Menopause Counseling & Treatment Options

Traditionally, people have called menopause "the change," a rather fitting title given that this stage ushers in a dramatic shift in estrogen and progesterone levels, as well as a cessation of menstrual periods. Here at Northwest Associates for Women's Healthcare in Hoffman Estates, your four physicians and their team provide the care and support you need to navigate menopause in a healthy fashion.

The symptoms of menopause

Menopausal symptoms may begin as early as the late thirties, states The North American Menopause Society. Typically, this period is called peri-menopause, and as years advance (with 51 being average for true menopause), ovarian activity and the release of female hormones drastically diminish. When the ovaries release their last egg, menstruation ceases sometime afterward. When a woman has not had a menstrual period for a full year, she is considered post-menopausal.

In effect, menopause is a lengthy process of many kinds of changes, often accompanied by disconcerting symptoms such as:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Genital dryness (and sometimes painful sex) because of atrophy of the vagina
• Mood swings
• Inability to fall asleep, insomnia, and other sleep disturbances
• Weight gain, especially at the waistline
• Varying degrees of urinary incontinence
• Thinning bones (osteoporosis)
• Hair loss

Getting through the change

At Northwest Associates for Women's Healthcare in Hoffman Estates, your professional team provides the counseling and treatment you need to navigate menopause. Depending on your symptoms and personal preferences, your care plan may include:

• Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT (not appropriate for breast cancer patients)
• Antidepressants, such as Effexor
• Vitamins, such as B6 and E supplements
• Herbal supplements, such as St. John's Wart for depression and Black Cohosh for hot flashes
• Vaginal lubricants and moisturizers
• Kegal exercises to strengthen pelvic floor muscles
• Relaxation techniques
• Adequate hydration and heart-healthy nutrition
• Avoiding foods which precipitate hot flashes and insomnia (spicy foods as an example)
• Exercising every day
• Limiting caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, particularly at bedtime

You can take charge of menopause

Know the facts about this important life change. Call your friends at Northwest Associates for Women's Healthcare in Hoffman Estates for the menopause treatment and counseling you need: (847) 884-1800.