The transition into menopause is a natural biological process that all women experience as they age. The years leading up to menopause are termed perimenopause, when hormone levels begin to fluctuate and decline. Eventually, the ovaries stop releasing eggs and produce lower levels of estrogen and progesterone - this marks the onset of menopause.
This change in hormone levels causes a variety of bothersome symptoms. Hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood changes, sleep disturbances, and weight gain are some of the most common complaints. Over the long-term, the decline in estrogen is associated with accelerated bone loss and increased fracture risk. Clearly, supporting women through the menopausal transition is an essential aspect of women’s healthcare. Hormone therapy can provide immense symptom relief and prevent long-term health consequences of hormone deficiency.
The clinicians at Renewed Balance Clinic specialize in individualized care for peri- and postmenopausal women. We offer cutting-edge hormone replacement regimens to alleviate symptoms and promote optimal health after menopause. Managing menopause requires a nuanced clinical approach - customizing therapy to each woman's needs and risk factors. This allows patients to safely benefit from the rejuvenating effects of balanced hormone levels.
Below is an overview of menopause, common symptoms, long-term health implications, and how hormone therapy can help women thrive through this transition.
Menopause is diagnosed after a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual period. The years leading up to this point comprise the menopausal transition or perimenopause - when hormone levels fluctuate erratically. This inconsistent ovarian function accounts for the variability in menstrual cycles during the menopausal transition.
There are a series of reproductive milestones that mark the progression toward menopause:
During the perimenopausal and early postmenopausal years is when women experience the most severe menopausal symptoms due to the instability in sex hormones. However, some bothersome symptoms can persist for many years after menopause highlighting the importance of individualized treatment approaches.
The spectrum of menopause symptoms varies widely among women, but the most bothersome are typically hot flashes and night sweats. Other common complaints include:
Keep in mind that perimenopause begins when women are still having menstrual cycles and may last over 10 years until menopause finally occurs. Women should not hesitate to seek treatment for menopausal symptoms even if they are still having periods. Identifying these hormonal changes early on can allow for interventions to lessen the severity and duration of symptoms.
In addition to bothersome menopausal symptoms, the hormone changes that occur around menopause confer risks for several long-term health problems.
Estrogen deficiency is the main contributor to health issues after menopause. This “estrogen-deficient” state results in changes throughout the body. The beneficial effects of estrogen extend far beyond the reproductive system - supporting cardiovascular, skin, eye, bone, brain, and many other physiological functions.
The most well established complication is accelerated bone loss resulting in osteoporosis over time. Estrogen plays a key role in bone remodeling - the constant cycle of bone breakdown and rebuilding. Around menopause, declining estrogen tips the balance causing more bone to be resorbed.
This net loss of bone mass leads to:
Fractures are the main consequence of estrogen deficiency on the skeletal system. The most common osteoporotic fractures occur in the spine, hips, and wrists. These often necessitate surgery/hospitalization and can also lead to permanent disability.
Cardiovascular disease risk also increases after menopause, likely due to the combined effects of declining estrogen, aging, and other common midlife health changes like weight gain. Research shows hormonal factors play a key role in the higher rates of heart attacks observed in postmenopausal women.
Estrogen helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels and blood vessel function - losing estrogen during menopause shifts this cardiovascular balance towards more atherosclerosis and plaque build up. Over time, this significantly contributes to coronary heart disease.
Additional aspects of health impacted by estrogen deficiency include:
Clearly the hormone changes around menopause have systemic effects and substantially impact long-term wellbeing.
Studies show that practicing yoga can help relieve many common menopause symptoms. Specific poses that twist, invert, or forward fold the body may help regulate hormones and hot flashes. Yoga's focus on breathing and meditation also counteracts stress and anxiety, providing a drug-free way to ease this transition.
The good news is that hormone therapy can prevent or alleviate many of the symptoms and long-term health risks associated with menopause. Restoring balance with the right types/doses of hormone therapy provides immense benefits for women’s health.
However, confusion around hormone therapy still persists - rooted in misinterpretations of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) - a large research trial from 2002 that linked certain hormone formulations to health risks like breast cancer and blood clots.
In reality, the WHI tested a single type of hormone therapy that is now known to have some drawbacks. In the past 15 years, data has clearly vindicated hormone therapy - showing safety and extensive benefits when individualized regimens are used.
Below is an overview of how hormone therapy helps with menopausal symptoms and protecting long-term health:
Menopausal Symptom Relief
Bone Health
Heart Health
Other Protective Effects
In summary, hormone therapy is highly effective for lessening troublesome vasomotor, urogenital, and quality of life aspects around menopause - providing prompt and substantial symptom relief.
Equally importantly, balanced hormone therapy confers extensive protective benefits on bone, heart, brain and many other physiological functions that are impaired by estrogen deficiency. This allows women to remain healthy, energetic, and vibrant during the second half of life.
However, finding the optimal formulation and dosing schedule requires an evidenced-based, individualized approach - considering each woman's risks andneeds. This is what the clinicians at Renewed Balance Clinic specialize in.
Managing menopause is complex - no two women have the same risk factors or experience menopausal symptoms in the same way. The clinicians at Renewed Balance Clinic recognize this complexity and personalize care to each woman’s unique situation.
We begin with a thorough history, lab testing, and assessment of symptoms/medical history to gain insight into what replacement regimen will provide the greatest benefit.
Hormone therapy is then customized around the specific type, dosage, and route of administration best suited for the individual:
Types
Delivery Methods
Regimens
Doses and components can be adjusted based on patient preferences, risk factors, and response to therapy. Follow up lab testing ensures optimal hormonal balance is achieved.
We emphasize vigilant monitoring and open dialog around expected effects and potential side effects - to maximize safety and continually optimize the chosen regimen.
Renewed Balance Clinicians and patients partner together to ensure therapy remains helpful for alleviating symptoms and protecting long-term health, without conferring added risks.
This thoughtful and responsive approach provides women the opportunity to feel their best during the menopausal transition and enter the latter decades of life with energy and vitality.
Bioidentical hormones - structurally identical to the estrogen/progesterone made in the female body - are the preferred type of replacement therapy today. There is extensive data showing bioidentical hormones are safer and more effective than older synthetic formulations.
The key advantages of "body-identical" hormone therapy:
Renewed Balance Clinic offers cutting-edge bioidentical hormone preparations - including FDA approved patches, topical gels/creams, and oral formulations. These state-of-the-art delivery methods allow for precise restoration of hormone levels since doses can be carefully titrated and absorbed efficiently.
We also provide compounded bioidentical hormones in situations where custom combinations or strengths are needed to optimize therapy.
Rest assured, our () protocols utilize the latest medical evidence and patients appreciate the effectiveness of these natural regimens.
In addition to medical management, making certain lifestyle adjustments can lessen the impact of menopausal symptoms and ease the transition:
Manage Stress
Promote Good Sleep Hygiene
Adopt Healthy Behaviors
Cultivate Supportive Relationships
While menopause marks the end of fertility - it ushers in a new phase of life with opportunities for personal growth, liberating changes and reinvention. With proper support, this transition can be quite positive.
We encourage women to embrace menopause from an empowered perspective - and Renewed Balance Clinic is here to help you feel amazing through every stage!
We hope this overview has helped provide clarity and hope around menopause and hormone therapy options. The providers at Renewed Balance Clinic understand the physical and emotional aspects of this transition - our goal is to offer compassionate, evidence-based care.
Please reach out with any other questions - we are happy to offer guidance during this important midlife transition. Here's to a rewarding passage beyond menopause!
