Menopause is a natural transition in a woman's life when her menstrual cycles stop permanently and she can no longer become pregnant. The years leading up to menopause are called perimenopause. During this time, hormonal fluctuations and declines in estrogen and progesterone cause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, urinary issues, and emotional changes.
While menopause is a normal part of aging, it can significantly impact one's quality of life without proper treatment. As menopause specialists in Monte Vista, the caring providers at Balance Hormone Institute offer customized treatment plans to help patients find relief.
The most common symptoms associated with menopause and perimenopause include:
Mood changes like irritability, anxiety, sadness, fatigue
Hot flashes - Sudden sensations of heat in the upper body, often with sweating and flushing
Vaginal dryness and pain
Urinary health issues like urinary tract infections (UTIs) and incontinence
There are also long-term health risks to consider with unmanaged menopausal symptoms:
As experienced menopause doctors in Monte Vista, our menopause specialists aim to help patients find solutions, not just manage symptoms. We provide cutting-edge testing, treatments, education and support so patients can thrive through menopause.
Some key reasons to choose Balance Hormone Institute for your menopause treatment include:
Accurately diagnosing menopause is the critical first step to finding relief through treatment. Our menopause specialists utilize advanced hormone testing and must rule out other conditions before determining if a woman has reached menopause.
Women may start experiencing menopausal symptoms up to 10 years before their final period. This transition time is called perimenopause and comes with wide hormonal fluctuations before estrogen production declines more steadily. Distinguishing perimenopause from menopause is key for treatment.
Some differences include:
Tracking symptoms and menstrual cycles helps our doctors determine which reproductive stage a woman has reached. We offer at-home perimenopause tests and lab testing for more definitive diagnoses.
Hormone blood tests help us accurately diagnose menopause by measuring levels of key hormones like:
Checking thyroid and adrenal hormones also helps us develop customized treatment approaches. We use leading labs and frequently recheck levels to adjust dosages for optimal benefits.
Once diagnosed, we offer the latest hormone therapies to alleviate symptoms and reduce health risks related to menopause. Hormone replacement helps replenish declining hormones to stabilize levels.
Since most menopausal symptoms stem from declining estrogen levels, systemic estrogen therapy is commonly used. It can be taken as a pill, skin patch, vaginal ring, gel or spray. Therapy types include:
Benefits may include relief from hot flashes/night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep issues, bone loss prevention and urinary symptom improvements.
Risks can include blood clots, gallstones, fluid retention and uterine cancer (with women who haven't had hysterectomies). We discuss risks/benefits to guide treatment choices.
For patients with a uterus, progestogen is typically included with systemic estrogen to protect the uterine lining. Options include:
Benefits include endometrial protection and stabilizing mood/emotions. Risks may include fluid retention, depression and breast tenderness.
Declining testosterone levels during menopause can also cause symptoms for some women such as low libido, fatigue, muscle loss and reduced cognitive function. We offer bioidentical testosterone therapies when indicated such as methyltestosterone.
Benefits may include increased energy, libido and lean muscle mass. Potential risks include acne, hair loss and liver damage. Careful monitoring helps minimize adverse effects.
A synthetic steroid medication, tibolone offers estrogen, progestogen and androgen effects in one. It's not approved in the U.S. but used elsewhere for osteoporosis prevention, hot flash relief and sexual dysfunction.
Benefits include treating a range of menopausal symptoms. Risks can include irregular bleeding, breast tenderness and increased stroke risk in older women.
There is no "one size fits all" approach to managing menopause. Our Balance Hormone Institute doctors specializing in menopause tailor combinations of bioidentical hormones, medications, supplements, nutrition plans and lifestyle changes to meet each woman's needs.
We partner with patients to set treatment goals, balance benefits/risks of options, monitor progress carefully, and adjust dosages over time for optimal hormonal balance and symptom relief.
Hormone replacement aims to optimize hormonal levels, while certain lifestyle measures can help minimize symptoms naturally. We educate patients on complementary therapies to enhance treatment.
Optimizing nutrition can alleviate some menopause symptoms and long-term health risks:
Supplements: Black cohosh, ginseng, evening primrose oil can also help treat hot flashes, sleep disruption and mood changes for some women based on studies.
Benefits include fewer symptoms naturally and lower health risks. Risks are minimal with careful nutrition planning and correct supplement dosages.
Benefits include better regulation of emotions and mental health during a significant life transition. Practices like yoga also improve strength and balance helpful for supporting bone and muscle health long term.
Any fitness routine should be tailored to each patient's abilities and health status by our doctors. Custom exercise plans prevent injury and maximize results.
Our menopause clinic provides comprehensive care with leading menopause specialists to diagnose issues accurately, create customized treatment plans, and support patients through this important life transition.
We recognize menopause can be an emotionally and physically challenging time for women. Our goal is helping patients thrive through this transition.
We offer streamlined appointments with:
Our experienced doctors specializing in menopause pursue advanced fellowship training focused on midlife women's health. Patients benefit from our expertise in:
You can trust our menopause specialists to guide you to better wellbeing during this change. Contact Balance Hormone Institute in Monte Vista to learn more and schedule your first appointment today!
