Perimenopause and Menopause Awareness: Treating Symptoms at the Root with a Qualified Provider

Every single woman will go through menopause, and approximately 6000 women a day reach this milestone in the United States.

Natural menopause is considered 12 consecutive months without menstruation, but some women can experience menopause earlier if they undergo a hysterectomy or if it’s chemically induced with medications like chemotherapy. The average age for menopause is approximately 51 years old for Caucasian women. However, women of color are more likely to transition into menopause earlier.

Perimenopause is the transitional phase prior to menopause, marked by fluctuating hormones. Women may start experiencing perimenopause years prior to menopause. The symptoms experienced during and following the menopausal transition vary substantially from person to person. Some women have few, if any, symptoms, but others have extreme symptoms, which can include dry skin, dry eyes and mouth, voice changes, irregular periods, night sweats, hot flashes, palpitations, insomnia, decreased libido, muscle aches and joint pain, cognitive decline or brain fog, depression, anxiety, rage, hair thinning/loss, vaginal dryness, vaginal infections, painful sex and recurrent bladder infections. Symptoms can be severe and affect daily activities and quality of life. The wide range of side effects makes identifying and treating perimenopause and menopause difficult. On average, women see between five to seven different clinicians before receiving adequate treatment for perimenopause or menopause, which results in an increase in misdiagnoses and overtreatment of ADHD, insomnia, depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia.

Revitalized Health sees new patients daily in their clinics who complain they feel like they are “going crazy.” These women are often concerned about losing their jobs because their brain fog is so severe they can’t function at work. They believe they have early dementia, are exhausted but can’t sleep and are depressed but don’t understand why. They are concerned their spouses or partners may leave them because they have less or no interest in sex or are so irritable they snap at everyone in the house.

Treating menopause or perimenopause is not just about symptom management, but also disease prevention. Maintaining optimal hormone levels can prevent women from developing obesity, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, urinary tract infections, breast cancer and so on. We have hormone receptors in every single cell and organ in our bodies, and our bodies do not function well without them. Why not replace them?

The controversy of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) started from a misinterpretation of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study over 20 years ago. This sparked widespread fear and misinformation for women and HRT. Millions of women were taken off HRT and providers became fearful to prescribe it. This misinformation continues and the consequences have been devastating for women’s health.

Revitalized Health encourages women to educate themselves regarding this life transition. The shortage of trained menopause specialists, coupled with inadequate menopause education in medical training programs, means women continue to be misdiagnosed and insufficiently treated. Fortunately, more education and social media platforms for menopause and perimenopause awareness are increasing due to advocates like Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Dr. Heather Hirsch, Tamsen Fadel, Halle Berry and Oprah. More women are demanding answers to their symptoms and not accepting the answers, “Sorry, it’s a natural part of aging” or “Your labs are normal.”

Change in women’s healthcare begins with proper education, and women need a safe place to be heard, understood and treated correctly. Don’t let hormone imbalances dictate your life anymore. Instead, find a qualified provider who will work with you to find the root causes of your symptoms and treat them accordingly.

For more information about perimenopause, menopause or hormone replacement therapy, contact Revitalized Health at 337-214-0097.