Menopause
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Holy Cross OBGYN
OB-GYNs located in Mesquite, TX & Terrell, TX
As women slowly transition out of their childbearing years, they pass through menopause, which officially marks the end of ovulation. While that journey may sound uncomplicated, menopause can be fraught with side effects that present serious quality-of-life issues. Whether it’s hot flashes, weight gain, or night sweats, Dr. Maduka Odogwu at Holy Cross OBGYN has several tools that help women in Mesquite, Texas find some balance during menopause. If you’re suffering from menopausal symptoms, call the office or book an appointment using the online form.
Menopause Q & A
What is menopause?
Menopause is the transition every woman makes as her reproductive system begins to wind down and ovulation slowly draws to an end.
To officially enter menopause, you need to skip 12 menstrual cycles in a row. This exact number is in place because many women experience irregular periods leading up to menopause -- a period called perimenopause -- often skipping several months at a time, only to have their period come again.
Most women go through menopause in their late 40s, and the average age of full menopause is about 50. Once your ovaries stop producing eggs, they also stop producing hormones, namely estrogen, which drives many of the changes and side effects you may experience.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
Every woman experiences menopause differently. Some women sail through with relative ease while others are left battling years of debilitating symptoms. The most common of these are:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Change in libido
- Mood changes
- Weight gain
- Problems sleeping
- Thinning hair
- Vaginal or urinary tract infections
Again, some women may experience only one or two of these for a short period, while others suffer through sleepless nights and unwelcome changes in their bodies. Most women fall somewhere in between.
The bottom line is that every woman is different, with different lifestyles and thresholds. If your symptoms are disrupting your daily routine and having a severe impact on your quality of life, there’s a lot Dr. Odogwu can do to help.
What are the treatments for menopause?
Since the primary culprit behind many of the side effects of menopause is the drop in estrogen, it follows that your hormones are a good place to start for treatment. After reviewing your symptoms and your medical history, Dr. Odogwu may recommend some form of hormone replacement therapy to regulate your body.
Other medications, such as low dose antidepressants, may help with some of the symptoms, including hot flashes and mood changes.
If you’d prefer a more natural course of treatment, Dr. Odogwu recommends lifestyle changes that can have a big impact on your symptoms. For example, diet and exercise play an important role in how your body handles the change in your hormones.
The good news is that you don’t have to suffer through menopause silently. Call Holy Cross OBGYN to find out more about treating your symptoms. Or you can use the online scheduler to book an appointment.
