Are Your Menopause & Post-Menopausal Symptoms Normal?

Menopause is a natural biological condition characterized by symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and emotional symptoms like sadness, anxiety or feelings of loss. The average age of menopause for women is 51 in the United States, but it can occur in your 40s and well into your 50s. A woman is considered to have been through menopause 12 months after her last menstrual period.
 
While this may feel like you’re closing one chapter of your life, you can stay vital, healthy and sexually active. Compassionate and experienced women’s health providers at Riverview Health are here to help you experience your fullest life during and after menopause.

Menopause Symptoms

Common symptoms of menopause may include:

• Hot flashes
• Irregular periods
• Loss of breast fullness
• Mood changes
• Night sweats
• Sleep problems
• Thinning hair and skin dryness
• Vaginal dryness
• Weight gain and slower metabolism

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms above, a gynecologist at Riverview Health can provide a diagnosis and customized treatment options suited for your needs.

Menopause Causes

Reasons for menopause may include:

• A natural slowing of reproductive hormones in your body. As women move into their late 30s, their ovaries start to slow down the production of estrogen and progesterone (which regulates menstruation), causing fertility to decline.
• Total hysterectomy and oophorectomy. The removal of the uterus and ovaries will result in menopause without a transition phase or post-menopausal symptoms.
• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Both of these cancer treatments can stop the ovaries from producing hormones, which can trigger menopause symptoms, including hot flashes during or after treatment.
• Primary ovarian insufficiency. Around one percent of women will have menopause before the age of 40. This is known as premature menopause. In some cases, menopause may be caused by primary ovarian insufficiency, resulting from genetic factors or an autoimmune disease.

Menopause & Post-Menopause Treatment in Noblesville, IN

Treatment for menopause and postmenopause symptoms may include hormone therapy for hot flashes, vaginal estrogen to relieve dryness, low-dose antidepressants to decrease the frequency of hot flashes and other medications to prevent and treat osteoporosis. To learn more about your treatment options, complete an online appointment request form.