Menopause
Menopause is marked by the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles. It can happen in a woman’s 40s or 50s, with the average age for menopause in the United States at 51. While menopause is a natural process, the symptoms – like hot flashes, mood swings, disrupted sleep, uncomfortable sex, and decreased energy – can affect your lifestyle and daily activities. The good news is that there are many effective treatments available for menopause.
Womens Own Ob/Gyn in Englewood, New Jersey can help you navigate one of the biggest health transitions in your life. Dr. Hetal Gor helps women understand and manage the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, including irregular bleeding, hot flashes, and decreased sex drive. She’ll help you monitor your health so you stay strong and active through the hormonal shift.
Menopause FAQs
Am I perimenopausal?
Several years before menopause, the time when your monthly cycle ceases for good, you may experience symptoms including hot flashes, breast tenderness, decreased libido, fatigue, mood swings, vaginal dryness, and other seemingly unexplainable changes. This is called perimenopause and usually begins in your 40s but can start earlier, too.
Perimenopause typically lasts about 4 years, but can span only a few months and up to 10 years in some women. The stage ends when a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual period, and is then considered to be in menopause. Dr. Gor can counsel you on birth control methods and changes in your lifestyle to manage the symptoms of perimenopause.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
Irregular bleeding, skipped periods, hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, fatigue, depression, and other symptoms characterize menopause. Womens Own Ob/Gyn can help you treat and manage these symptoms to make the transition as smooth and comfortable as possible.
Options that include hormone-replacement therapy – prescription medication with estrogen and progesterone – can ease symptoms. Dr. Gor can coach you on how to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle, too.
Am I at a greater risk of osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is when you experience an increase in bone loss, and thus may suffer from fractures, height loss, and a hunched back. One in every 2 women, and 1 in every 5 men, older than 65 suffer at least 1 bone fracture due to the condition.
In menopause, a woman is more likely to develop osteoporosis due to the changes in her estrogen levels. Hormone-replacement therapy may mitigate bone loss, but Dr. Gor can discuss with you all options to keep your bones healthy and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
What other health concerns come with menopause?
The average age of menopause in the United States is 51, but you may experience it earlier or later – everyone is different. Once you reach menopause and in the years following, the hormone changes and natural aging process puts you at risk for certain health conditions. These include heart disease, urinary incontinence, decreased muscle power, vision weakening, and increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.