Menopause Treatment Specialist in Eugene, OR

Menopause is a naturally occurring process that is part of biological aging and occurs in those assigned females at birth, typically starting between the ages of 45 and 55. The process of menopause starts due to a gradually lessened production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, with their presence being what regulates menstruation, and their decline signaling a decline in fertility as well. Once the hormone production levels have reduced by a significant amount, the body will stop producing eggs, meaning the patient will no longer experience periods.

The most common, natural biological cause of menopause is aging, but there are some medical interventions or health conditions that trigger menopause as well, including the surgical removal of the ovaries, undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, and primary ovarian insufficiency, which causes premature menopause.

Going through menopause means that eventually, your periods will stop occurring entirely. Menopause will cause significant changes in the menstrual cycle leading up to menopause, with the periods becoming less frequent as the body decreases the production of the reproductive hormones until the periods stop occurring altogether and no more eggs are being released anymore. The multiple years of having less frequent periods is referred to as peri-menopause, and only once the patient has not had any periods for at least 12 months is it then considered to be menopause, after this point, it will then be referred to as post-menopause for the rest of your life. The reduction of estrogen and progesterone production will not only lead to a loss of fertility and egg production but also often causes other physical symptoms and increases the patient’s risk for developing other health conditions.

With such significant changes in hormone levels, there are many various symptoms that are regularly associated with menopause, with some people only experiencing a handful of them during their peri-menopausal transition, and others experiencing most of them. The symptoms will also vary in intensity from person to person as well as from day to day.

Menopause will often cause the following symptoms:

– Hot flashes (intense feelings of warmth that occur suddenly and sporadically) or cold flashes
– Vaginal dryness
– Increased frequency of urination
– Night sweats
– Tenderness of the breasts
– Insomnia
– Changes in libido
– Mood swings
– Irregular periods that may be lighter or heavier
– Headaches
– Weight gain
– Soreness of the joints and muscles
– Temporary increased difficulties concentrating or with memory
– Worsened symptoms associated with PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
– Thinning or loss of hair

The period-specific symptoms will occur typically around menstruation, but the other symptoms can occur randomly. The symptoms may change over time, with many people experiencing various symptoms over a period of 2 to 10 years.

It is recommended that when patients start to experience some symptoms that are commonly associated with menopause, they schedule an appointment with a menopause specialist just to make sure that there are no other underlying conditions that may be causing the symptoms. Particularly, irregular vaginal bleeding should be checked out by a specialist to confirm whether it is menopause. Patients should seek professional medical care from a menopause specialist if their associated symptoms are starting to interfere with their day-to-day lives, as a specialist will be able to provide them with effective symptom management recommendations. If you are experiencing significant vaginal dryness that is causing discomfort during intercourse, a menopause specialist will be able to provide symptom relief or recommend treatment options to minimize this symptom effectively, both short-and long-term.

Even though all patients who have ovaries will undergo menopause at some point throughout their lives and the symptoms are entirely normal, you should not have to suffer through any uncomfortable symptoms any longer than necessary. Accessing quality medical support from a menopause specialist as soon as those symptoms start is very important in managing those symptoms and addressing any questions or concerns regarding menopause.
 
To learn more about menopause treatment, please contact us or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 911 Country Club Rd. Suite 222, Eugene, OR 97401. We serve patients from Eugene OR, Irving OR, Goshen OR, Coburg OR, Springfield OR, Cresswell OR, and surrounding areas.