Menopause is a natural transition that all women go through as they age. The term "menopause" refers to the point when a woman's menstrual cycles stop permanently. This usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.
The time leading up to menopause is called perimenopause. This transitional stage can begin several years before menopause itself. During perimenopause, women may experience various symptoms as their hormone levels fluctuate and start to decline. These can include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, and mood changes.
The key change associated with menopause is a decline in estrogen and progesterone production. These are the main female sex hormones that regulate menstruation. As the ovaries produce less of these hormones, menstrual cycles become irregular and eventually stop altogether.
Common symptoms associated with menopause include:
Other issues like hair thinning, weight gain, urinary issues, and decreased bone density may also occur around menopausal transition. The severity and duration of symptoms varies significantly among women. While some may struggle with moderate to severe symptoms for many years, others may only experience minor effects short-term.
Genetics, lifestyle factors, and overall health all play a role in influencing each woman's experience. However, even those with few or no symptoms should be aware of important long term health implications associated with hormone changes.
While bothersome in the moment, most menopausal symptoms will gradually resolve over time without needing major intervention. The more pressing concern is how hormone changes affect long term health. Declining estrogen is associated with three main risks:
Estrogen plays an important protective role for bone health. Without adequate levels after menopause, bones lose density and structural integrity - leading to osteoporosis. This condition causes bones to become very frail and prone to painful fractures. Common osteoporotic fracture sites include hips, wrists, and vertebrae of the spine.
Fractures can severely impact mobility and independence. Vertebral compression fractures also cause back pain, loss of height, and spinal deformities. Studies show 1 in 3 women over age 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture.
Estrogen has favorable effects on blood lipids and vascular function. So in menopause, declining levels lead to shifts towards atherosclerosis - plaque formation in arteries that impairs blood flow. This raises future cardiovascular disease risk, including heart attacks, strokes, and other circulatory disorders.
Around menopause is also when many women start presenting with other compounding risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and abdominal obesity. So this vulnerable period warrants increased surveillance and preventative care.
The drop in estrogen thin's and shrink's pelvic floor tissues - muscles, fascia, nerves - leading to stress urinary incontinence. Leakage with exertion, laughing, sneezing, etc becomes more common. Up to 50% of postmenopausal women experience bothersome urine loss.
While rarely life threatening if mild, repeated episodes significantly disrupt daily activities and quality of life. Embarrassment and fear of public accidents causes many women to isolate themselves. More severe cases increase vulnerability to rashes, wounds, and dangerous falls.
Given the wide range of possible effects, having an experienced menopausal medicine specialist guiding you through changes is invaluable. They can help accurately diagnose issues, provide prompt relief for symptoms, monitor evolving health risks, advise on lifestyle optimization, and discuss pros and cons of available therapies.
Tailored hormone replacement is very effective for treating hot flashes, sexual health concerns, and supporting bone strength. The best candidates start therapy within 5 years of last menstrual period. Complementary options like prescription vaginal estrogen, gabapentin, SSRIs, and cognitive behavioral therapy can also help manage difficult symptoms.
Outside of symptom control, specialists emphasize key prevention strategies for fragile bones, heart disease, diabetes, and incontinence. Nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction techniques and other positive health behaviors slow disease progression and extend healthy longevity.
Finding high quality care prevents long term harm. Small relative risks with continuing treatment are far outweighed by much larger cardiovascular event, fracture, and functional decline risks without properly addressing hormonal changes. Our goal is guiding patients to safely harness menopause transition for amplified vitality in the second half of life.
Our clinic focuses specifically on managing all aspects of menopause, hormonal disorders, sexual health, and healthy aging. We stay apprised of latest advancements through conferences, research journals, colleagues, and academic institutions. Ongoing learning allows us to offer a diversity of science-backed, integrative treatment modalities tailored to each woman's unique needs.
We dig deeper into patient history and lifestyle context instead of solely viewing laboratory numbers. A customized program is built addressing your individual symptoms, risks, preferences, and health objectives - ranging from basic education to advanced therapies. You are an equal steering partner through shared decision making.
Our team has cultivated close working relationships with primary care doctors, OBGYNs, psychiatrists, pelvic floor physical therapists, registered dietitians, fitness coaches, and other community professionals over years of collaborative care. We leverage this network for seamless referrals and coordinated treatment plans when extra support is needed.
We primarily use bioidentical hormones - plant sourced compounds engineered in labs to perfectly match unique human estrogen, testosterone and progesterone molecules. They bind receptors and behave virtually identically to our natural hormones, while synthetic versions often exert slightly different effects. Bioidentical hormones offer maximum physiological benefit and flexibility to closely replicate normal rhythms. Custom mixing ratios, routes of delivery and cyclic scheduling prevents overexposure.
"Studies show that spending time outdoors in nature, known as 'forest bathing', can help relieve menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and mood changes. The fresh air, phytoncides from trees, sunlight, and movement provide mental and physical benefits that complement other menopause treatments."
The first step is accurately mapping out your hormonal landscape and overall health risks. We utilize state of the art blood panels, genomics data, and additional studies to uncover root causes of symptoms and stratify future disease potentials.
Key lab assessments include:
During extensive consults, we methodically review critical lab results, relevant symptoms and clinical signs, family history, diet and lifestyle behaviors, etc. - piecing together key drivers of current health issues. Personalized recommendations are then made targeting root causes for maximum benefit.
Ongoing access outside of scheduled visits ensures prompt response to questions. We also help coordinate care with other practitioners like mental health professionals, pelvic floor physical therapists, nutritionists, etc. when extra support is warranted.
Lifestyle medicine is the foundation for sustaining wellness through endocrine changes. We provide evidence based guidance on dietary patterns, specific nutrient needs, ideal physical activities, stress balancing techniques, and sleep hygiene strategies that best support women over 40.
Small positive habits compound over time for amplified gene expression, sustained fitness, emotional resilience, and disease prevention. Health coaching and tracking tools keep you on track with personalized goals. Community classes, walking groups, cooking demonstrations, and other enrichment offerings create accountability.
Key takeaways - Nutrient dense anti-inflammatory foods, regular movement, distress tolerance, and restorative sleep amplify hormone balance and vitality during menopausal transition.
When symptoms persist despite solid lifestyle groundwork, we thoughtfully incorporate bioidentical hormone restoration. Multiple delivery methods allow customized plans matching your unique situation.
Oral tablets - Convenient standard dosing works well for most women under 55 within 5 years of last period. Helps hot flashes, sleep, sexual health, cognition, muscle mass, and metabolism.
Transdermal gels / creams - Good option to bypass first pass liver metabolism. Useful for thyroid patients on replacement needing extra estrogen. Localized application limits systemic fluctuations.
Vaginal inserts - Low dose direct delivery restoring urogenital tissue health. First line for isolated vaginal dryness or urinary control issues without systemic symptoms.
Pellet implants - Release consistent low levels over 3-6 months without remembering frequent doses. Useful for younger surgical menopause or women still attempting conception.
Cyclic / continuous combined - We copy nature's rhythms and ratios when possible through encoded patterns. Concerns regarding stimulation induced cancers are outdated - evidence supports safety and more reversal of risks, even in survivors.
Careful tracking of treatment responses through lab measures, symptom journals, and follow up appointments prevents over or under dosing. We take time fully outlining the evidence, risks, and alternatives around hormone therapy for informed personal decisions.
Ideally patients present within 5 years of last menstrual period for maximal benefits in urogenital tissues, cognition, cardiovascular measures, and metabolic factors. Delaying longer tends to diminish potential gains.
Treatment extending over 10 years with slow upward titration matching natural losses (1-3% per year) provides favorable risk profiles for bone strength, diabetes, dementia, lung repair, and sustaining intimacy. Patients that initiate then abruptly stop against medical advice see rapid reversal of protection. We coach all individuals on constructive cessation when the time comes.
Early ovarian failure before 45 years old should always be considered for treatment due to the vast implications of decades more accelerated aging without youthful hormonal balance. Dosing is more aggressive to achieve peak fertile range levels.
For late reproductive stage perimenopause support, supplemental progesterone sufficient to induce predictable menstrual bleeding ensures optimal feedback dynamics. Those with persistently irregular cycles or taking fertility medications that delay menopause onset less commonly need full therapy during this phase. We instead focus on modifiable lifestyle factors, micronutrients, phytoestrogens, adaptogens, and targeted symptom relief.
Key Takeaway - The earlier stabilized replacement begins within 5 years of last period in optimal candidates, the better for amplifying healthspan through the second half of life. Certain comorbidities may modify this general guidance.
While menopause care can begin at any time once diagnosed, late winter through early spring allows outdoor ameliorating lifestyle measures concurrent with treatment ramp up for ideal synergy.
January into March tends to be hardest season for fluctuating mood, inflammation, pain flares, low motivation towards health behaviors, vulnerability to viruses, and depressed libido. So having uplifting hormone balancing initiated leading into warmer months with more direct sunlight and opportunities for activity, community participation, healthy food access supports overall wellbeing.
Local Jackson factors - By April access improves to walking trails, parks, farmer???s markets, swimming pools, rivers and lakes, gardens, golf courses and tennis courts, patios and porches allow socializing, etc. Physical movement, nutritious produce consumption, stress relief and social connection enhance treatment response. High UV index also bolsters vitamin D status.
As outlined earlier, properly assessing baseline sex hormones, metabolic factors, nutrient status, and genomic risks guides safe, effective treatment plans. We always check key labs first, but also accept recent values done through reputable area labs on our behalf:
Outside records from credentialed facilities done within the past year are accepted after careful vetting to prevent repetition. We want baseline data before first consultation to allow prompt treatment planning when indicated.
We help clients take full advantage of our vibrant community's exceptional outdoor spaces, recreational opportunities, healthy dining options, and therapeutic services that all fortify mind-body wellbeing. Especially during stressful transitional periods like menopause, leveraging local assets accelerates healing.
Recommended Natural Spots and Trails
Gyms and Studios Offering Fitness, Yoga, Pilates
Day Spas - Massages, Bodywork, Salt Caves
Healthy Cafes and Restaurants
Now we will outline the step by step process for accessing care along with an overview of specific medical therapies we offer targeting common menopausal concerns.
Put simply, supporting women's health during the middle decades prevents downstream harm. Sweeping estrogen loss over years without offset causes incremental damages setting up higher long term risks of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, fractures, dementia plus profound lifestyle disruptions from disabling hot flashes, uterine atrophy, and genitourinary syndromes.
Medical nihilism dismissing menopause as an inevitable nuisance requiring toleration rather than treatment is outdated. Restoring balance early and gently prevents accelerated aging.
We now recognize menopausal hormone therapy started around late perimenopause helps the vast majority of women safely harness this phase for amplified longevity and quality of life when properly stewarded by a specialist. Doing nothing out of unfounded fear or lack of access is far more dangerous according to modern epidemiology.
The small relative risks of blood clots, strokes and breast health issues with traditional oral preparations are nearly eliminated with today's safer bioidentical options, lower dosing, cycling regimens and skin delivery. Whereas the threat of heart attacks, diabetes, immobility, and dementia doubles over a decade without care. Failing to adequately counsel, track and support women through the menopause transition has become the greater harm.
We strive to overturn outdated assumptions through updated education, measured hope, and compassionate science grounded in facts. Thriving through midlife into elder years
