INDUSTRY INSIGHT
MENOPAUSE
SPONSORED CONTENT
HELP!
I’ m Having Hot Flashes! By Christina Cirucci, MD
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m having hot flashes.”“ I can’ t sleep.”“ I’ m irritable and moody.” These are common concerns that I hear from women going through menopause. Menopause is a naturally occurring change in women that happens on average at age 51. For most women their menstrual periods become irregular and start to spread out for a few years prior to menopause. Once a woman has had no menstrual flow for a year, she is considered to be officially postmenopausal. The period of transition prior to menopause is defined as the perimenopause. The symptoms of menopause and perimenopause are a result of the decreasing production of estrogen by the ovaries. In women who have surgical removal of both ovaries, menopause is an abrupt change called surgical menopause. In either case, for many women the perimenopause and menopause are associated with a lot of distressing symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, decreased sex drive, and vaginal dryness. The severity of the symptoms varies among women. For some women the symptoms are mildly bothersome, but for many women they are quite distressing and life interruptive. The good news is that there is hope, help, and treatment! There is no need to suffer alone.
There are options for women suffering from the symptoms of menopause. Many women going through the menopause transition come to my office and say“ I’ m having terrible hot flashes and night sweats and I can’ t sleep and I’ m really bitchy … but I don’ t want hormones.” Although hormone replacement therapy( HRT) is the most effective treatment for the symptoms of menopause, it is not the only treatment. HRT gained a bad reputation after the landmark study, the Women’ s Health Initiative, released results in 2002 showing an increased risk of breast cancer, clots,
stroke, and heart disease in women taking a common form of HRT. Many women are surprised to learn, however, that HRT is much safer than they thought. In fact, the incidence of each of the above mentioned symptoms is less than 1 in 1000 women per year. In younger women( who start HRT closer to menopause), the risk is believed to be less. Many times women with terrible menopausal symptoms who initially did not want HRT but then try it for a short time, return to my office saying,“ Wow, I actually got sleep this past year.” Although HRT is an effective and relatively safe treatment for menopausal symptoms, it is not for everyone. Treatment should be individualized. Some women do not want to accept the risks of HRT. Some women are not candidates for HRT because of their personal medical history, such as breast cancer or clots. Fortunately, there are other options such as other prescription pills and creams and non-prescription modalities. Each woman’ s situation is different, which is why a discussion with your gynecologist is important. Treatment for menopause should be tailored for the individual woman, taking into account her medical history and risk factors, severity of symptoms, and her preference. Don’ t suffer in silence. Menopause is a natural midlife transition that can be the beginning of a new and positive chapter in a woman’ s life.
This Industry Insight was written by Christina Cirucci, MD.
Dr. Cirucci is a board-certified gynecologist with Premier Women’ s Health. She enjoys seeing women of all ages and has a particular interest in menopause. She is a national certified menopause practioner and a member of the North American Menopause Society.
Dr. Cirucci is accepting new patients. Appointments can be made by calling 412.741.6530. Most insurances are accepted.
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