Our Health Care Team is highly skilled and experienced to
help you transition through menopause comfortably.
During your private consultation, a member of our health care team will guide through an educational process.
We will discuss various lifestyle choices to benefit you in the areas of diet, exercise, heart health, bone health, mental health and hormonal health.
We will educate you on the risks and benefits of hormone therapy. We will also educate you on other available treatment options, both prescription and non-prescription, as well as non-medicinal and alternative options.
What is happening?
As you age, significant internal changes take place that affect your production of the two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. During the years just before menopause, known as perimenopause, your ovaries begin to shrink. Levels of estrogen and progesterone fluctuate as your ovaries try to keep up hormone production.You can have irregular menstrual cycles, along with unpredictable episodes of heavy bleeding during a period. Perimenopause usually lasts several years.
Eventually, your periods stop. Menopause marks the time of your last menstrual period. It is not considered the last until you have been period-free for 1 year without being ill, pregnant, breast-feeding, or using certain medicines, all of which also can cause menstrual cycles to cease. There should be no bleeding, even spotting, during that year. Natural menopause usually happens sometime between the ages of 45 and 54.
What is BHRT?
BHRT stands for bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. It means that the hormones used are exactly like the hormones produced by your body. Some of the commercial products available have subtle differences to your body’s natural hormones and may not be 100% recognized by your body.
What do hormones do?
Estrogens also play an important role in the menstrual cycle, female development and bone health. There are 3 main types of estrogen in humans, estrone, estradiol and estriol.
Estradiol is the strongest estrogen of the three major estrogens. Estradiol is the main hormone involved in the menstrual cycle and is responsible for maintaining the lining of the uterus, the endometrium.
Estrone is the next potent estrogen and can be coverted to estriol and or estradiol when the body needs it.
Estriol is the weakest of the 3 common estrogens. Estriol’s levels are very high during pregnancy. It is the estrogen that is least associated with hormone related cancers.
Progesterone is essential for the maintenance of pregnancy and it is the main hormone in the second half of the menstrual cycle. Progesterone has receptors in the brain, bone, breast, bladder, blood vessels, thyroid gland and reproductive organs. One of its main functions is to oppose the growth effects of estrogen.
Testosterone is produced in small amounts in women. It helps provide a general sense of well being, improves sex drive. It is also involved in heart, skin and muscle health.
Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, plays an essential role in immunity, inflammation, metabolism and hormone regulation.
Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and cortisol are just some of the hormones that work together as a team. Complete balance between hormones is crucial.
