Does any of this sound familiar?
Your skin is breaking out like a teenagers, but without that resiliency and vitality it had at that age.
You are in the middle of a busy day at work, when you have a surge of heat take over your body and you feel like you are about to catch on fire.
You wake up at 2.00 am, and are drenched in sweat.
You feel irritable, anxious and over react to everything going on in your life and feel helpless to change it.
You gain weight even though you haven’t changed your diet and it seems to stubbornly settle around your mid section.
You lay awake at night and your mind is racing and you are unable to fall asleep.
If any of this sounds all too familiar, you are experiencing the joys of menopause. More than likely, you have been told it will pass, or you just have to deal with it. It’s all just a part of getting older. You are not given any options and you feel dismissed by your physician.
I’m here to tell you that all of the symptoms you are experiencing are very real, and there is help and a better way to navigate this part of your life. As a woman physician, I have helped countless patients with safe and effective medications, and lifestyle options through this transition. Menopause is not a time to suffer or be uncomfortable. Rather, it’s that time when you should feel empowered to embrace your beauty and your health. It’s a time to thrive.
By naturally optimizing your lifestyle, using safe and effective medications and balancing your hormonal fluctuations , you can get back the parts of your life that you miss.
Perimenopause and menopause are two distinct stages in a woman’s life characterized by hormonal changes that can lead to symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, and vaginal dryness to name just a few. Perimenopause reflects the time leading up to menopause and is characterized by wide range of symptoms as well as irregular periods, emotional swings, and hot flashes. Menopause itself refers to the cessation of your menstrual cycle for 12 months. Average age for menopause is 51 years, although it can vary . For some women, these time periods will pass by with no issues. But for many women, the symptoms they experience will impact their mental and physical well being. Considering that Perimenopause can begin for most women in their late thirties and can last anywhere upto 7-15 years, this is a long time to be miserable and not take action.
It’s also worth noting that each woman’s experience is unique and not all will experience these symptoms. Further, symptoms vary widely in intensity and duration. Most commonly, declining estrogen and progesterone levels are responsible for the common symptoms experienced.
The most common symptoms are:
- Hot flashes and night sweats – described as a sudden sensation of warmth, accompanied by perspiration, and redness and flushing. It has been described as feeling engulfed by fire from the inside out. Night sweats are similar but occur at night, resulting in drenching sweats.
- Vaginal dryness and sexual health – this is a common symptom leading to discomfort during sex. Addressing this is vital because sex plays a huge role in our emotional and physical health. Many women also experience loss of libido.
- Weight gain and metabolism changes- also very common and distressing to all who experience it.
- Mood swings and emotional changes – also very common and associated with the declining estrogen levels.
- Sleep disturbances – either difficulty falling asleep, or waking up and being unable to go back to sleep.
- Skin changes including breakouts/acne.
- Hair loss – a common and distressing symptom experienced by many women
The good news is that there are a variety of effective options to address each of these concerns. It’s so important to understand the available options and the potential risks and benefits. By working with your physician, you can find the best approach for yourself.
There is so much more to talk about, so watch for additional blog posts coming soon. Sign up so you get notified each time a new blog is up!
Disclaimer- this blog is for general informational purposes and is not a substitute for your physicians advise.
