The term “menopause” means different things to different people. Most commonly, it describes the time surrounding hormonal changes that accompany this midlife transition. Strictly speaking, menopause is the time when the ovaries stop working and bring about an estrogen deficiency in a woman’s body.
How do you know if you are in “menopause”? Data analysis suggests the average age of menopause is 51.4 years of age and the time is marked by symptoms that include hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia. There are other symptoms caused by midlife hormonal deficiency but they can also be secondary to midlife situational life stresses. Evaluation and blood tests done by your healthcare provider can help decide appropriate therapy necessity.
Please consider these three concepts this month as you try to understand and manage menopausal concerns:
- Up to one-third of women have no symptoms during this menopausal transition, and do not generally serve as very good advisors for the women who are severely affected by the menopausal symptoms.
- There are many steps you can take to lessen the symptoms of hormonal deficiency, including lifestyle changes and hormonal and non-hormonal treatments.
- The risks of modern “bio-identical” hormonal therapy to newly menopausal healthy women have been greatly exaggerated.
If you are having midlife symptoms, please seek a healthcare provider with knowledge and expertise about menopause to help you understand and manage your symptoms during this life change. Our menopause clinic is here to you help.