When you haven’t had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months, you’ve reached menopause and can no longer become pregnant. During your reproductive years, your ovaries produce an egg each month. While they do this, they’re also providing the hormones progesterone and estrogen. As you near menopause, you go through perimenopause, and your ovaries begin creating lower levels of these hormones. When your ovaries produce less estrogen and progesterone, two significant thins happen. First, your body stops making eggs. At the same time, your menstrual periods grow less frequent and eventually stop. This process can happen gradually over several years or occur suddenly. Most women go through menopause when they’re 40-50 years of age. While it’s natural part of the aging process, medical treatments like chemotherapy and surgical removal of your ovaries can also trigger it.
During your well-women exam, our doctors review your symptoms as well as your personal and family medical history, as well as a physical exam to evaluate the health of your vaginal tissues. Based on your symptoms and exam, our doctors might recommend a variety of menopause management options, including:
Don’t suffer in silence from the hormone imbalance brought on by menopause. Call our office or schedule an appointment online today.
Decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms that vary in severity and duration. Some women have symptoms for years, while others have no symptoms at all. The first symptom of hormonal imbalance that you might notice is changes in your menstrual cycle, such as frequency and flow. Additional symptoms might include:
Decreased estrogen can also cause vaginal laxity or weakening of the vaginal tissues. This can lead to a variety of side effects, including urinary leakage, decreased vaginal sensitivity, and a vulva or labia that appear wrinkled or saggy.
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