Menopause is a natural transition that most women experience between the ages of 45-55 as their menstrual cycles come to an end. The years leading up to menopause are known as perimenopause and can be associated with a variety of symptoms as the body adjusts to changing hormone levels.
Some key aspects of menopause include:
Estrogen is a key female sex hormone that helps regulate menstruation. As women enter perimenopause and menopause, their estrogen levels decline which leads to the end of fertility and menstruation. The drop in estrogen also contributes to many common menopausal symptoms.
Many women experience bothersome symptoms during menopause caused by declining estrogen levels. Common symptoms include:
These symptoms can range from mild to severe and have a big impact on quality of life. Prompt treatment in a menopause clinic can provide significant relief.
In addition to symptoms, decreasing estrogen during menopause can lead to an increased risk of certain health conditions including:
Because of this, it's important for women to get the treatment they need to help offset these risks.
Every woman's experience with menopause is different — some have no symptoms at all while others struggle with severe symptoms for years. Lifestyle choices, existing health issues, and other factors all play a role. Working with a menopause specialist can help determine the best personalized treatment options.
Hormone therapy (HT) to restore estrogen is one of the most effective treatment options available for relieving menopausal symptoms and offsetting long-term health risks. However, there are different types of HT, as well as other non-hormonal options that may be appropriate.
The key goals of hormone therapy for menopause are to:
Research shows that women who start HT around the time of menopause tend to experience these benefits when treatment is properly managed.
There are two main types of hormone therapy available:
The type of HT used depends on factors like whether a woman still has her uterus, her symptoms, and her risk factors. An experienced menopause specialist can determine the best HT for each woman's situation.
In addition to traditional HT, alternative delivery methods like skin patches, gels, sprays and vaginal rings/tablets are also sometimes options.
In addition to HT, many women find relief through:
A personalized treatment plan may include HT, these supportive options, or for some women, alternatives to HT.
With all the options available for treating menopause symptoms and risks today, getting comprehensive care from a clinic with menopause specialists is ideal. Hormone Health Clinic has two on-site menopause experts and provides:
Hormone Health Clinic takes the time to get to know each woman and understand her symptoms, health history, risk factors, lifestyle and preferences. This allows our menopause specialists to provide customized treatment recommendations to meet her goals.
In addition to traditional and modern forms of hormone therapy, we also offer a variety of alternative and complementary treatments to complement HT or provide non-hormonal support. Patients get guidance in developing a holistic care plan tailored to their needs.
We understand menopause management often requires slight adjustments over time as symptoms fluctuate and change. Patients have direct access to our menopause specialists who collaborate with them throughout treatment. Follow up appointments allow for continual fine-tuning and evaluation.
We believe understanding options and participating in care decisions leads to better outcomes. Our certified menopause practitioner helps women learn about menopause stages, signs of hormone changes, benefits and risks of therapies, and more so they feel empowered.
Let Hormone Health Clinic Support You Through Menopause
Menopause symptoms can take a major toll without proper treatment and guidance. At Hormone Health Clinic, our endocrinologist menopause specialist and certified menopause practitioner have the advanced training and years of experience required to accurately evaluate hormone levels and get to the root cause of concerning symptoms. We take time to explain options clearly so you can make informed decisions. Our personalized plans help women achieve noticeable symptom relief, prevent long term health consequences, and feel like themselves again. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Many women wonder if bothersome signs they experience are "normal" parts of approaching menopause or indicators that professional treatment might provide needed relief. Our menopause experts report women often share certain key symptoms at the first appointment that prompted them to call Hormone Health Clinic for help, including:
Sudden hot flashes that make you flushed, overheated and sweaty can interrupt sleep, concentration and regular activities. They range from a minor nuisance to completely disruptive. If hot flashes are moderate-severe, happening numerous times a day, hormone imbalance may be to blame.
Palpitations that make your heart feel like it's pounding erratically, racing or skipping beats can also be related to menopause hormonal changes. Many women describe them as an unsettling fluttering sensation in their chest. If heart palpitations are frequent and causing anxiety, hormone testing and treatment may help stabilize levels.
Women approaching menopause often notice increased emotional sensitivity and mood swings — from irritability to anxiety to depression. Night sweats and sleep loss exacerbate these issues. "Feeling like myself" fades. If your moods feel pervasive, out-of-character and are impacting relationships and engagement in activities you previously enjoyed, it can indicate your estrogen levels have dipped too dramatically. Restoring balance through menopause clinics can help you regain stability and a calmer disposition.
Many perimenopausal and newly postmenopausal women are distressed by episodes of forgetfulness, mental cloudiness and inability to concentrate well. If "brain fog" is happening regularly and feels more severe than normal age-related changes, hormone therapy may help counteract what declining estrogen and progesterone are doing to cognitive clarity.
As decreasing estrogen affects tissues in the urinary tract, many women experience inconvenient leakage when they cough, sneeze, laugh or lift something heavy. If light bladder incontinence progresses to heavier episodes, don't let embarrassment stop you from mentioning it. There are several ways our certified menopause practitioner can assess if a drop in hormones is to blame and identify treatment options to reduce symptoms.
Declines in hormones not only lead to vaginal dryness but also decreased elasticity. Many women start avoiding intimacy because it becomes too painful. Topical estrogen creams or suppository tablets may be prescribed to improve comfort. For some women, low-dose hormone therapy restores enough moisture and tissue health to resume sexual activity.
Don't assume menopause discomfort is inevitable. Get to the source through accurate hormone testing and let our menopause experts explain your options. Our personalized treatments can truly help moderate-severe symptoms so you can keep doing what you love.
Women exploring options for dealing with perimenopause or menopause symptoms often wonder what to expect at an initial appointment with an endocrinologist menopause specialist like the experts at Hormone Health Clinic. We understand this transition can feel vulnerable and emotional for some women. Our goal is to provide excellent clinical care while making sure every patient feels respected, supported and hopeful as we partner to improve their experience.
The first step is always allowing women to share their story, priorities and concerns so we understand the full context before making recommendations. We know it takes courage for some women to talk openly about what's happening physically and emotionally. Our certified menopause practitioner offers empathy, reassurance this is very common among women at this life stage, and helps put them at ease.
In addition to listening closely to current symptoms, we'll also ask about your full gynecological history, important milestones like first period and pregnancies, medical conditions, surgeries, family history, medications and more. We'll discuss lifestyle factors like nutrition, exercise, stress levels and social support as well. The more details we understand about the big picture, the better we can personalize treatment.
A physical assessment includes checking height, weight and vital signs along with a gynecological exam. For some women, we may recommend medical imaging, a bone density scan, or bloodwork to check hormone levels in detail before finalizing treatment recommendations.
Next we have a conversation about all options — ranging from lifestyle changes and non-prescription supplements all the way to specific hormone therapies or surgical interventions for more severe cases. Women have opportunity to ask questions so they understand pros/cons of each option. Some women prefer minimal intervention while others want to take advantage of hormone therapy benefits.
Finally we decide together which options align best with your symptoms, risks, preferences and treatment goals. The initial plan starts with one or two interventions, then we meet again after several weeks to see how you're responding and tweak from there. Our menopause specialists tailor management gradually as women transition toward postmenopause.
We know there's often an emotional component to this life transition as well. In addition to clinical excellence from our on-site endocrinologist menopause specialist, we also have mental health practitioners available to support women navigating anxiety, grief or coping challenges related to this change.
Hormone Health Clinic has been guiding women through menopause for over 15 years. Our individually focused care, access to the latest therapies, and collaborative approach have benefited thousands of patients. We consider it a privilege to help during this sensitive time of transformation. Please reach out to learn more or schedule your first risk-free appointment.
The variable cycle lengths, light flow and skipped periods you experience in perimenopause can be confusing. Having a hormone panel checked annually over age 40 gives the best indication of ovulation changes signaling menopause is on its way. Our certified menopause practitioner helps interpret your test results.
Once your period goes more than 60 days without restarting or becomes very erratic, pregnancy risks drop off in perimenopause. However, you can consider low-dose hormonal birth control to regulate menstruation during this unpredictable transition time.
Yes! Many women with thyroid disorders share similar symptoms to hormonal changes — fatigue, moodiness, hot flashes, concentration issues and more. Getting your thyroid hormones evaluated is wise to determine if an imbalance exists separate from perimenopause. Our clinics treat both endocrine disorders.
Research on popular options like black cohosh, ginseng, dong quai and evening primrose oil show mixed results. They appear safe for healthy women in the short term. We can advise on evidence-based dietary supplements to consider, along with nutrition and lifestyle changes to support hormone balance and symptom relief.
Women who still have a uterus need supplemental progestogen (progesterone) to protect uterine tissue from excess growth risk when taking systemic estrogen therapy during perimenopause or early post-menopause. Those who've had a hysterectomy can take estrogen alone.
