Menopause is a natural transition that all women experience as they reach middle age. The years leading up to menopause are known as perimenopause. This time is marked by changes in hormone levels that can cause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood changes, trouble sleeping, and more.
While some women sail through “the change”, others find symptoms disrupt daily life. The good news is that lifestyle changes and medical treatment can provide relief. Identifying and managing symptoms is key to feeling your best during this transition.
Menopause occurs when menstrual cycles stop permanently and natural estrogen levels decline. This usually occurs between the ages of 45-55. In the US, the average age is 51.
The depletion of estrogen during menopause causes changes throughout the body. Some effects are temporary, while others persist. Understanding what to expect can help you be proactive about self-care.
Symptoms vary widely from woman to woman. Changes can develop gradually or seemingly overnight. The most common menopausal complaints include:
Not all women struggle with menopause or require treatment for symptoms. But if “the change” interferes with sleep, mood, sex life, or quality of life, it may be helpful to consider medical therapy.
While many effects of menopause resolve over time, some changes persist. Prolonged estrogen deficiency can increase risks for certain health conditions, including:
Making heart-healthy lifestyle choices and getting recommended health screenings becomes especially important after menopause. Staying proactive helps ensure you thrive in the years beyond.
Menopause hormone therapy (MHT) replaces estrogen lost during “the change”. Often, progestogen is included to help protect the uterus. When hormones are restored to healthy levels, many bothersome symptoms subside.
MHT delivered via skin patch, vaginal insert, gel, spray or pill. Doses can be adjusted based on your needs and health factors. The safest duration of use is typically four to five years.
Potential benefits include relief from:
- MHT is highly effective at reducing hot flash frequency and severity in most women. For some, it may eliminate these symptoms completely. Taking hormones can mean better sleep, improved energy and less disruption to daily life.
- Declining estrogen commonly causes dryness, thinning, inflammation and shrinkage of vaginal tissues. This can make sex extremely painful. MHT reverses these changes via direct treatment of vulvar and urethral tissues. Many women report restored comfort and pleasure during intimacy.
- The hormonal rollercoaster of perimenopause and menopause has been linked to mood disorders like depression and anxiety. Multiple studies find that restoring hormone levels often improves mental health for menopausal women.
- Estrogen plays an important role in bone remodeling and calcium absorption. MHT halts accelerated bone loss for many menopausal women, reducing risk of fractures. It also helps slow progression of osteoporosis.
- While subtle, some women notice that MHT improves skin elasticity, hydration and thickness during menopause. Hormones may also boost hair growth and shine.
If menopause has you feeling off in body or mind, hormone therapy may help get you back on track. Continue reading to learn about treatment options and specialized care available from Hormone Harmony Clinic.
Hormone Harmony Clinic provides specialized menopause and hormone therapy services to women throughout Bloomfield and surrounding New Jersey communities.
We offer both convenience care gynecology and access to certified menopause practitioners (CMPs). Our compassionate, women-only staff understands the sensitive nature of menopause. We partner with patients to optimize treatment plans for their unique needs.
There are many reasons to choose Hormone Harmony Clinic for your menopause and well-woman care:
Hormone Harmony Clinic provides comprehensive menopause care grounded in compassion, understanding and clinical excellence. We go beyond simply "prescribing hormones" to nurture all aspects of women’s health.
Determining if menopause hormone therapy is right for you begins with thorough lab testing and evaluation of your symptoms and health history.
We help uncover the root cause of troublesome menopause concerns. Accurately assessing hormone levels allows us to develop a tailored treatment plan addressing the specific issues you face.
Testing we commonly order includes:
Blood hormone panels - These reveal levels of key hormones like estradiol, testosterone and progesterone which influence menopause symptoms and risks. Testing may be done one time or multiple times depending on need.
Thyroid testing - The thyroid regulates body temperature, heart rate, mood and other functions. Imbalances often mimic menopause symptoms. Testing ensures thyroid trouble gets treated, not missed.
Vitamin D - Many women have low “sunshine vitamin” levels, sometimes causing exhaustion, pain, low immunity or bone loss instead of or in addition to menopause issues.
Specialized biomarkers - Additional blood or saliva tests help us dig deeper when needed to uncover out-of-balance hormones, nutrient status, inflammation markers impacting health, etc.
Diagnostic testing provides objective data, takes the guesswork out of treatment plans and allows us to closely track patient progress on therapy.
During your consultation we will:
We further refine therapies over time through follow-up visits and testing to ensure optimal symptom relief and safety as hormone levels and needs change.
Hormone Harmony Clinic’ full-scope menopause diagnosis clarifies the “why” behind your symptoms. This is the first step in helping you feel healthy, vibrant and like yourself again.
Many women are unaware that some herbal remedies like black cohosh, dong quai, and evening primrose oil can help ease menopausal symptoms. Small studies show these herbs may reduce hot flashes and mood swings. More research is still needed, but they provide a potentially natural way to support women through this transition.
Hormone Harmony Clinic provides cutting-edge hormone treatments helping women overcome debilitating menopause symptoms to enjoy this stage of life.
Prescribed hormones can include:
Declining estrogen commonly triggers hot flashes, vaginal dryness that hurts sex, urinary issues like leakage or urgency, sleep disruptions, mood disorders, accelerated aging and bone loss during perimenopause and menopause.
Estrogen therapy may include:
Estrogen effectively relieves most symptoms when dosed properly. Delivery methods like skin patches, sprays, gels, inserts or pills allow customization for individual needs and preferences.
We thoughtfully adjust estrogen doses over time as needs change to provide optimal relief while ensuring safety. Starting low and going slow protects long-term wellbeing.
For women with an intact uterus, progesterone or a similar progestogen medication must be incorporated alongside estrogen to guard against abnormal overgrowth of uterine tissue.
Progestogen therapy options include:
Progestogen is cycled according to whether you’ve reached menopause or not. Delivery methods vary from oral to injection to intrauterine devices.
Testosterone is not just a “male” hormone. In women, normal testosterone levels keep libido upbeat, energize the body, boost mood, maintain bone and muscle mass, spark motivation and improve body composition.
Declining testosterone during perimenopause and menopause causes issues like low sex drive, fatigue, memory lapses, declining strength and athletic performance and weight gain.
We diagnose testosterone deficiency with blood testing. If levels are low, we may suggest bioidentical testosterone cream, tablets or pellets to restore optimal functioning.
The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland produces hormones regulating temperature, weight, mood, heart rate, digestion and energy production. Many women develop low thyroid function as estrogen declines.
We test all our menopause patients for thyroid problems. Custom-compounded thyroid medication returns levels to an ideal range, resolving stubborn symptoms.
DHEA is a supplementary hormone improving energy, mood, immune function and bone density in some women with age-related depletion. We test levels and supplement when appropriate.
Hormone Harmony Clinic believes modifying key lifestyle factors works hand-in-hand with medical therapy to help women thrive through menopause.
We provide personalized guidance on:
Nutrition - What to eat and what to avoid to keep symptoms in check, maintain healthy weight, support fitness and wellness.
Exercise - New Jersey winters make outdoor activities like walking challenging. We suggest local gyms like Bloomfield FitSpace, indoor pools perfect for sore joints or specific programs for building bone density.
Stress Relief - Bloomfield offers many yoga studios like The Yoga Nook helping relieve anxiety. Massage therapy encourages relaxation while easing muscular tension. Mindfulness classes teach meditation, breathing exercises, journaling and more for coping with stress in healthy ways.
Relationship Support - Changing desire, discomfort during sex and sleep disruptions often strain emotional intimacy. Couples counseling provides tools for navigating this transition together.
Bioidentical Hormones - These custom-formulated hormones precisely match human hormones down to the molecular level, offering superior safety compared to synthetic or animal-derived hormones. Hormone Harmony Clinic prescribes bioidentical hormones for all appropriate patients.
Lifestyle approaches enhance hormonal therapy for optimal symptom relief, quality of life and longevity. Our providers offer referrals to respected local practitioners providing services aligned with our integrative model of menopause care.
Summary: Hormone Harmony Clinic Delivers Specialized Menopause Care in Bloomfield
Hormone Harmony Clinic offers comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause health concerns. Our clinic provides:
We understand menopause can be unpredictable and emotionally challenging. Our compassionate women’s health experts offer specialized care navigating this transition with grace.
Our Bloomfield clinic is located at 123 Hormone Way.
Let us help you rediscover your energetic, happy, balanced self this menopause season!
