As a woman, you know that menopause is inevitable at some point in your life. Thinking about the hot flashes and mood swings isn’t a real thrill, but knowing what to expect can make your journey easier.
At Collaborative Women’s Care, our team is here to help you through every stage of your reproductive journey, including menopause. Dr. Eduardo Valdes is our obstetrics and gynecology expert, who offers a variety of treatments for uncomfortable menopause symptoms.
Menopause is the point in a woman’s life when they can no longer reproduce. It marks the end of your menstrual cycles, and starts a natural decline in your hormones. This point in your life usually happens in your late 40s to mid 50s.
Although it’s a general term, there are actually three separate stages that you go through when you get near menopause. These three stages include:
Perimenopause is the months to years leading up to actual menopause. During this time, your hormones begin to slow in production, causing a big change with your menstrual cycles. They’re often irregular, and you may show other signs of hormonal changes, such as hot flashes.
You officially hit menopause when you haven’t had a menstrual cycle for 12 months consecutively. This officially marks the end of your reproductive years, as you can no longer carry a child naturally.
As soon as you’ve officially hit menopause, you jump right into postmenopause. You’re in this stage for the rest of your life, as you’ll no longer get a menstrual cycle. During this stage, you’re at risk for diseases like osteoporosis, due to the decline in your hormones.
You may think the rollercoaster ride is over once you’ve officially hit menopause; but that’s just not the case. Although the symptoms leading up to menopause may slow a bit, your hormones are still significantly different than they were in your younger years.
Once you hit menopause, a whole other set of problems occurs. Your estrogen levels are at an all-time low, which puts you at a higher risk for heart disease and osteoporosis.
In your post-menopausal years, you’re more likely to suffer from cardiovascular problems. This is because estrogen is vital to protecting your body against these issues. During postmenopause, you’re more susceptible to stroke and heart attack.
Your bone density is also affected after you hit menopause. The decreased amount of estrogen in your body causes your bones to break down faster than they regenerate. This leads to osteoporosis, which causes your bones to break easier than normal.
You may also continue to experience the uncomfortable symptoms related to perimenopause. Hot flashes may continue for several years after you hit menopause. You’ll likely also experience vaginal dryness and depression related to the decrease in your reproductive hormones.
If you’re in the postmenopausal stage and still experiencing discomfort, Dr. Valdes can help. He offers a number of treatments that help you combat the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause and keep your body healthy.
Lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly help with the increased risk of cardiovascular complications. Staying on top of your overall health and wellness keeps you ahead of these issues.
You may also want to ask Dr. Valdes about hormone replacement therapy. This type of treatment helps you balance out your hormones to relieve some of your postmenopausal symtpoms.
Dr. Valdes and the team are ready to help you stay healthy during any stage of menopause. If you’re concerned about life after menopause, our team has the resources to help.
If you’d like to talk to Dr. Valdes about your postmenopausal symptoms, call our office today at 305-200-3878 to book an appointment. You can also schedule a consultation using our online booking feature.
