Menopause is a natural transition in a woman's life when her period stops permanently and she no longer can become pregnant naturally. The years leading up to menopause are called perimenopause. During perimenopause, hormone levels become irregular but a woman still has her period. When a woman has gone 12 straight months without a period, she has reached menopause. The average age for menopause is 51, but it can happen anytime between the ages of 40 and 58.
Some signs and symptoms of menopause include:
While menopause is a natural process, it can significantly impact a woman's quality of life. Proper medical care and lifestyle changes can help ease uncomfortable symptoms.
Menopause occurs when a woman’s ovaries stop releasing eggs. This causes estrogen and progesterone levels to decline rapidly. These hormone changes trigger menopause symptoms like hot flashes, trouble sleeping, and vaginal dryness.
Estrogen helps regulate the reproductive system, cholesterol levels, bone strength, heart health, skin elasticity, and more. During perimenopause, the body makes less estrogen due to decreasing egg production. After menopause onset, estrogen levels drop significantly lower.
Progesterone works with estrogen to regulate the menstrual cycle. It also helps maintain pregnancy and plays a role with mood, metabolism, digestion, electrolyte balance, fluid balance, and more. Progesterone levels start declining 1-2 years before menopause when ovulation becomes irregular.
Lower estrogen and progesterone after menopause increase health risks like heart disease, osteoporosis, anxiety, weight gain, and urinary incontinence. Proper hormone therapy can help balance hormones.
Women may experience changes in mood during menopause, including anxiety, irritability, fatigue, trouble concentrating, memory issues, and depression. Shifting hormone levels likely play a role in these emotional changes.
Estrogen helps regulate key brain chemicals like serotonin, which affects mood. When estrogen drops around menopause, changes in brain function can occur, impacting mental health.
However, emotional health is complex. Menopause stress, sleep troubles, hot flashes, life changes, and lower energy levels also contribute to mood swings and difficulty coping.
Finding the right balance of hormone therapy, social support, self-care, mental health treatment, and healthy lifestyle habits helps many women effectively manage menopausal mood changes.
Every woman experiences menopause differently. At Hormone Harmony Clinic, your care team custom designs an individualized treatment plan based on your lab tests, symptoms, medical history, health risks, lifestyle, preferences, and goals.
We offer cutting-edge hormone therapy including pills, patches, gels, vaginal inserts, bioidentical hormones, and compounded formulations to target your unique hormone needs.
Our menopause practitioners have advanced training in hormone balance, gynecology, endocrinology, women’s wellness, mental health, nutrition, and integrative medicine.
We stay up-to-date on the latest menopause research and treatment options like new extended-release estradiol capsules, laser therapy for painful intercourse, cognitive behavioral therapy for hot flashes, and emerging genetic tests to predict your menopause timing.
In addition to hormone therapy, we offer a holistic toolkit to help you thrive through the menopause transition including:
We partner closely with mental health providers, pelvic floor physical therapists, sleep specialists, fitness trainers, dietitians, and other experts to address your whole body health.
Perimenopause is the years leading up to menopause when estrogen production declines. Signs of perimenopause include:
Perimenopause starts for most women in their mid to late 40s. Since it can last over four years on average, getting care early helps prevent symptoms from worsening.
Tracking your cycle and symptoms helps identify perimenopause onset. Have an annual well-woman exam after age 40 to check your hormone levels. Consider preventative care like bone density scans if you have risk factors for osteoporosis.
Early perimenopause care improves your quality of life now and sets the foundation for a smoother menopause transition later.
You've officially reached menopause when it's been one year since your last menstrual period. The average age for menopause is 51.
In the year after your final period, you may continue having menopause symptoms as hormone levels keep adjusting. Estrogen and progesterone drops after menopause increase your risk for certain health conditions over time.
It's important to start specialized menopause care to:
Have an annual well-woman exam after menopause to check your breast health, bone density, cholesterol, blood pressure, and other screening tests based on your medical history.
Hormone testing around age 50 provides crucial data to guide your treatment plan. Getting optimal hormone balance now protects your health, vitality and quality of life.
Pinpointing your individual hormone changes is key for the best treatment results. We check levels of:
Estrogen – estrogen deficiency after menopause causes hot flashes, bone loss, heart risks, and genitourinary symptoms.
Progesterone – progesterone supports estrogen’s benefits for heart health, blood sugar regulation, water balance, electrolytes, fluid balance, bone density and more.
Testosterone - testosterone helps regulate sex drive, energy, strength, cognitive function and prevents abdominal weight gain.
Thyroid – low thyroid function exacerbates menopause symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, anxiety, hair loss.
Vitamin D – many women are low in vitamin D, increasing PMS, bone loss, pain, mood changes, fatigue, and infection risks.
Based on your lab results and symptoms, we create a personalized prescription plan. We also provide nutritional support, fitness recommendations, stress reduction techniques, and other lifestyle guidance tailored to your needs.
Hormone Harmony Clinic offers diverse menopause hormone therapy options allowing us to customize treatment based on your lab results, medical history, symptoms, preferences, sensitivities, budget and goals:
We help determine the best delivery method and hormone types for you. Extended release, low dose and ultra-low dose options provide gentler hormone regulation.
At Hormone Harmony Clinic, we monitor your treatment plan closely to ensure optimal hormone balance and symptom improvement. Follow up with us every 3-6 months and:
We partner with you throughout the menopause transition to sustain balanced hormones, ease symptoms, and safeguard your future health.
Bioidentical hormones have the same molecular structure as the hormones made in your body. Derived from plant sources, they are modified to match human estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
Compared to synthetic hormones, bioidentical hormones:
At Hormone Harmony Clinic, we offer specialized bioidentical hormone therapy tailored to your unique hormone deficiencies and treatment goals:
Adjusting your bioidentical hormone dosage and delivery method helps stabilize symptoms. We closely monitor your levels and fine-tune your regimen over time for optimal results.
In addition to in-house menopause care, Hormone Harmony Clinic partners with exceptional local practitioners to support your whole-body health during midlife changes:
Carrollton Regional Medical Center – full-service hospital offering women’s imaging, lab testing, gynecology, primary care
Renew Medical Spa – rejuvenating spa treatments plus cosmetic procedures
Mind-Body Solutions Counseling - therapy and support groups
Living Well Nutrition – specialized clinical dietitian guidance
The Exercise Coach – personalized fitness training
We facilitate referrals and coordinate your multidisciplinary care team for seamless treatment focused on your unique needs.
Traditional Chinese medicine has actually used herbal remedies to treat menopausal symptoms for centuries. One study found that an herbal formula called Er-xian decoction, containing ingredients like epimedium and curculigo, was as effective as hormone therapy at reducing hot flashes and improving sleep quality for menopausal women. The formula works by promoting circulation and regulating hormones.
Getting menopause care when symptoms first develop prevents discomfort from escalating. Tracking subtle changes helps identify perimenopause onset years before your final period.
Estrogen and progesterone fluctuations during the menopause transition can negatively impact your blood vessels, bones, brain health, pelvic floor, genitourinary tissues, skin collagen, muscles, joints, digestion, fluid balance and more.
The earlier you restore hormone balance, the lower your risks for issues like heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, chronic pain, dementia and anxiety later on.
Don’t tough out frustrating menopause symptoms for years. The right treatment improves your sleep, energy, relationships, work performance, fitness, resilience, confidence, enjoyment of life and sense of well-being.
Consistent hormone therapy starting in perimenopause helps:
Balancing your hormones now is an investment in your health, vitality and quality of life for years to come. You deserve to feel your best!
At Hormone Harmony Clinic in Carrollton, our menopause care experts have helped women thrive through midlife changes for over 25 years. We provide:
Our clinicians have advanced certification in menopause medicine, hormone therapy, gynecology, endocrinology, integrative health, nutrition and women’s wellness. We stay current on the latest research and best practices.
Our time-tested regenerative health programs incorporate bioidentical hormones, nutrition, detoxification, fitness and stress reduction for optimal hormone balance. We customize cutting-edge therapies focused on your unique imbalances and goals.
In addition to personalized in-house care, we coordinate top-tier specialists, testing centers, compounding pharmacies, physical therapists and other practitioners to support your specialized treatment plan.
Our compassionate, woman-centered approach provides the information, counseling, community referrals and ongoing support you need to make empowered choices during the menopause transition and beyond. We're here to listen and help you reclaim your energy, comfort and joyful spirit.
