Menopause Management

Menopause is a natural part of a woman’s development, but its symptoms can differ greatly from one person to the next.

Individualized counseling from UH MacDonald's Women's Hospital caring team of experts determines a woman’s specific challenges at this point of her life.

We can help her adjust to her body’s changes and reduce or eliminate those symptoms that are most bothersome.  We also prepare her for further situations that may lie ahead and provide screenings for osteoporosis, heart diseases and other conditions.

We work with a woman to overcome any physical or emotional obstacles associated with menopause so she can fully enjoy her life. Whether menopause seems years away or is fast approaching, it is never too early to learn more about what your body is going through and how to prepare for menopause. We all face it — the good, the bad and the ugly — but with the right attitude, and a few helpful hints, you will maintain good health through this next stage of your life.

40's

While most women, about 90 percent, will not experience menopause until they are between 45 and 55, about 5 percent of women do experience menopause when they are between 40 and 45. Menstrual cycle changes and variations between light and heavy flow can sometimes indicate the first signs of menopause during this time.  

What you can do now

• Eat right — Avoid stimulants and depressants like caffeine and alcohol that induce hot flashes.
• Increase bone density — As osteoporosis becomes a concern, work to increase bone density through different forms of exercise.
• Think positive — Memory and mood may both be affected by changing hormones, so practice calming exercises and ask your doctor for hormone treatments that may help.
• Keep using birth control — Just because you are missing periods does not mean that you have stopped ovulating altogether. Staying on birth control for a year after your periods have ended will ensure that you do not become pregnant, and some women also have less PMS and perimenopause symptoms while on birth control
• Talk to your doctor — Do not just assume that hot flashes, night sweats and other menopause symptoms necessarily mean you are dealing with menopause. Other conditions such as depression, thyroid problems, diabetes and endocrine disorders often have similar side-effects. If things change, let your doctor know.

50s

Less estrogen, more hot flashes, irregular periods and vaginal dryness are all indicators that menopause is setting in. A number of women also experience heart palpitations and unusual chest pains, but these usually disappear after menopause. While cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and osteoporosis risks increase once you stop getting your period, studies show that this has everything to do with age, not menopause. Men also have increased risk during the ages of 45 and 64.

What you can do now

• Relax — Breathing exercises can help in treating hot flashes, and meditation can help orient your mind.
• Get exercise — Aerobic workouts can help keep hot flashes and heart palpitations under control.
• Hormonal help — Ask your doctor about hormone replacement therapy. Often estrogen, alone or with progesterone, can help with sleep problems, vaginal dryness, hot flashes and night sweats.
• Medical alternatives — Ask your doctor about natural alternatives to medication such as black cohosh, kava, dong quai, ginseng and red clover.
• Ease discomfort — Use lubricants to ease vaginal dryness and discomfort.