The transition into menopause, which usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. Menopause is diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. It happens because the ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone —the crucial hormones that regulate menstruation. This drop in estrogen and progesterone levels causes changes throughout the body.
While some women breeze through “the change,” up to 80% have very troublesome symptoms. Many aspects of health are impacted. The most common complaints are hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, irregular periods, loss of libido, weight gain, sleep problems, mood swings, lack of energy, and brain fog. Let’s explore the effects of menopause and how hormone therapy can help relieve symptoms.
The most common menopause complaints are hot flashes and night sweats. These sudden feelings of intense body heat often come with flushing in the face, rapid heartbeat, perspiration, and chills. For some women, hot flashes are minor nuisances. For others, they profoundly impact quality of life and ability to sleep. They can come on suddenly many times a day (sometimes dozens!).
Hormone therapy is very effective for relieving hot flashes and night sweats in a majority of women. With properly balanced hormones, those intolerable heat waves become less intense or stop completely. Cooling off becomes easier too.
With less estrogen, the vaginal walls become thin and dry. Many women experience vaginal itching, irritation, and painful sexual activity due to inflammation and loss of elasticity. This not only causes physical discomfort but also emotional distress for many women who wish to remain intimate with their partners.
There are excellent prescription hormone preparations made specifically to treat vaginal tissue. These localized estrogen therapies help relieve dryness and discomfort during intercourse. For women who still have a uterus, the estrogen is balanced with progesterone to prevent overgrowth of the uterine lining.
When estrogen and progesterone levels drop during perimenopause and menopause, women experience more anxiety, irritability, anger and depression. Sudden drops in hormone levels are suspected to play a role in mood disturbances. However emotionally, just coping with troublesome menopausal symptoms can take a toll on women’s mental health.
Hormone therapy helps stabilize mood issues in perimenopausal and menopausal women. Research shows that balancing hormone levels lifts mood, eases anxiety/irritability, and alleviates depression. Many women are surprised at how calm, focused and optimistic they feel after starting hormones.
Many women notice extra pounds packing on around the midsection during the menopause transition, even if they aren’t eating more. With less estrogen, their bodies begin storing more fat around the abdomen. Loss of muscle mass also slows metabolism. This menopause weight gain can be frustrating and hard to lose with just diet and exercise.
Estrogen therapy helps prevent the accumulation of belly fat that is linked to menopause hormone deficiency. Women who add an estradiol supplement often find it easier to manage their weight, even if they had trouble losing weight in the past.
When estrogen levels drop, women often experience forgetfulness, mental confusion, inability to focus, and reduced verbal fluency. Known as “brain fog,” these disruptive symptoms make it hard to work, socialize and enjoy life. Sleep deprivation from night sweats and hot flashes also impair memory and cognition.
Estrogen therapy and quality sleep are both helpful for clearing up that annoying menopausal brain fog. Research confirms estrogen supplements enhance memory, focus, verbal skills, and overall cognitive function in menopausal women.
“Bioidentical” refers to man-made hormones that are very similar in structure and function to our natural human hormones. In fact, bioidentical estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are identical on a molecular level. The prefix “bio” means “life” – so bioidentical hormones are essentially replacement hormones that seamlessly integrate in the body like our own.
Made from plant sources, bioidentical hormones have the same effects as our body’s hormones. Using patented pharmaceutical methods, the plant extract is converted into a replica human hormone. What makes them “bioidentical” is the hormones’ unique ability bind perfectly to specialized receptors all over the body and mimic natural function.
There are multiple effective options for taking bioidentical hormone therapy:
Balancing your bioidentical hormones offers multiple advantages:
Custom-compounded bioidentical hormone therapy is tailored to your personal hormone needs and metabolisim. Dose adjustments achieve your optimal balance for feeling like “yourself” again. Ongoing medical monitoring maximizes health and safety.
Starting hormones earlier, during the menopause transition, prevents progressive loss of bone minerals and biological aging. Supporting optimal hormone balance through a woman’s 50’s also sets the stage for health and vitality during later decades.
There are various misconceptions about the safety of bioidentical hormones. While any medication has potential risks, there is an extensive body of research supporting bioidentical hormone therapy for menopausal women. Avoiding hormone therapy tends to cause more health issues later on.
Prescribed by knowledgeable physicians, customized bioidentical hormones offer a safer therapy option because:
Most experts agree bioidentical estrogen and progesterone are safer than past synthetic or animal hormone preparations. There are fewer side effects compared to old-style hormone replacement. Close medical management maximizes health outcomes.
Getting a clear picture of your hormone balance is crucial for determining if and what type of hormone supplements might help. Diagnostic blood tests help detect menopausal hormonal changes tied to disruptive symptoms. Testing also identifies risks for long-term health issues like osteoporosis.
Laboratory assessment of reproductive hormone levels involves collecting blood samples at very specific times during your menstrual cycle. Test panels are chosen based on medical history and include:
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) rises as ovarian function declines. Comparing your results to normal range indicates menopausal status.
Estradiol drops below youthful levels causing hot flashes, vaginal atrophy and bone loss. Measuring estradiol determines if you need supplemental estrogen.
The estradiol to estrone ratio reveals declining estrogen production and ratios associated with increased cancer risks.
Progesterone levels help diagnose anovulatory cycles, estrogen dominance or risk of uterine overgrowth from estrogen therapy.
Testosterone deficiency causes low libido, lack of vitality and emotional changes for which supplementation might help tremendously.
Testing also includes general health screening like cholesterol levels, liver enzymes, blood counts, and clotting factors which influence choice of hormones prescribed.
Exact timing of blood draws during your cycle impacts interpretation of hormone results:
Ideally, a baseline follicular phase panel is checked first. If abnormal hormone levels or ratios are found, mid-cycle and luteal testing might be added to clarify problematic hormone patterns. Testing before supplements are started establishes your baseline to compare to on therapy.
If overt menopause occurs before age 45 or periods become very irregular during the menopause transition, we often check hormone response with oral progesterone/estrogen supplements. By taking oral progesterone for 5-10 days then adding a few days of estrogen supplementation, we create a mini-cycle to evaluate how your pituitary, ovaries, and uterus are functioning. Challenge tests determine:
Challenge tests help determine patterns of hormonal decline and guide customizing your hormone restoration regimen.
Studies show that practicing yoga can help relieve many menopausal symptoms. Specific yoga poses that twist and stretch the abdomen may help improve blood flow and circulation, releasing tension in the pelvis and potentially reducing hot flashes and mood swings.
Founded in 1991 by Dr. Mark Johnson, a national leader in anti-aging and regenerative medicine, Harmony Hormone Clinic Medical Center provides advanced bioidentical hormone therapy for women and men for over 25 years. Our multiple Florida locations, including Ormond Beach, feature state-of-the art hormone testing facilities onsite.
Our soothing décor and amenities make your experience relaxing including:
We strive to make the menopause journey empowering while fully alleviating troublesome symptoms. State-of-science therapies rejuvenate femininity, sexuality and zest for life.
Ormond Beach, located along Central Florida's Atlantic coast, enjoys pleasant winter weather ideal for recharging your vitality. Miles of uncrowded beaches, scenic walking paths, outdoor recreation and cultural attractions enhance well-being during hormone therapy. Balancing your bioidentical hormones helps you fully participate in local fitness and leisure activities that uplift body, mind and spirit.
With average winter temperatures in the 60’s, Ormond Beach offers many ways to soak in vitamin D, stimulating hormones, and ocean air. Being active counters mood swings, weight gain, muscle loss and brain fog.
For indoor options, Ormond Beach has a vibrant fitness culture, spas and community centers offering:
There are also free and low-cost resources for learning stress management tools like paced-breathing, meditation, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation...all of which calm your nervous system for better sleep.
Achieving your optimal balance of bioidentical hormones gives you energy and stamina to fully participate in Ormond Beach’s healthy lifestyle scene. We help women prevent fatigue, aches and mental fog so they can enjoy new levels of vitality and inner harmony.
Conclusions
The challenging symptoms caused by shifting hormone levels during the menopause transition can profoundly impact women’s health and quality of life. Restoring balance using individualized bioidentical hormone therapy helps women feel like themselves again.
Getting proper testing, expert diagnosis of hormone deficiencies and choosing the right therapies for your physiology is key to resolving frustrating hot flashes, sleep disruption, painful intercourse, weight gain, mood issues and mental fuzziness.
Harmony Hormone Clinic specialty clinic offers cutting edge hormone balancing protocols in a welcoming atmosphere focused on women’s midlife vitality. Ormond Beach provides the ideal setting and climate for renewing your energy and positive outlook. Call today to learn more about our menopause treatment solutions.
