Menopause is a natural transition that all women experience as they age. The term "menopause" refers to the point when a woman's menstrual periods stop permanently.
Menopause occurs due to changes in hormone levels, mainly estrogen and progesterone. As women approach menopause, their ovaries begin to produce less of these hormones, causing irregular periods and eventually, permanent cessation of menstruation. Several factors influence when menopause begins:
On average, women experience menopause around age 51. Menopause that occurs before age 40 is considered "premature menopause".
The transition through perimenopause and into menopause can span several years and cause various signs and symptoms due to hormone fluctuation, including:
The severity of symptoms varies significantly among women. Lifestyle strategies can help manage symptoms, but medical treatment is often needed to improve quality of life.
Navigating menopause can be challenging. As hormones decline, women become vulnerable to several health issues:
Estrogen plays an essential role in bone health. During and after menopause, decreased estrogen accelerates bone loss, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Getting adequate calcium, vitamin D and exercise can help protect bone density. But for some women, osteoporosis medications may be appropriate.
Estrogen helps keep blood vessels flexible and reduces "bad" LDL cholesterol. So in your 40s-50s as estrogen declines, the risks of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and plaque buildup in arteries rises. Managing risk factors with healthy lifestyle choices and medications helps safeguard heart health.
Up to half of postmenopausal women develop symptoms like urgency to urinate, increased urinary tract infections (UTIs), and incontinence. These stem from changes in tissues in the urethra and vagina after menopause. Treatments like vaginal estrogen help manage such urinary issues.
In addition to physical effects, some women may face new emotional challenges like mood issues, stress, poor body image, or changing personal and professional roles after menopause. Support groups, counseling, stress and time management techniques can help provide support.
In summary, menopause marks the endpoint of a woman's reproductive years. But now she is entering a new phase of life with its own unique risks factors and need for self-care. Seeking individualized menopause symptom management and health promotion strategies can help women transition smoothly and thrive through the years beyond menopause.
At Hormone Health Institute clinic, we specialize in caring for women through the menopausal transition and optimizing their health in the years that follow. Our warm, woman-focused environment is designed to make you feel comfortable while receiving advanced testing, education, and treatments to meet your specific needs.
You will receive care from board-certified healthcare providers including physicians and nurse practitioners that are certified in menopause management. Having expertise in women's midlife hormonal issues means we stay on the cutting edge of new therapies and take time listening to properly evaluate your symptoms. You can trust our Many years of experience caring for women just like you through every phase of menopause.
We take a comprehensive approach and get to know patients as individuals first. After thorough lab testing and evaluation of risk factors, we develop customized treatment plans that may include:
Lifestyle recommendations like:
Symptom management such as:
Health promotion through:
Follow up visits and blood tests ensure treatments remain optimized as bodies change. No two women have the exact same menopause experience so neither should their treatments.
In addition, our clinic hosts a menopause support group for women to share their experiences and build community. We also provide fun educational events like cooking classes catered to common menopausal health issues women face.
We understand the demands on midlife women's time. So convenience amenities at Hormone Health Institute include:
Our personalized, convenient services empower women to take charge of menopause on their terms - not have it define them.
While some symptoms may persist, most women find significant relief through clinical treatments and self-care strategies during the menopausal transition. Here are some key areas women should focus on for optimized wellbeing:
Hormone levels can be measured through blood and/or saliva tests. Based on results and symptom evaluation, we can prescribe therapies like:
These increase hormone levels enough to treat symptoms while avoiding risks associated with standard doses during traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Newer and safer HRT options now allow most women to use hormones short term.
Key Point: Normalized hormone levels can get night sweats, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness under better control.
Nutrition and exercise form the foundation for strong bone health during menopause:
Some women also need prescription osteoporosis medications like bisphosphonates or Prolia to prevent excessive bone loss. Getting a bone density test helps assess fracture risk and guide treatment decisions.
Key Point: Proper nutrition, exercise, and bone medications when needed, help keep bones strong.
Local vaginal estrogen often brings significant relief by:
This helps reduce common issues like vaginal dryness, urinary urgency/frequency, pain with sexual activity, and recurrent UTIs. Regular use of vaginal estrogen in tablet, cream or ring form is safe for most women.
Key Point: Vaginal estrogen alleviates several urogenital symptoms for improved comfort.
Lifestyle measures like eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly, losing excess weight, reducing stress, and not smoking can help control common cardiac risk factors like high cholesterol and blood pressure. When levels remain too high with self-care, blood pressure or cholesterol lowering prescription medications are very beneficial for optimizing long-term cardiovascular health.
Key Point: Proper screening and early treatment of cardiac risk factors promotes longevity.
The hormone changes around perimenopause and menopause can trigger or exacerbate issues like anxiety, depression, mood swings, stress sensitivity, poor body image, and sleep troubles. Supportive strategies include:
Key Point: Make emotional health a priority throughout the menopause transition.
With personalized care, most women find they can successfully ease challenging symptoms and emerge healthier through the process of menopause. Then they can refocus energy on pursuing passions and enjoying midlife.
Studies show that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be as effective as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in managing menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. CBT helps women develop coping strategies to deal with physical and emotional changes during menopause without medication side effects.
Hormone Health Institute strives to make menopause management seamless and empowering right here in our hometown of Lancaster, PA. Our three convenient locations provide comprehensive care with compassion. We also understand the essence of holistic wellbeing. So let us highlight some of favorite local Lancaster spots that promote rest, joy and living your best life while going through "the change".
Getting the right blood work and lab results is key for determining appropriate hormone therapies and doses. For your convenience, Hormone Health Institute has in-house phlebotomy services. But we also recommend these quick, capable local labs:
Lancaster General Hospital Outpatient Lab
555 N Duke St, Lancaster, PA 17602
Wellspan Lab Services
1730 Rohrerstown Rd, Lancaster, PA 17601
Symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and sleep troubles mean getting adequate restorative rest is essential. When home life gets too hectic, reset at one of these serene local spots:
What better excuse for some pampering and self-care than menopause? Lancaster's world famous spa scene offers everything from massage, facials and sauna therapies to full mind, body and spiritual cleansing rituals. Top picks include:
The Spa at Hotel Hershey - legendary for chocolate-inspired treatments
Bird-in-Hand Family Inn & Spa - scenic countryside views
Cork & Cap Spa - refresh with bubbly themes
Diet can significantly impact menopause symptoms and overall health. For nutritious dining options in Lancaster plus cooking classes focused on hormonal health, check out:
The Culinary Classroom - varieties of demonstration menus
Lancaster Central Market - fresh local ingredients
Pressroom Restaurant - inventive healthy comfort foods
DYNA & Co Cafe - superfood smoothies and bowls
Regular exercise provides vast benefits but joint pains, motivation lapses or intimidating gyms can get in the way during menopause. Welcoming fitness studios like these help women stay active:
BrickHouse Cardio Club - popular ladies-focused kickboxing workouts
Bar Method Lancaster - low impact/high intensity strength training
Sweat Lancaster - hot yoga in an uplifting environment
Gold's Gym Lancaster - expansive class schedules including Zumba Gold
The Long's Park Walking Path - Level scenic 1 mile wooded loop
Staying active through menopause keeps the body supple, bones strong, mood stable and wards off weight gain...but finding activities you enjoy is key. Our hometown offers unlimited healthy lifestyle options - take advantage!
We hope this overview has shown that with today's safe and effective medical options, plus ample local support resources, menopause can be an empowering phase, not one to dread. Hormone Health Institute is here to guide your individual journey with compassionate, comprehensive care. Call to schedule a new patient appointment today - let's chat!
