Personalized menopause care to help you manage the transition
Menopause is significant, life-changing and something to embrace—not dread. At Baylor Scott & White, you have access to a team of OBGYNs and women’s health providers who understand the physical, mental and emotional changes that occur during this phase of life. You will find compassionate care and a range of menopause treatments designed to minimize discomfort and optimize your health and wellness, whether your transition lasts months or years.
Menopause and perimenopause
Many women confuse menopause, a single point in time 12 months after your last period, with the menopausal transition called perimenopause. This transition can begin long before menopause, usually between ages 45 and 55, but occasionally in the late 30s. It is the time when hot flashes, mood changes and other symptoms appear.
Your OBGYN can help you understand when you enter perimenopause based on symptoms, such as changes to your periods and hot flashes, and with a variety of tests that measure hormone levels.
Hot flashes
The most commonly discussed symptom of menopause, hot flashes, occur for reasons that aren’t fully understood. They begin in perimenopause when you still get your period and last into postmenopause.
Hot flashes, characterized by a sudden surge of heat in your upper body, can occur at any time, often leading to flushing and sweating, followed by cold chills once the episode has passed.
Your provider can offer several hormone- and non-hormone-based treatments that have been shown to be successful in managing hot flashes.
Insomnia
Many women experience insomnia and sleep disturbances during perimenopause. These changes are due to dropping progesterone and testosterone levels and night sweats (hot flashes that occur at night), which can disrupt your sleep.
Your provider will start by helping you better understand your sleep issues, pinpoint the cause and determine the most appropriate course of treatment. You may benefit from a sleep study, for example, or therapy to address your mental health. Treatments, such as hormone replacement therapy, may also help.
Mood swings and other cognitive changes
Brain fog, depression, mood swings and anxiety can all develop during menopause, and many women report increasing forgetfulness.
Your provider understands how frustrating and difficult these symptoms are and can help you find ways to manage them.
Hormone replacement therapy may be an option for you, but your provider can also suggest other medications or therapies that will help improve your mental well-being during and after menopause.
Vaginal problems and decreased libido
During perimenopause, your vagina might become dry, which can make sex uncomfortable. You might also feel less interested in sex than you were before. Vaginal dryness is a symptom that all women will experience over time.
Your provider knows these changes can occur, so you should never feel embarrassed or uncomfortable bringing them up. Medications and special vaginal inserts can help address these problems, so you can enjoy sex as much as you did before the transition.
Your health in postmenopause and beyond
The drop in hormones that comes with menopause raises concerns related to your heart and bone health.
Your provider will focus on ways to protect your heart from an increased risk of postmenopausal heart disease, address risk factors for osteoporosis, and ensure you stay up to date on breast cancer screenings to protect your breast health.
Our menopause care services
Menopause may be inevitable for all women who reach a certain age, but uncomfortable symptoms are not.
Not all women need treatment for menopause symptoms, but if you do, you have many options. Your women’s health provider will work with you to find the best treatment or combination of treatments for your symptoms.
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Hormone replacement therapy
Hormone replacement therapy
If you find that symptoms of menopause are bothersome or are affecting your quality of life, hormone replacement therapy can often help.
At Baylor Scott & White, you will have access to the latest hormone treatments for menopause, and your provider can help determine what is right for you, including systemic and local estrogen therapy and combined hormone therapy.
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Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
Bioidentical hormones are made from plant sources and have the same structure as hormones produced by the body. There is no evidence that bioidentical hormones are safer than standard hormone replacement therapy, but you can talk with your OBGYN if you’re looking for a natural alternative to HRT.
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Medications
Medications
Non-hormonal therapy can also help treat menopause. Options known to alleviate hot flashes include antidepressants and certain medications for seizures and high blood pressure. You can also ask your provider about treatments to relieve pain during sex.
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Complementary therapies
Complementary therapies
You may find that yoga and meditation help reduce your symptoms, and acupuncture has been shown to help specific side effects of menopause, including hot flashes. If you’re interested in an alternative approach to care, your Baylor Scott & White OBGYN can help you weigh the pros and cons of integrative medicine to find the most effective option.
Hormone replacement therapy
If you find that symptoms of menopause are bothersome or are affecting your quality of life, hormone replacement therapy can often help.
At Baylor Scott & White, you will have access to the latest hormone treatments for menopause, and your provider can help determine what is right for you, including systemic and local estrogen therapy and combined hormone therapy.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
Bioidentical hormones are made from plant sources and have the same structure as hormones produced by the body. There is no evidence that bioidentical hormones are safer than standard hormone replacement therapy, but you can talk with your OBGYN if you’re looking for a natural alternative to HRT.
Medications
Non-hormonal therapy can also help treat menopause. Options known to alleviate hot flashes include antidepressants and certain medications for seizures and high blood pressure. You can also ask your provider about treatments to relieve pain during sex.
Complementary therapies
You may find that yoga and meditation help reduce your symptoms, and acupuncture has been shown to help specific side effects of menopause, including hot flashes. If you’re interested in an alternative approach to care, your Baylor Scott & White OBGYN can help you weigh the pros and cons of integrative medicine to find the most effective option.
Find a location near you
You can find comprehensive care for menopause symptoms and other women’s health concerns at Baylor Scott & White locations throughout North and Central Texas. No matter which location you choose, you’ll have access to women’s health services throughout our system.