Hot flashes, sleeping problems and mood swings are some of the symptoms women experience during menopause. Perhaps you’ve wondered, or maybe even worried about, what to expect. It’s a different experience for each woman. Some women experience troublesome symptoms, while others have little or no discomfort. Our certified menopause educators can help you understand the changes so you can alleviate your symptoms, ward off osteoporosis and heart disease, and master your natural transition through menopause. Now is the time to take control of menopause—and your health.
Menopause Defined
Menopause is the time when your menstrual periods stop—specifically, when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months with no period. The process of menopause begins for most women around age 50, but can start as early as your 30s. In perimenopause (the transition to menopause), the production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone begins to fluctuate, causing various symptoms, including:
- Missed periods and changes in flow
- Hot flashes
- Sleep problems
- Vaginal dryness, which can lead to painful intercourse and frequent vaginal infections
- Bladder control problems and an increase in urinary tract infections
- Change in sexual response
- Depression and mood swings
- Memory loss
- Weight gain
- Hair loss
In addition to the short-term discomforts of menopause, the loss of estrogen puts you at higher risk for osteoporosis, colon cancer, unfavorable cholesterol levels and heart disease.
Information is Your Key to Continued Good Health
With information from Lancaster General Woman, you can take control of menopause rather than it controlling you. The certified menopause educators at Lancaster General Women & Babies Hospital offer individual counseling sessions tailored to your specific needs. You may want to ask your health insurance company if they cover this type of educational program.
You'll learn techniques to help alleviate menopause symptoms as well as how to avoid osteoporosis. More than half of women over the age of 65 suffer from osteoporosis. The lack of estrogen during menopause causes your bones to lose calcium, leading to bone fractures. You can fight back with proper exercise and diet, and with early detection. You’ll learn about ways your doctor can diagnose this silent disease.
Are you Heart Healthy?
Estrogen helps protect your heart and arteries against cholesterol that clogs blood vessels. After menopause, you lose that benefit, and your risk of stroke and heart disease increases dramatically. You’ll learn what screenings and treatments are available to keep your heart healthy.
Hormone Therapy—Is it for you?
One way your physician can help you manage osteoporosis and the symptoms of menopause is with hormone therapy (HT)—prescription drugs that “replace” the hormones that your ovaries stop making at the time of menopause. Lancaster General Woman can help you understand the possible benefits, risks and side effects.
Call (717) 544-3779 for more information, or to register for an individual counseling session.