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Menopause is the time in a woman’s life that marks the end of her reproductive years. You’ve officially reached that milestone when you haven’t menstruated for 12 consecutive months. Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause, with symptoms starting between ages 45-55 and lasting about four years: The exact timing is different for each person.
Perimenopause is a time when reproductive hormone levels, including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH), start to fluctuate. At this time women also experience the loss of active ovarian follicles, the structures that produce and release eggs from the ovary walls. Periods become intermittent and blood flow irregular.
At Medical Care for Women in Astoria, New York, Dr. Andrea D. Olanescu and her team understand that the transition through both perimenopause and menopause, with their many physical symptoms and psychological stress, can be difficult to go through. And while there’s no way to circumvent the process itself, they do have treatment options for getting rid of the bothersome symptoms. Here’s what you need to know.
The earliest signs of perimenopause are usually:
An estimated 75% of women experience hot flashes with menopause, the symptom most people associate with the condition.
Additional symptoms include:
There are a number of different treatments for menopausal symptoms:
Symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness, and the risk of osteoporosis are all caused by decreased estrogen production during the perimenopausal and menopausal years. HRT is FDA-approved to treat these symptoms. It comes in two types:
HRT can be administered in two forms:
Systemic HRT comes with some risks, including associations with breast cancer, stroke, and an increase in blood clots in the veins, especially in women over 60. Therefore, doctors prescribe the lowest effective dose of HRT for the shortest amount of time to achieve symptom relief.
Dr. Olanescu can also prescribe low-dose antidepressants or antiseizure medications to help with hot flashes, or one of a number of drugs that work to build bone density to combat the risk of osteoporosis. Antidepressants, which also address mood changes, work best when combined with some form of psychotherapy.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do to help yourself through the transition is to adapt your lifestyle to accommodate the changes. Here are two examples:
If you’re going through the change of menopause and are daunted by the bothersome symptoms, we have treatment options that can help. Give Medical Care for Women a call at 718-278-0888, or book your consultation online today.
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