Menopause Specialist

What is menopause?

Menopause describes the 12-month period after your last menstrual period, marking the end of menstruation. Every woman eventually goes through menopause. Like puberty, it is a normal, natural bodily process. The average age in the US for the onset of menopause is 51, although it can happen in your 40s or 50s.

Several years before a woman’s last period occurs, her body may reflect changes in the levels of reproductive hormones, estrogen, and progesterone. These changes may cause a woman to experience a variety of symptoms.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

Not all women experience symptoms before or during menopause. However, common symptoms may include dry skin, hot flashes, irregular periods, loss of fullness in the breasts, mood changes, night sweats, thinning hair, sleep problems, weight gain, and vaginal dryness.

Although a woman may skip several periods and experience great irregularity in her menstrual cycle several years before menopause, pregnancy is still possible. Practice precautions and monitor your condition to prevent pregnancy and any health complications during this transition. Preventative health screenings recommended by your doctor during menopause may include breast and pelvic exams, colonoscopy, lipid screening, mammography, and thyroid testing depending on your medical history.

How can I manage my menopause and improve my quality of life?

Dr. Patrick Allen has a long history of working with women during and after menopause. It’s important to visit your doctor regularly to ensure that you maintain optimal health after menopause. Although menopause does not necessarily require medical treatment, many women need treatment for undesirable symptoms or medical conditions that occur with aging.

Treatments offered by your doctor for the management of menopause may include bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, such as BioTE which uses plant hormones to stabilize the fluctuations that a woman experiences during this transition. Other treatments may include low-dose antidepressants, gabapentin for hot flashes, vaginal estrogen to help with dryness, and special medications to prevent or treat osteoporosis.

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Patrick Allen, MD if you are experiencing the signs and symptoms of menopause.