Menopause Symptom Treatment
Menopause has many symptoms. Plus, each person’s experience of menopause is different and they each respond differently to treatments and medicines.
For all those reasons, your doctor at Summit Women’s Health will take the time to understand your particular menopause symptoms and medical history. Together, you’ll create a plan for moving through this time as comfortably as possible.
What is menopause?
Menopause generally refers to a series of years when a woman is having her last menstrual cycles. The medical definition of menopause is the moment exactly one year after your last period, but that particular moment is not really noticeable as far as the symptoms that women experience.
“Perimenopause” is a term you may have heard too—it refers to the months or years leading up to this moment of one year after the last period. The “peri” part means “around” or “near.” During this time, estrogen in the body decreases.
How do I know I am experiencing menopause?
Some women have very few or basically no symptoms of menopause, while others definitely notice strong symptoms. Just like puberty, pregnancy, and any other natural process the body can go through, the experience of it ranges a lot and is unique to each person.
Below are some common symptoms of menopause. If you are experiencing a few of these, chances are you may be starting that perimenopause period:
Irregular periods
Missed periods
Decrease in breast size
Mood changes
Sleep problems
Vaginal dryness
Hot flashes
Chills
Night sweats
Thinning hair
Dry skin
Weight gain
Some of these symptoms can be stressful or upsetting, but you don’t have to go through them alone. Your providers at Summit Women’s Health are here to help manage these parts of the experience as much as possible.
How are menopause symptoms treated?
The majority of menopause symptoms are caused by a decrease in estrogen that naturally happens around this time. For those symptoms, you and your doctor may discuss Estrogen Supplements.
However, certain symptoms can be treated by other or additional approaches:
Hot flashes can be treated by a number of medications, including ones that simultaneously treat other health issues, like high blood pressure or mood disorders. Your doctor may also recommend something to prevent osteoporosis—a decrease in bone strength—which can commonly occur during menopause.
Additionally, there are non-medical treatments that your doctor can recommend and talk you through, like strengthening the pelvic floor to decrease involuntary urination (see Bladder Control).
Menopause is a normal part of life that should not be stigmatized. For more information about what menopause feels like, how we can make it easier on ourselves, and what the upsides can be (you read that right, there are upsides!), take a look at our blog, “Let’s Talk About Menopause.”
To book an appointment at Summit Women’s Health in Princeton, West Virginia with Brandon M. Lingenfelter, DO, PhD; Megan Lingenfelter, PA; Sam Snyder, DO; or Valeah Bradshaw, NP, call us at (681) 282-5591 or book an appointment online.