Menopause is a natural transition that every woman goes through as they age. It marks the end of a woman's reproductive years and is defined as having occurred when a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months.
The years leading up to menopause are called perimenopause. During this transition time, usually starting for women in their late 30s to early 50s, the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone starts to decline as the ovaries begin to fail. This fluctuating and dropping hormone production is what causes many of the symptoms associated with menopause.
Some key things to understand about menopause:
Some of the most common symptoms include:
The transition can be eased through lifestyle changes like avoiding triggers, reducing stress, adjusting your diet, etc. Many women also find relief through supplementation of bioidentical hormones like progesterone/estradiol creams, patches, or pills.
If you think you might be approaching/going through menopause, have lingering symptoms impacting your quality of life, or need individualized hormone therapy, we encourage you to book a consultation with our clinic.
At Optimal Hormone Health Center, we specialize in detailed blood panels, precision hormone tests, and crafting custom hormone treatment plans to help women gracefully transition into this next phase of life. Book a telehealth evaluation with one of our hormone optimization experts today to discuss your lab work and options best suited to your unique needs.