Menopause by Kareen Saunders, D.O. What is Perimenopause? Perimenopause begins when your hormone levels start to decline, and it ends when you reach menopause. This stage often begins when women are in their 40's and lasts an average of three to five years. However, it can start at any age and may last longer. Important hormones such as estrogen, testosterone and progesterone levels decline, hormone levels fluctuate, causing irregular menstrual periods. Hormone changes during perimenopause cause the same symptoms as those associated with menopause. During perimenopause, women may begin to experience the following symptoms: * Weight gain
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Difficulty sleeping
Mood changes
Fatigue
High heart rate
Urinary urgency and leakage
What other symptoms occur during perimenopause and menopause? Our hormones helps to keep the vaginal lining elastic and it is essential for maintaining blood flow and lubrication in the vagina. It also helps preserve bone. As a result, it’s common to experience other problems when estrogen levels decline, such as:
Vaginal dryness – gets worse as you progress from early perimenopause through menopause, and it affects about half of all women
Painful intercourse – due to reduced blood flow, loss of lubrication, and changes in vaginal tissue
Low sex drive – caused by low estrogen and testosterone cumulative effect of all menopause changes
Osteoporosis – hormone levels fall, bones become brittle, with decrease levels of calcium and Vitamin D
When do you reach menopause? You’ve reached menopause when you have not had a menstrual period for 12 straight months. During those 12 months, there cannot be any other reason for missing a period, such as an illness or medication use. When you’re in menopause, levels of estrogen stay consistently low and as a result, your periods stop, but you can continue to have menopausal symptoms. What menopause treatments are available at The MediSpa & Gynecology? Hormone replacement therapy effectively treats the varied symptoms of menopause and also helps prevent bone loss that leads to osteoporosis. While hormone replacement therapy is considered safe when implemented at certain ages, there are other options available. Dr. Saunders will talk with you about your health and preferences and explain all the possible treatment options, whether other types of medications or natural hormone replacement options. At The MediSpa & Gynecology, women also have access to state-of-the-art treatment for their vaginal symptoms. We offer treatment with the CO2RE Intima, which uses controlled laser energy to stimulate a healing response in vaginal tissues, leading to an increase in loss collagen and increase in vaginal tone the tone, texture and lubrication. As a result, problems like itching, dryness and painful intercourse significantly improve.
