Menopause

The stage of your life called menopause begins 12 months after you’ve had your last menstrual period. You enter menopause because your ovaries no longer produce estrogen, which is the hormone that signals your body to initiate your monthly period. Most women hit menopause at about age 51.

Before you enter menopause, you go through a period called perimenopause, during which you begin producing less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. For most women, the perimenopausal period starts somewhere in their 30s or 40s.

The decrease and fluctuations in your hormones cause your periods to become more and more irregular until they finally stop altogether.

The hormonal fluctuations that accompany both perimenopause and menopause create uncomfortable symptoms in many women. Common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause include:

• Hot flashes
• Dry vagina and uncomfortable sex
• Reduced sex drive
• Hair loss
• Trouble sleeping
• Night sweats
• Incontinence (leaking)
• Irritable or anxious mood

Although perimenopause and menopause are natural stages of your life, you shouldn't have to suffer uncomfortable symptoms. Dr. Epstein helps you regulate your hormones so that you feel like yourself again.

Menopause marks the end of your fertility. However, when you're in the perimenopausal period, you can still become pregnant. You should continue to use birth control when you have sex for at least 12 months after your last period.

Menopause is natural, so if you don’t have any symptoms, you don’t need treatment. However, the changes in your hormones and your body may make you more susceptible to age-related diseases such as osteoporosis. You should continue to see Dr. Epstein in your postmenopausal period to maintain your overall health, even if you’re symptom-free.

If you do have symptoms related to menopause, Dr. Epstein offers nutritional guidance and lifestyle adjustments that can make this time of change more comfortable for you. Some of the therapies she may recommend include:

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to control symptoms
• MonaLisa Touch Laser or vaginal estrogen cream to restore vaginal lubrication
• Medication to control night sweats and hot flashes
• Vitamin D and calcium to reduce the risk of osteoporosis
• Antidepressants to reduce hot flashes and regulate mood

You don’t have to suffer from menopause symptoms. Ask Dr. Epstein for lifestyle and medical recommendations so you can go through this change of life without discomfort. Call her friendly team or use the online booking form to find relief today.