Menopause | OBGYN | Together Women’s Health

Menopause

ADDRESSING HORMONAL CHANGES

Women’s Health Consulting offers extensive care for women going through perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. Menopause is a natural, biological process in life that signifies the end of a women’s menstrual cycle for good. This tends to happen around the late forties and early fifties.

Menopause becomes official after a woman has gone over 12 months without a menstrual period. Although this is a natural part of aging, people do often become nervous and anxious about the process. This is completely normal and why we’ve compiled a list of questions and answers for you to read. Hopefully, this will help you prepare for this new chapter of your life!

What exactly happens during menopause?

Menopause happens once the ovaries stop releasing a functional egg every month resulting in menstruation completely stopping. Because the two hormones, estrogen, and progesterone, are made in the ovaries, a drastic decrease in these hormones occurs. This causes menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness.

Premature menopause can also occur in younger women if their ovaries have been removed in a hysterectomy or if they’ve been damaged by chemotherapy. In this case, you may have to start hormone therapy to decrease the chances of developing conditions like cardiovascular disease.

What are the 3 stages of menopause?

There are three stages of menopause that all have their own signs and symptoms:

Perimenopause: During perimenopause, you may begin to notice changes in your menstrual cycle. Your periods will become irregular while your hormones start to decline. Perimenopause can last anywhere from a few months to about four years. Throughout this timeframe, you will likely start to experience side effects of menopause including hot flashes and vaginal dryness.

Menopause: When your ovaries have stopped releasing functional eggs and the hormones that cause your menstrual period to stop, you’ve reached menopause. After 12 consecutive months without a period, you’ve entered the final stage.

Postmenopause: Fortunately, menopause side effects become much milder during postmenopause until one day they completely go away.

How long does menopause last?

Going through the three stages of menopause can take many years. First, you may notice you start skipping a few periods every now and then until one day they stop altogether. Perimenopause takes about four years to transition into menopause. During this stage, your ovaries slowly make less estrogen causing menopause symptoms to occur. Menopause lasts exactly one year and then you are considered to be in the postmenopause stage.

What are the signs of menopause?

Menopause can come with numerous uncomfortable symptoms. As your body adjusts to the changes in hormones, you may experience the following side effects:

  • Hot flashes
  • Insomnia
  • Tender breasts
  • Increased need to pee
  • Mood swings
  • Loss of periods
  • Dry skin, eyes, and/or mouth
  • Depression
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Weight gain
  • Hair loss
  • Headaches
  • Joint and muscle aches

Experiencing any of these signs is totally normal, but should definitely still be looked at by your doctor. They will help you determine if menopause is responsible for these symptoms or if another condition is the root cause.

Why should I see a doctor for menopause?

Going to see a doctor for menopause is a great idea because your doctor can give you some helpful tools to help combat some of the side effects you’ll experience. It’s also beneficial to see your doctor to make sure that these symptoms are all menopause-related and not coming from a more serious condition. For example, it’s completely normal for menopause to cause vaginal bleeding but this can also be a sign of more serious issues such as uterine cancer.

Together Women’s Health is here for all of your female health needs. Please note that services may vary across practices and locations.

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