Menopause Specialist
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Generations Women's Healthcare
Gynecology located in Norton, OH & Cuyahoga Falls, OH
You can’t avoid menopause, and many women start thinking about it a decade or more before it occurs. Susan Clark, MD, and Lindsay Smith, PA-C, at Generations Women’s Healthcare provide the most effective wellness care available for menopausal women. At the Norton and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, locations, you find a blend of medical expertise and patient-first care that welcomes open and honest discussions about topics like menopause. Schedule your visit today by calling the nearest office or making an appointment online.
Menopause Q&A
What is menopause?
Menopause is the end of a process that your body undergoes as the estrogen released by your ovaries declines. That stops your periods. Once you go 12 consecutive months without a period, you have reached menopause.
Most women experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, generally, at about the same age their mother did. A few women, however, undergo premature menopause due to surgical removal of their ovaries (oophorectomy), chemotherapy or other medical treatments, or a condition known as primary ovarian insufficiency.
Regardless of when you undergo menopause, it’s important to seek routine and preventive medical care in a supportive and knowledgeable environment, like Generations Women’s Healthcare, provides.
What health problems can menopause cause?
Many of the temporary symptoms that women associate with menopause, such as dramatic mood swings and difficulty concentrating, are more problematic in the years leading up to menopause, known as perimenopause.
Long-term health problems related to estrogen decline during menopause and/or the effects of aging may include:
- Heart disease
- Decreased bone density (osteoporosis)
- Stroke
- Urinary incontinence
- Increased frequency of urinary tract infections
- Vaginal atrophy (muscle weakening) and dryness, leading to discomfort during sex
- Loss of muscle mass
- Difficulty losing or maintaining weight loss
- Persistent hot flashes
- Relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles that may result in pelvic organ prolapse
- Thinning hair
Health risks associated with menopause are manageable. Simply put, a healthy and active life does not end at menopause.
How do you manage the symptoms of menopause?
Treatments the specialists at Generations Women’s Healthcare recommend for menopausal symptoms include bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) as well as traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that may be available in various forms.
BHRT that’s prescribed and closely monitored by a qualified specialist can effectively and safely relieve hot flashes, vaginal changes, and other debilitating symptoms associated with estrogen loss.
Otherwise, your provider recommends treatments based on a comprehensive exam that may include diagnostic lab tests to review your bone density, cholesterol levels, and other wellness issues.
You may benefit from non-hormonal medication therapy that helps slow bone loss related to osteopenia and osteoporosis. Whether related to menopause itself or the unavoidable effects of aging, you may also find it’s time to start managing your cholesterol or blood pressure with medication.
Many women experiencing postmenopausal symptoms also respond well to changes in diet, increased weight-bearing exercise, and yoga or other activities designed to relieve stress.
For the supportive, quality care you require throughout your life, including at menopause, schedule an evaluation at Generations Women’s Healthcare today. Request an appointment online or call the nearest office.
