Menopause Specialist
>
Our Services
>
Menopause
Fort Lauderdale Women Care
Gynecologists located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Menopause is an inevitable fact of life for women as they age and their reproductive systems wind down. This new stage in life is sometimes accompanied by unwelcome side effects and Dr. Khadra M. Osman, Gynecologist at Fort Lauderdale Women Care in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, offers several solutions for reducing or eliminating the unpleasant results of menopause.
Menopause Q & A
What is Menopause?
Quite simply, menopause signals the end of your reproductive cycle. You’re considered to be in full menopause once you’ve missed 12 periods in a row and your ovaries have stopped producing estrogen and progesterone.
Menopause typically starts with perimenopause, which is the period leading
up to menopause. Most women enter perimenopause in their late 30s through their late 40s, reaching full menopause by their late 40s to early 50s. That is, of course, assuming a natural transition, as certain cancers, treatments, and procedures (like a hysterectomy) can throw women into early menopause.
The average length of the perimenopausal period is four years, during which time you may experience irregular periods, and increasing side effects, as your hormone levels begin to drop off.
What are the side effects of menopause?
As you enter menopause, your female hormone levels, which are mainly responsible for producing eggs, begin to drop. While some women don’t have any reaction to the drop in hormones, others may experience moderate to severe changes, such as:
-
Mood swings
-
Vaginal dryness
-
Hot flashes
-
Night sweats
-
Painful sex
-
Incontinence
-
Headaches
-
Troubles sleeping
-
Weight gain and decrease in metabolism
These symptoms are often temporary and vary by woman. If your symptoms are hurting your day-to-day activities, make an appointment at Fort Lauderdale Women Care to find out how to reduce their impact.
What are the treatments for menopause?
Since menopause is a natural transition for women, there’s no cure for it. There are, however, many ways to manage the side effects that are affecting your quality of life, such as:
-
Hormone treatments to regulate your hormone levels
-
Lubricants for vaginal dryness
-
Topical hormone creams
-
Low dose antidepressants
There’s also a lot you can do at home to lessen the impact of menopause such as:
-
Exercise regularly
-
Pelvic floor strengthening (Kegel exercises)
-
Regular sleep
-
Reduce caffeine and alcohol
-
Deep relaxation techniques
-
Good nutrition
Many of these lifestyle suggestions make good sense for your overall health, but when your body is in the middle of a big change, such as menopause, these lifestyle changes can make a significant contribution toward easing this transition.
Dr. Osman works with you to negotiate this journey into your post-reproductive years as seamlessly as possible, without sacrificing your quality of life.
