Menopause

For women, menopause is an inevitable part of life. That doesn’t mean you have to live with all the symptoms, which can range from uncomfortable to life-altering. If menopause has brought unwelcome change to your body — or if you want to preemptively avoid some of the physical challenges of menopause —  the Marietta OB-GYN Affiliates team is here to help. With offices in Marietta and Powder Springs, Georgia, schedule an appointment by phone or online to learn how the providers can help you live your healthiest, most balanced life during menopause.

What causes menopause?

Perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause, begins when the hormone levels in your body start to change. Technically, you’ve reached menopause when you’ve gone one year without a menstrual cycle, but you may experience all the symptoms associated with menopause — such as hot flashes and mood changes — during perimenopause.

These symptoms are caused by changing hormone levels in your body. As you age, your body produces less estrogen and progesterone, the hormones that regulate your menstrual cycle. The reduction in these hormone levels triggers a whole host of symptoms.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

While the cessation of periods can be a welcome symptom for many women, other symptoms that come with perimenopause and menopause can be less desirable. They include:

• Trouble sleeping
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Vaginal dryness, which can make sex uncomfortable
• Lack of a sex drive
• Emotional changes, including anxiety and depression
• Weight gain
• Thinning hair
• Dry skin

Not everyone experiences all symptoms, but for many women, perimenopause and menopause are uncomfortable. What’s more, these symptoms can continue for years after your last period, well into postmenopause.

Fortunately, you don’t have to simply wait for your body to get through menopause. The Marietta OB-GYN Affiliates team offers treatments designed to help you lead your most comfortable life through perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.

What can I do about menopausal symptoms?

Hormone therapy is one of the primary treatments for menopause. Keeping your hormones balanced can significantly minimize — and sometimes completely eliminate — menopausal symptoms.

The Marietta OB-GYN Affiliates team helps her patients keep their hormones balanced through bioidentical hormone therapy.

What is bioidentical hormone therapy?

Adding estrogen, progesterone, or both to your body can make up for the lowered production of these hormones, which can help women feel like their “normal” selves. However, finding the right balance can take time. To help patients feel their best in the most natural way possible, Marietta OB-GYN Affiliates offers bioidentical hormone therapy.

These naturally-derived hormones have a molecular structure identical to the structure of the hormones your body makes. Your body can’t tell the difference between these bioidentical hormones and the ones it makes on its own, so they’re a highly effective way to balance your hormone levels.

To learn more about menopause or bioidentical hormone therapy, call the Marietta OB-GYN Affiliates team or book your appointment online.