Menopause: Experienced, Advanced and Comprehensive Treatment in McKinney, TX
At Adriatica Women’s Health, we’re devoted to providing the highest standard of care for women through every stage of life. This includes menopause, an important time of transition in women’s lives, lifestyles and health.
A natural part of aging… that affects women differently.
Menopause, usually occurring around the age of 50, is when a woman has not had her period for a full year. Often called “the change of life,” menopause is a natural part of aging that marks the end of a woman’s childbearing years… and is accompanied by physiological changes.
Of course, all women are different. Each woman’s body follows its own timeline, with some women entering menopause in their mid-40s and others becoming menopausal in their 50s. The process of change that leads to menopause — called perimenopause — can begin in a woman’s late 30s or even as late as her early 50s. And the process of change can take from two to eight years.
The symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.
Women who are menopausal or perimenopausal can experience a variety of symptoms — to varying degrees. Some women can have their lives disrupted by severe symptoms while others may experience only a few minor symptoms. Here are the common symptoms of menopause and perimenopause:
- Irregular periods – heavy bleeding, light bleeding, skipped periods, longer/shorter duration
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Headaches
- Sleeping difficulties / insomnia
- Emotional changes / mood swings
- Diminished libido
- Sensation of rapid or uneven heartbeat
- Memory lapses or cognitive problems
- Vaginal dryness or infections
- Joint pain
Seek treatment for symptoms that affect your quality of life.
If symptoms are mild, you may not feel the need to see a doctor. As a natural part of life, menopause is not a disease requiring treatment. However, it’s important to seek treatment if your symptoms are annoying, upsetting, embarrassing, uncomfortable or disruptive. In short, please do not suffer through menopause, because there is no need to. Also, even if symptoms are mild enough to tolerate, it’s vital to keep up your annual Well-Woman exams, as menopause also marks an increase for heart disease risk and osteoporosis.
The first step for addressing menopause symptoms is for you to live a healthy life. A healthy lifestyle can decrease symptoms — and lower your risks related to aging. Specifically, you should:
- Eat a healthy diet low in saturated fat; rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, beans and high-fiber grains/breads; with sufficient calcium and vitamin D
- Get regular exercise to manage weight, maintain heart and bone health and lift mood
- Limit stress
- Limit caffeine and alcohol intake
- Stop smoking
Results-focused treatment that’s tailored to your needs.
Beyond lifestyle changes, AWH’s board-certified, experienced gyncologists treat perimenopause and menopause symptoms using a range of methods. We base our recommendation for treatment on your unique profile of symptoms, starting with verifying that your symptoms are not related to some other disorder or condition. With urine, saliva and/or blood testing, we’re able to check for decreased hormone levels, a telltale sign of menopause. These tests also help us determine the best, most appropriate and effective treatment for you, including:
- Medical management (medications)
- MonaLisa Touch® treatment for vaginal changes, dryness & discomfort
- Hormone therapy, including bioidenticals
- Surgery (if and as needed)
- Homeopathic options
Ultimately, like all conditions that affect a woman’s health, your menopause or perimenopause is unique to you. That’s why our approach to all Women’s Health care is to tailor everything we do to your individual needs. We combine expertise with the level of caring, understanding and commitment you’d expect from experienced professionals, women and moms… and that we would want for ourselves and the women in our families.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call (972) 542-8884. You can also schedule an appointment using our easy online form.