Menopause occurs when a woman’s ovaries stop functioning and when she no longer has menstrual periods (for 12 consecutive months.) The symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause can be debilitating for some and may include:
Treatments for menopause symptoms include bioidentical hormone therapy, which are custom made for each patient. Bioidentical hormone treatments are derived from biological sources that are structurally identical to the natural hormones in your body. The treatment goal is to help alleviate the symptoms and discomfort.
The most commonly used natural hormones include:
Estrogen and Progesterone are frequently prescribed for women in menopause, as well as to improve bone density in women at risk for developing osteoporosis. Estrogen not only helps during pregnancy, but it also controls how your body uses calcium and helps raise good cholesterol levels. Estrogen/Progesterone combination therapy is sometimes prescribed when the patient has a higher risk of cancer of the endometrium (because the patient still has her uterus intact).
