's a natural phase, it's essential to prioritize your health and well-being during this period. Here are five crucial questions to ask your doctor about your health after menopause:
Understanding the physical changes that accompany menopause is crucial for managing your health effectively. From fluctuations in hormone levels to potential weight gain and changes in bone density, your doctor can provide valuable insights into what to expect and how to navigate these changes.
2. How Can I Manage Menopausal Symptoms?
Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings—menopause can bring about a range of symptoms that impact your daily life. Your doctor can discuss various management strategies, including lifestyle modifications, hormone therapy options, and alternative therapies, to help alleviate discomfort and improve your quality of life.
3. What Should I Know About Bone Health?
After menopause, women are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones. Talk to your doctor about bone health assessments, including bone density scans, and discuss strategies to maintain or improve bone density through diet, exercise, and, if necessary, medication.
4. Are There Any Screenings or Tests I Should Consider?
Menopause can also impact your risk factors for certain health conditions, such as heart disease, breast cancer, and osteoporosis. Your doctor can recommend appropriate screenings and tests based on your individual health profile to detect any potential issues early and take proactive steps to manage them.
5. What Can I Do to Support My Overall Health and Well-being?
Beyond managing menopausal symptoms and addressing specific health concerns, it's essential to prioritize your overall health and well-being. Your doctor can offer guidance on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including recommendations for diet, exercise, stress management, and preventive care measures tailored to your needs.
-
Navigating the complexities of menopause requires proactive communication and collaboration with your healthcare provider. By asking these vital questions and engaging in open dialogue, you can empower yourself with the knowledge and resources needed to prioritize your health and thrive during this transformative phase of life. Remember, your health is your greatest asset—take the initiative to advocate for yourself and invest in your well-being.
Menopause is manageable. If you or someone you know is going through this stage of life, you may be wondering how to manage menopause.
Menopause is a natural process that many people associate with uncomfortable symptoms. Many women report mood swings, hot flashes, night sweats, and weight gain. Despite the unpredictability, menopause is manageable. With a basic understanding and simple lifestyle choices, women can thrive during this time.
How do you manage some of the common complaints? Well, it helps to start with a grasp on what causes this change.
Menopause is a time in a woman’s life when the menstrual cycle stops. During this period, the ovaries produce less of a hormone called estrogen. Changing hormonal levels affect many body processes.
Three phases make up the process of menopause:
Premenopause (“pre” means "before"): years before periods stop, estrogen levels decrease and periods may become irregular
Perimenopause (“peri” means "around"): the ovaries lower estrogen production, and periods stop; when a woman has not bled in 12 months, she has reached menopause
Postmenopause (“post” means "after"): after menopause, symptoms become milder and less frequent
Menopause generally affects women in their 40’s or 50’s. Studies show that the onset age of menopause is affected by many factors, including genetics (age the mother began menopause), the number of pregnancies a woman has had, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and other factors. The average age for menopause in the United States is 52.
Symptoms may last during the postmenopausal time for up to four or five years, but they will become lighter.
Menopause varies among women. Yet, many report some common symptoms.
Empowering women with understanding about the natural process, and recommending lifestyle changes known to improve signs and symptoms, helps patients and their doctors manage menopause.
So, below you will find details about what causes these common complaints, and ways to manage them.
Mood swings happen with menopause because of changing hormone levels. Estrogen decreases during menopause. This important hormone relates to production and regulation of other key hormones such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
Serotonin is a mood-stabilizing hormone. Thus, fluctuating estrogen levels can lead to a disruption in serotonin production.
In other words, women in perimenopause may notice that they feel more emotional, sensitive, anxious, or worried.
To reduce or prevent mood swings, women should practice healthy habits, including:
Doctors believe that night sweats and hot flashes occur during menopause because of hormones. Estrogen and progesterone hormones help to regulate body temperature. During the natural process of menopause, when hormone levels change, many women find that they experience periods of feeling very hot to the point of sweating, even though their environment has not changed. Night sweats are episodes that occur while sleeping.
Hot flashes vary from seconds to minutes. They may happen once a day or 20 times in a day. Some women never experience them at all.
To deal with hot flashes, women could:
Weight gain is another common complaint of menopause. And it happens because, you guessed it, hormone changes. Estrogen plays an essential role in regulating fat storage. As estrogen levels go down during menopause, there are changes in the way the body stores fat. Also, for many women in their 40’s and 50’s, activity levels decrease, and metabolism slows. This triple whammy makes weight gain probable.
To prevent menopausal weight gain, women might consider:
Menopause symptoms generally become less intense and less frequent as time goes on. Some women may experience few or none at all. Yet, if you feel like your symptoms are severe or disrupt your life, you should talk to your doctor. There are other medical treatments, such as medications or hormone replacement therapies, available.
To talk with one of our board-certified physicians, click below to schedule an appointment. My Virtual Physician offers comprehensive OB/GYN services to address women’s healthcare needs. Our caring experts can treat menopausal signs and symptoms. If you have suggestions for other topics you want to read about, let us know! Don’t forget to follow us on social media.
Have questions about menopause? You're not alone. We've answered some frequently asked questions to help you learn, prepare for, and navigate menopause!
Menopause is the time in a woman’s life, usually between the ages of 45 and 55, when the ovaries stop producing eggs (aka. ovulating) and menstrual periods end.
Great question! Menopause typically lasts 4-5 years.
Menopause does not happen suddenly; most women experience changes in their periods for years (typically 8-10) before they stop menstruating completely. During this time (called perimenopause or the menopausal transition), women often start to have menopausal symptoms as a result of declining levels of estrogen in the body. The transition from perimenopause to menopause is considered complete after a full year without a period. After menopause, symptoms subside and a woman enters postmenopause.
No. After menopause, a woman can no longer get pregnant.
Symptoms vary, but can include any of the following:
Menopause symptoms are caused by the ovaries producing less estrogen - this decreases by more than 90%!
There are a number of options available to ease the symptoms of menopause. These include estrogen (hormone therapy) and non-hormonal options.
We pulled our information for this blog off of our Patient Resources page on Menopause and Hormone Therapy, but there are other great sites out there to help, too! A few of our favorites are listed below:
Top Questions About Menopause @ womanshealth.gov
Menopause FAQs: Understanding the Symptoms @ menopause.org
Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding After Menopause @ acog.org
Still have questions? Talk it through with one of our board-certified OBGYNs from the comfort of your home! Click here to book now!
