Menopause

What is menopause?

Your health and wellness are governed by your reproductive system to a surprising degree — whether or not you have children — which can be made abundantly clear during your transition through menopause.

In the simplest of terms, menopause marks the transition from your reproductive years to your non-reproductive years. It is accompanied by a number of important hormonal changes, particularly in the levels of the reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone, among others.

Most women enter perimenopause and menopause in their late 40s, and the average age that women complete the transition is 51 or 52, which is marked by the lack of a menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months. Nonetheless, perimenopause can last up to 10 years, and symptoms can therefore appear earlier than women would expect. 

What are the symptoms of menopause?

The symptoms and side effects of menopause are as varied as the women who experience them. The hormonal fluctuations of this phase affect women in different ways — some sail through menopause with ease while others are left with life-altering side effects.

Most women fall somewhere in between and experience some degree of these common symptoms:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Weight gain
• Thinning tissue and thinning hair
• Vaginal dryness
• Loss of breast fullness
• Moodiness and/or anxiety
• Sleep issues

Again, there’s no blueprint for menopause, but if any of the side effects are having an impact on your quality of life, it’s a good idea to seek the help of the expert team at OBGYN Westside.

How can the side effects of menopause be treated?

After reviewing your symptoms and medical history, your doctor tailors a plan specific to your unique situation and goals. The OBGYNs at OBGYN Westside believe in a holistic and integrative approach to treating the side effects of menopause, which may include:

• Lifestyle modifications
• Nutritional counseling
• Hormone management, including conventional or bioidentical therapy
• Supplements
• Herbal and botanical remedies 

Since the experience of menopause can vary between women, it’s difficult to outline a specific treatment plan here, but, rest assured, your doctor works with you until your issues are resolved.

To learn more about offsetting the effects of menopause, call OBGYN Westside or request an appointment with a GYN using the online booking tool.

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