What is menopause?

Menopause is clinically defined as going 12 months without your period, marking the end of your fertility. Most women in the United States go through menopause in their late 40s or 50s, but symptoms of menopause can happen much sooner. This perimenopause period affects your life, mood, and sleep.

There is no cure for menopause, and you cannot stop it from occurring, but you can manage its uncomfortable effects with the expert care available at Oasis Women's Wellness Center.

What symptoms suggest I’m in perimenopause or menopause?

Not all women have severe symptoms during their fertility transition. Your mother’s experience with menopause can give you an idea of what you might expect. Common symptoms include:

• Irregularity in menstruation
• Hot flashes or night sweats
• Difficulty sleeping
• Mood changes
• Weight gain
• Vaginal dryness and painful intercourse

The fluctuating hormone levels that occur during menopause cause these symptoms. Decreasing estrogen and progesterone levels affect other aspects of your health, too, raising your risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, sexual dysfunction, and urinary incontinence.

How is menopause treated?

You can manage menopause and relieve symptoms with a number of strategies. Oasis Women's Wellness Center may suggest:

• Hormone replacement therapy
• Estrogen suppositories
• Gabapentin and clonidine, medications that may help control hot flashes
• Antidepressants

If you’re not a candidate for hormone therapy, lifestyle changes are an option, including dietary adjustments, exercise, and stress-relieving activities. You may need supplements or medication to help preserve bone health.

If you do go on hormone replacement therapy, your doctor provides you with the lowest dose possible for the shortest period of time to reduce any potential health risks.

What is vaginal rejuvenation?

Oasis Women's Wellness Center provides vaginal rejuvenation to improve your vaginal health. Changes in estrogen levels that occur during menopause cause changes to your vaginal tissue that results in a loss of lubrication. You experience dryness, itching, and pain as a result.

These vaginal changes may also make intercourse painful, causing stress in your intimate relationship. And changes to your vaginal tissue may also affect your urethral tissue and lead to urinary incontinence.

Talk to your doctor at Oasis Women's Wellness Center about options for vaginal rejuvenation to improve your quality of life and sexual comfort.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, call Oasis Women's Wellness Center for health management. Alternatively, make an appointment online.