Menopause signals a transition in a woman's life, marking the end of her reproductive years. The hallmark of menopause is when a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. Perimenopause refers to the transitional stage leading up to menopause, which can last for several years.
During perimenopause and menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels decline in a woman's body. This drop in hormones causes a variety of bothersome symptoms. Some women experience symptoms so severe that they interfere with daily life. The wide range of menopause symptoms includes:
Fluctuating estrogen levels cause hot flashes and night sweats in 70-80% of women transitioning into menopause. Hot flashes involve sudden feelings of warmth spreading through the body, along with flushing and sweating. Night sweats occur with hot flashes at night. Hot flashes and sweats can vary from mild to severe, disrupting sleep and daily activities.
Declining estrogen often leads to vaginal dryness, irritation, itching and painful intercourse (dyspareunia). Over time, lack of estrogen causes the vaginal walls to thin, tear more easily and become inflamed (vaginitis). Vaginal symptoms progressively worsen without treatment.
Reduced estrogen weakens the urinary tract tissues, causing an urgent need to urinate (urinary urgency), increased urinary tract infections (UTIs) and unintended urine leakage (urinary incontinence).
Some women transitioning through menopause experience changes in mood such as anxiety, irritability, sadness and depression. Lack of sleep from night sweats can worsen moodiness. Hot flashes sometimes trigger sudden feelings of anxiety.
The timing, duration and severity of menopause symptoms varies for each woman. Symptoms often disrupt sleep, work productivity and quality of life. Fortunately, the bothersome symptoms accompanying menopause can be treated through hormone therapy and other modalities.
Some women consider menopause a natural transition that does not require medical treatment. However, the debilitating symptoms that often accompany menopause make treatment essential for many women struggling through this change.
Getting adequate sleep is critical for physical and emotional health. Persistent night sweats and hot flashes from menopause frequently disrupt sleep. Lack of sleep negatively impacts mood, thinking skills, immune function and heart health. Treating menopause symptoms can restore healthy sleep patterns.
For sexually active women, declining estrogen after menopause commonly causes vaginal dryness, discomfort and pain. Without lubrication, sexual activity becomes unpleasant or impossible. Menopause treatments can safely and effectively resolve vaginal issues.
Urinary control problems from menopause - leaking urine or recurrent UTIs - contribute to anxiety, isolation and depression. Incontinence also increases risk for falls and skin irritation. Hormone therapy helps strengthen urinary tract tissues and resolve incontinence.
Osteoporosis risk escalates after menopause as less estrogen enables accelerated bone loss. Bone-protective medications used with hormone therapy prevent excessive bone loss from menopause.
Perhaps most importantly, treating menopause helps women regain their quality of life so they can fully participate in all that gives them joy and meaning.
Hormone therapy remains the most effective treatment for relieving moderate to severe menopause symptoms. Estrogen therapy restores estrogen no longer made by the ovaries after menopause. Estrogen relieves most menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, urinary symptoms and prevents bone loss.
For women with an intact uterus, progesterone or an artificial progestogen must be combined with estrogen to prevent uterine cancer. The optimal regimen consists of a higher estrogen combined with micronized progesterone or progestogen. Oral and transdermal patches, gels, sprays and creams conveniently deliver estrogen absorption through the mouth or skin.
Benefits of estrogen:
Benefits of micronized progesterone:
While hormone therapy effectively treats most moderate to severe menopause symptoms, other therapies offer additional help:
Hormone therapy remains the gold standard for treating moderate to severe menopause symptoms. When initiated before extensive biological aging occurs, hormones continue effectively relieving symptoms for years. Close provider monitoring ensures safe, long-term hormone therapy.
The compassionate, experienced clinicians at Balance Hormone Clinic provide cutting edge, integrative care to help women and men optimize hormone levels. We thoroughly evaluate hormone balance through blood tests and clinical history to create customized treatment plans meeting each patient’s unique needs.
Determining optimal hormone levels requires assessing symptoms along with blood tests. At Balance Hormone Clinic, initial assessments include:
Follow up assessments monitor treatment effectiveness and adjust dosing accordingly. Ongoing care ensures hormones remain tailored to the patient’s changing needs over time.
Blood tests assess reproductive hormone levels implicated in menopause:
Thyroid hormones help regulate temperature control and metabolism. The adrenal hormone DHEA also declines during perimenopause. Testing thyroid hormones T3, T4 and TSH along with DHEA provide additional useful information when evaluating menopause.
Studies show that cognitive behavioral therapy, traditionally used to treat anxiety and depression, can significantly reduce the severity and impact of menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats when combined with mindfulness techniques. Researchers believe this holistic approach helps women better cope with the physical and emotional changes of menopause.
While hormone optimization serves as the foundation for resolving disruptive menopause symptoms, complementary lifestyle measures significantly enhance results:
Nutrition: An anti-inflammatory diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil provides antioxidants, fiber and healthy fats to reduce menopause symptoms. Avoid excess refined carbohydrates, sugary foods and processed snacks that promote weight gain and inflammation. Stay well hydrated by drinking water throughout the day.
Exercise: Aerobic, strength training and core stabilizing exercises each offer unique health perks while stimulating neurotransmitters to boost mood. Even light exercise like walking relieves stress and prevents weight gain associated with menopause. Aim for 30-60 minutes daily of moderate intensity activity.
Stress Reduction: Relaxation practices like deep breathing, meditation, yoga, massage and forest bathing deactivate the body’s stress response. Stress less to offset anxiety, depression, fatigue and insomnia worsened by hormone changes.
Healthy Sleep Habits: Keeping a consistent bedtime routine, limiting caffeine and creating an electronics curfew an hour before bed all promote restorative sleep. Cooling techniques and breathwork calm night sweats and hot flashes disrupting sleep.
While hormone optimization serves as the foundation for resolving disruptive menopause symptoms, complementary lifestyle measures significantly enhance results. At Balance Hormone Clinic, we educate and encourage patients to embrace lifestyle upgrades reaping maximum health rewards from hormone therapy.
Ideally, hormone therapy begins during perimenopause before extensive biological aging progresses. The earlier treatment starts, the more effective it remains over time. Women who initiate hormone therapy within 5 years of menopause onset report the highest satisfaction rates.
Postponing treatment until severe symptoms manifest makes it more difficult to regain optimal wellness. Treatment tolerability also declines in older age. Starting sooner maximizes positive outcomes from hormone therapy.
At Balance Hormone Clinic, we guide patients considering their menopause transition options to make informed decisions serving their long-term health and wellness.
Nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cartersville, Georgia offers a vibrant small city atmosphere with rich history and natural attractions. Mild winters and warm summers provide ample opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities during hormone therapy.
Fall and spring seasons offer comfortable weather conditions to start hormone replacement therapy in Cartersville. Treating menopause symptoms during warmer months may require additional cooling techniques to prevent heat sensitivity when beginning treatment. However, year round initiation remains an option with provider monitoring.
Several local clinics and labs offer comprehensive hormone testing in Cartersville including:
Many neighborhood greenways and parks foster opportunities for reflective walking and stress reduction:
Additional relaxation havens include Garden Lakes Community Baptist Church Labyrinth and Rolater Park Labyrinth for mindful meditation.
Regular exercise provides physical and mental health benefits when undergoing hormone therapy. Top rated fitness studios in the area feature state of the art equipment and classes:
Nutritious food fuels the body optimally during hormone transition. Many scrumptious eateries in town dish up fresh, locally sourced cuisine:
Balance Hormone Clinicians tailor integrative hormone therapy programs to meet each patient’s individual needs, lifestyles and health goals. Our passion is guiding people through hormone transitions to fully experience all the possibilities life has to offer. Please reach out with any questions – we’re happy to help!
