Every year in the United States, about 1.3 million women enter menopause, which technically refers to when your periods stop for at least a year. For many women, their menopause journey begins much earlier in their 40s or even in their 30s, as fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone start to cause an array of unpleasant symptoms.
The symptoms of menopause are far-reaching, and they can affect most aspects of your life, including your metabolism and your weight. Fortunately, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help.
At Jersey Integrative Health and Wellness, our team offers state-of-the-art hormone therapy for women and men in Wayne, and Jersey City, New Jersey. If you are navigating menopause and its uncomfortable symptoms, here’s how HRT can help you.
Menopause in a nutshell
Although menopause refers to when your periods stop for at least a year, many people use the term to describe the years and months leading up to period cessation, a time more accurately referred to as perimenopause.
It’s during this time that your levels of estrogen and progesterone start to decline, so it’s no surprise that a lot of women in perimenopause begin to notice the uncomfortable symptoms that go along with the shift in hormone production.
Most people associate estrogen and progesterone with reproduction and sexual health. These hormones play essential roles in both functions, but they also affect other aspects of health and wellness, controlling metabolism and other physiological processes. That’s why you can experience a lot of different symptoms when these hormone levels decline.
Symptoms of menopause
The hormonal shifts during menopause and perimenopause can cause a wide array of symptoms affecting just about every area of your life. Some of the more common symptoms that happen during perimenopause and menopause include:
- Weight gain, especially in the belly area
- Loss of energy
- Loss of libido
- Fatigue
- Moodiness
- Vaginal dryness, burning, and itching
- Pain during intercourse
- Sleep problems
- Night sweats and hot flashes
- “Brain fog” or difficulty with concentration or memory
- Itchy nipples
- Dry skin, eyes, and hair
Although the average age of menopause is 51, you can begin having symptoms years earlier, and symptoms can last for many years after your periods have ended.
How HRT can help
Hormone replacement therapy works by supplementing your body’s natural hormones, literally replacing the hormones your body no longer produces on its own. Our team uses bioidentical hormones: products that are chemically similar to the hormones produced by your body.
Your body uses bioidentical hormones in much the same way it uses natural hormones and disposes of them in the same way too. This is important because it reduces the risk that excess byproducts can build up in your blood and cause dangerous side effects.
Our team prescribes HRT the same way we prescribe any medical therapy. During HRT, we offer regular office visits and lab tests to measure the levels of hormones in your body so that we can adjust and fine-tune your therapy for your evolving needs and symptoms. Regular adjustments help ensure you enjoy the benefits of HRT while reducing potential side effects.
HRT is available in lots of forms, inducing pills, patches, and gels. During your visit, we’ll review the pros and cons of each form, so you can select the form that suits your needs and lifestyle.
Manage your menopause symptoms
Menopause is a natural change in a woman’s life, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer from its symptoms. HRT can help. To learn more, book an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Jersey Integrative Health and Wellness today.
