Menopause

MENOPAUSE

Menopause is a natural progression that affects all women. It occurs when your ovaries stop producing estrogen and releasing eggs. Irregular periods may occur months or even years before menopause, but it is officially diagnosed when you stop having your menstrual periods for at least 12 months. The average age of menopause is 51 years old; however, a small percentage of women experience menopausal changes where their menstrual periods start to become irregular around the age of 40. This is termed perimenopause, and the symptoms of menopause for these women are the same.

For many women, the changes in their menstrual cycle are accompanied by varying degrees of symptoms, from changes in moods, to hot flashes, to brain fog, and for some people, changes in weight and sex drive. Many women are often left feeling discouraged by their symptoms or are told that because menopause is a natural part of aging, there is nothing that can be done to treat their troublesome symptoms. However, “natural” menopause or any other medical condition that induces menopause does not need to mean that you suffer with your debilitating symptoms in silence.

 

EMBODIED WELLNESS’S APPROACH

At Embodied Wellness, we can help you reclaim your vitality and get you back on the path to wellness. We understand that although menopause is an inevitable process, the physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms that accompany menopause and affect a woman’s functioning does not need to be. At Embodied Wellness, we work in understanding your goals and preferences regarding treatment. We want to understand from you your vision of improved quality of life, so that we may partner with you in achieving your goals.

Our process typically consists of a thorough health assessment to provide foundational history regarding your health concerns. We order comprehensive lab panels to look at your hormone levels and other key markers to support your treatments. We also supplement our services with holistic treatments that complement your values and can potentially assist in optimizing treatment outcomes. Some of these services may include nutritional and lifestyle support, your personal priorities, herbal supplementation, and more!

 

Below, we discuss the science behind the process of menopause, the common symptoms, as well as treatments for managing menopausal symptoms.

 

HOW DOES MENOPAUSE OCCUR?

When most people think of menopause, they think of an age or a specific period of time when they have noticed they are no longer menstruating. However, menopause is a process that typically starts years before a woman officially enters menopause. The process of menopause can be best described in three main stages:

 

Perimenopause

During this stage, women typically start to notice changes in their menstrual cycle. They may notice that their menstrual periods have become irregular. They may notice either an increase in menstrual flow or a decrease. The duration of their menstrual periods may become shorter or longer. Perimenopause typically starts for women in their 40’s but may begin as early as in the 30s for some women. Perimenopause signals changes in the production of estrogen, with the ovaries producing decreased levels of circulating estrogen in the blood stream. As a result, some women in perimenopause may experience some or many symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, night sweats, changes in mood, or decreased sex drive.

Menopause

As mentioned, a woman is officially considered in menopause when she has not had her menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. During this stage, the ovaries have virtually stopped releasing estrogen, which marks the sign that a woman’s reproductive potential for childbearing has ended. She may experience the peak of menopausal symptoms as a result of low estrogen levels, including hot flashes, night sweats, changes in mood and mental clarity, changes in weight, decreased sex drive and arousal, and urinary symptoms, just to name a few. During these times, women may have increased difficulties coping, and typically seek out treatment to manage their menopausal symptoms.

Postmenopause

The postmenopausal period begins a year and a day after a woman stops having her menstrual periods and continues until the rest of her life. During this stage, some women continue to experience menopausal symptoms but to a lesser degree. However, for many women, troublesome menopausal symptoms continue to occur and are unimproved without treatment. Furthermore, estrogen levels continue to decline, putting postmenopausal women at risk of various health problems, including osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. A holistic approach that considers medications, such as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and nutritional and lifestyle changes, can help restore your hormone levels to more functional levels, improving not just menopausal symptoms, but also reducing your risk of these serious health problems.

 

A word on early and premature menopause…

 

Premature And Early Menopause

Early menopause is defined as menopause that occurs in women between the ages of 40 and 45. Premature menopause is defined as menopause that occurs before the age of 40. Roughly 5% of women experience early menopause, and 1% of women will go on to experience premature menopause. Early and premature menopause are usually caused by surgical or medical etiologies, and can be devastating for some women who are not at the end their childbearing years. Symptoms of early and premature menopause are the same as for women who have entered menopause, and treatments typically Include hormone replacement therapies and lifestyle changes.

 

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE?

Although menopause is a natural and inevitable part of aging, the symptoms of menopause can be debilitating for some, and is what usually brings people in for treatment. Common signs and symptoms of menopause may include:

Night Sweats

Spontaneous feeling of cold flashes or perspirations that typically occurs at night while sleeping and is typically the result of hormonal changes.

Hot Flashes

A sudden onset of bodily warmth sensation that is felt throughout the body, typically due to fluctuations in hormones. However, certain foods and beverages, such as alcohol and certain spicy foods can also bring about this symptom.

Changes In Menstrual Periods (Irregular or Missed)

Caused by fluctuations in hormone levels, particularly estrogen.

Mood Changes

Includes irritability, mood swings, mild depression, or anxiety. Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone help influence mood.

Sleep Disturbances

Trouble falling or staying asleep due to changes in hormone levels.

Vaginal Dryness Or Painful Intercourse

Caused by low estrogen levels, which typically helps support vaginal lubrication and elasticity.

Urinary Incontinence Or Frequency

An intense need to urinate frequently, as well as inability to hold urine. This is sometimes caused by low estrogen levels.

 

MENOPAUSE TREATMENT OPTIONS

At Embodied Wellness, we understand that menopause is a natural part of life. However, you should not have to suffer in silence during this important transition of your life. We offer holistic, modern approaches to medically treating your menopause-related symptoms:

 

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)

BHRT are the preferred method for treating your menopausal symptoms. Bioidentical hormones are plant-based and are closely identical molecularly to the hormones your body naturally produces. BHRT like estrogen and progesterone bring hormonal balance back to your body, and can address both local or systemic menopausal symptoms, including vaginal dryness, lack of libido, hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, and more!

 

The two main types of hormone therapies include:

 

Estrogen therapy: This treatment includes estrogen as the only form of treatment, without any other supplemental hormone, like progesterone. Estrogen-only therapy can only be used for women without a uterus in cis-women who has had a hysterectomy or transgender male-to-female women. Taking estrogen-only therapy without progesterone for women who have an intact uterus can greatly put them at risk for endometrial cancer. Estrogen helps support bladder wall integrity, reducing urinary frequency and incontinence. Estrogen also helps improve many menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, improved mood, and enhanced sexual function.

 

Estrogen/Progesterone therapy: For women with an intact uterus, estrogen/progesterone therapy is the preferred method for improving menopausal symptoms and achieving better balance and wellbeing that bioidentical hormones can provide. As mentioned, estrogen helps treat various local and systemic menopausal symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats. In addition, progesterone also helps stabilize estrogen’s chemical effects, while supporting brain health, improving mood, enhancing sexual function, and supporting better sleep.

 

At Embodied Wellness, we utilize BHRT in our holistic approach to treating troublesome menopausal symptoms. The following formulations are described below:

 

Bioidentical HRT Creams

BHRT creams are desired for their user-friendly application and convenience among women. They are instantly absorbed into the bloodstream, and thus have a quicker response in eliminating problematic menopausal symptoms. They are applied topically to the skin and are pre-measured allowing for a more accurate amount of medication to alleviate your menopausal symptoms.

Oral Bioidentical HRT

Progesterone is an example of on oral form of hormone replacement therapy that is for certain women to treat systemic symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and disturbed sleep. Progesterone is generally administered once a day along with estradiol creams or patches and is designed to meet your specific needs. We do not use oral estrogen pills due to the increase adverse effects of oral formulations to safer transdermal applications, such as creams and patches.

Bioidentical HRT Patch

BHRT estradiol patches are delivered via transdermal route through the skin into the bloodstream and are a highly effective and preferred way by many practitioners for treating both systemic and localized menopausal symptoms of women. They are convenient and are replaced bi-weekly with minimal interruptions for the modern, busy woman!

 

Peptide Therapy For Women

At Embodied Wellness, we utilize peptides to help support women as they navigate through the various stages of menopause. Peptides are a sequence of amino acids naturally found in our own bodies. Peptides naturally serve as many functions in our bodies, including acting as hormones or chemical messengers to relay important messages for bodily functions. They also help treat a variety of health concerns, including improving skin texture, supporting weight management, improving sexual desire and function, improving sleep quality, and supporting mental clarity.

Specifically, as it relates to skincare, peptides naturally help build collagen, an important protein that gives skin its youthful firmness and elasticity. At Embodied Wellness, we utilize specialized peptides to help support collagen production for improving the look and feel of skin. We also use peptides that serve as powerful antioxidants for the skin, further improving skin’s youthful appearance and texture.

All our peptides can be used alone or in combination with BHRT. They are a great alternative for women looking for non-HRT options.

 

Nutritional & Lifestyle Counseling

At Embodied Wellness, we understand that the old adage, You are what you eat, reigns true when it comes to aging. Certain foods you eat can accelerate the aging process, while others can help slow the aging process, as well as improve one’s youthful energy and overall wellbeing. Embodied Wellness suggests eating foods that are anti-inflammatory in nature and with low-lectin content, reducing cellular dysfunction and oxidative stress that leads to early aging.

Additionally, we may recommend herbal supplements that can serve as a natural and holistic complement to improving your menopausal-related symptoms. Such herbs, like Maca, Red Clover, Tribulus, and Fenugreek, just to name a few, have all been implicated in treating troublesome menopausal symptoms of sexual dysfunction in women.

 

 

Whether you are in early or premature menopause, perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause, and struggling to deal with your symptoms, there is hope! Learn more on how Embodied Wellness can address your menopausal concerns and get you back on the path to wellness. Call us today at (206) 480-0740 or (916) 594-2478 to schedule your free consultation today!