Menopause is a natural transition in a woman’s life that typically occurs between the ages of 40 and 55. When the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone, menstruation ceases and the woman is no longer fertile. Menopause is typically confirmed when there is no period for 12 consecutive months. For some women, menopause can occur as early as the late 30s, or as late as the 60s. However, the average age of onset is 52 years of age. When menopause occurs before 40, it is considered premature menopause.
Medically induced menopause refers to menopause brought on suddenly as a result of surgery (removal of the ovaries), chemotherapy or radiation therapy. For most women, menopausal symptoms diminish during the initial 2 to 5 years. On the contrary, for some it may take more than 10 years. Be aware that the degenerating effects of diminishing or absent hormone levels continue long after symptoms are gone.
Women’s hormone levels begin to change in their middle to late 30s. Perimenopause is the process of change that leads up to menopause and usually occurs 2 to10 years prior to the onset of menopause. During perimenopause, progesterone and estrogen levels (as well as other sex hormone levels) decline. However, progesterone declines more rapidly than estrogen. These fluctuating and declining hormone levels cause menstrual cycle changes, such as irregularity, or heavier or lighter cycles.
Eventually, progesterone and estrogen levels drop enough that the menstrual cycle stops and menopause begins. The decline in hormones causes many of the well-known physical and emotional symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause. Symptoms vary from person to person and can be dramatic or simple, gradual or abrupt in onset.
The severity of symptoms is influenced by insults to the body. Excessive or chronic stress, poor nutrition, lack of exercise and exposure to environmental toxins all contribute to the decline in hormone levels.
While well known, the debilitating effects of the resulting hormone imbalance are often underestimated. At the The Anti-Aging Center at Make You Well, multiple approaches are utilized to achieve the balance necessary to alleviate the distress and bodily degeneration caused by menopause. Methods utilized include:
Optimizing and balancing hormones with Bioidentical hormones not only helps ease menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms. In addition, it may also decrease the risk of osteoporosis, colon cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
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