Perimenopause and Menopause

The transition to menopause can be a challenging time, both physically and emotionally. Menopause is a natural occurrence that takes place in every woman's life. The process usually takes place between the ages of 45 and 55 years, with the average age of the last menstrual period at age 51. Physical changes begin years before the final menstrual period. This transition phase is called perimenopause and may last for 4 to 8 years. It begins with changes in the length of time between periods and ends 1 year after the final menstrual period. During this phase, women produce less estrogen and menstrual periods stop. Decreasing estrogen levels or lack of estrogen can cause bothersome symptoms in some women. Many, but not all, women experience symptoms including night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, memory issues and vaginal dryness. In addition, the consequences of a lack of estrogen are bone loss and cardiovascular disease.

Our providers can help you develop a treatment strategy specifically designed to fit your physical needs and lifestyle. Both hormonal and non- hormonal options are available and our providers can help you choose the treatment most comfortable for you. Hormone Therapy can be effective in some patients for reducing menopause symptoms and improving general health, and can be given vaginally, orally or transdermally. Each treatment is tailored specifically to the patient with follow-up evaluations scheduled regularly to determine the treatment’s effectiveness.

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