Understanding Her Menopause for Dummies

One day she is purchasing much needed feminine products and the next, she is dripping in sweat ripping her blouse off and cranking down the AC.  Menopause, the change of life, is inevitable for women, but what does it mean?

  The average age of menopause is 51 years old and on average symptoms last seven to ten years.  That’s right- Seven to Ten years!  Symptoms may include, but are not limited to: hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, insomnia, depression, hair loss, weight gain, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, and brain fog.  Bloody Hell!  Well, actually periods (menses) cease so it’s just Hell.

  Menopause is rare amongst mammals.  Only in humans and a few whales does the female species lose the ability to reproduce.  In theory, this helps ensure the children’s offspring survive.  Thanks for the help Grandma!  Menopause is a natural biological process that is marked by the end of menstrual cycles, cannot be cured, but can be treated.  Well if it’s natural, it must be OK, right?  Yeah, go ahead and ask her how she feels about that.

  Most women won’t need a doctor to tell them they are in menopause.  They will know it!  However, blood tests can be helpful in determining if ovulation is possible.  Skipping periods during peri menopause is common and expected.  Often, menstrual periods will skip a month and return, or even skip several months.  Periods also tend to happen on shorter cycles, so they are closer together.  Despite irregular periods, pregnancy is still possible!  When the woman has not had a menstrual cycle for one full calendar year, she is considered menopausal.  On blood tests, her FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) will be HIGH and her estrogen and progesterone will be LOW.  Essentially, her ovaries have stopped producing hormones.  Enter above stated symptoms….. Or not.

  Menopause does not play fair.  Some women will sail through this transition with rarely a hot flash and others will be pummeled in every hormonal hail storm that nature can fling.  Healthy lifestyles such as proper diet, exercise, hydration, stress management and sleep most certainly help alleviate unwanted symptoms, but even the cleanest of clean living can get completely derailed.

  Hormone replacement therapy is available for most women.  Like most medications, there are risks and benefits.  Choosing to take HRT (hormone replacement therapy) is a personal decision as medically no woman is required to be on hormones.  However quality of life is usually much improved on HRT as the goal of treatment is to extinguish symptoms.  The safest treatment is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) at the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time.  That being said, many women simply choose to stay on hormones for many years.

  BHRT is the use of bio identical estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.  The effective goal is to diminish hot flashes and night sweats, improve mental acuity, enhance libido and improve bone health.  Many women also find they are less anxious, manage stress better, experience higher quality of sleep and diminished joint pain.  Women who are considering BHRT should have a lengthy consultation with a qualified medical professional.  This consultation should include a discussion of risks and benefits, contraindications, appropriate usage and blood work should be analyzed and watched through out treatment. It is also important to note that BHRT can be stopped at any time without a taper.  The only downside would be that symptoms may return in which case the woman may resumer BHRT if she chooses.

  Age may be just a number, it may be a mind set, but it is doesn’t have to be a victim of biological tyranny.  Don’t sweat it.