A few women breeze through menopause with mild symptoms. But most struggle with embarrassing and disruptive hot flashes and night sweats — to mention a few of the problems that arise during menopause.
Despite the tremendous impact of menopause on their life, many women don’t seek help.
Of all the reasons they may not get help, the most pervasive is that menopause problems don’t last long and, in the meantime, they must tolerate the natural changes.
But you don’t need to put up with symptoms affecting your mental and physical well-being. And sorry to say, there’s a good chance your symptoms won’t end soon.
On average, hot flashes and night sweats last seven years. And some menopausal changes cause life-long health complications.
Whether you’re reaching an age where you want to prepare for menopause or struggling through the transition, Chetanna Okasi, MD, can help.
At Women’s Wellness MD, you receive compassionate, personalized care and customized treatments that relieve your symptoms and restore balance in your body and life.
Here, they explain the most common menopause challenges and a few treatment choices.
Menopause isn’t a single event that happens when your ovaries suddenly stop producing hormones and your periods stop. Your hormones start fluctuating years before your menstrual cycles end, a stage called perimenopause.
During perimenopause, your periods may become irregular, lighter, heavier, shorter, or longer. You can also start having symptoms like hot flashes throughout perimenopause.
Once menopause begins, moderate to severe symptoms can continue for years. While hot flashes and night sweats (vasomotor symptoms) eventually end in 7-10 years, other menopause-related conditions won’t improve without treatment.
Estrogen does more than support women’s reproductive systems. It’s crucial for regulating many body areas and functions, which is why menopause can cause numerous symptoms and health concerns.
Here’s a rundown of the most common problems women face during menopause:
Hot flashes and night sweats (vasomotor symptoms) are the same problem; one occurs during the day and the other at night. Vasomotor symptoms are the most common menopause problem, affecting about 80% of women.
The loss of estrogen affects the part of the brain that regulates body temperature. As a result, body temperature and heart rate occasionally rise, and you suddenly experience red, flushed skin and excessive sweating.
Vaginal dryness and painful sex
Did you know that more than half of women develop vaginal atrophy due to menopause? Vaginal atrophy causes vaginal dryness, loss of lubrication, and thinning of the vaginal wall. In addition to itching and burning, these changes make sex painful.
Mood swings, memory loss, and brain fog
Estrogen directly influences brain areas regulating emotions, mood, thinking, and memory. When estrogen production stops, many women develop depression, anxiety, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating (brain fog).
Low sex drive
Your desire to have sex (libido) is affected by many aspects of your life. However, sexual desire often diminishes during menopause, not only because of painful intercourse but also because of mood swings and a diminished physical response (loss of arousal).
Urinary incontinence
The tissue changes affecting the vagina also occur in your urinary tract. Then, the muscles controlling urination weaken, and incontinence (uncontrollable urine leakage) develops.
Chronic health conditions
The loss of hormones raises your risk of developing the following chronic health conditions:
Without treatment, women can lose up to 20% of bone density in the first five to seven years after menopause.
We work closely with each woman, creating a treatment plan based on her unique needs, overall health, and the severity of her symptoms. Though lifestyle modifications may help mild symptoms, we often recommend two effective treatments:
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
Unlike synthetic hormones, bioidentical hormones are the same as those your body produces. Bioidentical hormones have the same molecular structure and produce an identical response inside your body, dramatically lowering the risk of side effects.
By restoring healthy hormone levels, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) eliminates menopause symptoms and prevents the chronic conditions triggered by hormonal imbalances.
Don’t struggle through menopause symptoms. Call Women’s Wellness MD or connect online to schedule an evaluation.
