Menopause
As women age, their hormone levels change dramatically when they go through menopause. While some women breeze through menopause with just irregular cycles and a hot flash here and there, there are others who experience symptoms that dramatically affect their daily lives. Some of the symptoms that accompany menopause may make you feel like you’re going through puberty again. At Hale Wellness Clinic, we work with you to develop an individual hormone treatment plan to get you back to optimal health. Here are some common symptoms of menopause:
Menopause Signs and Symptoms
When women hit the age of 40, their hormone levels can start to drop and they may notice different menopausal symptoms. These symptoms may be more subtle in nature, or they may be dramatic and affect their daily lives. Some of the more common signs and symptoms of menopause in women are:
- Night sweats and hot flashes
- Difficulty sleeping
- Drop in libido (interest in sex)
- Vaginal dryness that can lead to painful sexual intercourse
- Changes in mood
- Weight gain
- Dry skin and thinning hair
Female hormones have a very delicate balance, and if one of them is off, it can cause a cascade of symptoms. As women approach 40 years of age or older, they start to feel “different” with more irritability, weight gain, lower energy, and a decreased sex drive. Hormones can become out of balance, causing these less-than-desirable symptoms. The two main hormones- progesterone and estrogen work together to keep a woman’s body balanced and healthy. While a woman goes through a menstrual cycle, they ebb and flow at different rates. During menopause, women may notice more irregular cycles and a roller coaster of symptoms with them.
If you’ve been suffering from some of these symptoms, you may be going through menopause or have a hormonal imbalance. The good news is that there are treatment options available.
Menopause Treatment Options
When you work with one of our knowledgeable practitioners, we will go over a very detailed health history on your first appointment to understand more about the symptoms you’re having. We may run lab work to get a better understanding of exactly what’s going on. If the lab work shows that you are experiencing a hormonal imbalance, we can work on creating a customized treatment plan for you. Here are some of the treatments available for menopausal women:
- Creams
- Gels
- Pills
- Skin patches
- Lozenges (troches)
- Pellets
The most common treatment options we use include oral hormones and creams. Oral hormones are an effective and common hormone replacement therapy option, and tablets need to be taken daily to get the best results. The creams are applied to the skin and then allowed to dry to be absorbed into the bloodstream. The cream is applied directly to the vaginal lips because that has the best absorption on that part of the body. Creams can be transferred to others, so it’s important to allow the cream to dry to prevent transferring the hormone cream to another person.