Menopause

What is menopause?

Menopause is defined as the stage in a woman's life that happens 12 months after your final menstrual period. After menopause, your body produces much less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Your ovaries stop releasing eggs and you can no longer become pregnant.

Uncomfortable symptoms may accompany menopause, but your women’s health provider has treatments and solutions that can make this transition easier.

It’s time to reclaim your menopause journey.

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A menopause aged woman riding on a moped in the country side

What are the stages of menopause?

Many women refer to the months or years leading up to their last period as menopause, but menopause actually happens in three stages.

Perimenopause

The years leading up to menopause are called perimenopause or the menopausal transition. For most women, perimenopause begins in their mid to late 40s and lasts about four years, although it can be longer for some.

True menopause occurs when you stop menstruating permanently. More specifically, a woman is considered to be in menopause after 12 months with no menstrual cycle. In the US, the average age for a woman to reach menopause is 52.

Postmenopause

After menopause, you enter the postmenopause stage. When postmenopause begins, you may experience fewer symptoms associated with menopause. However, your risk of heart disease and osteoporosis increases, so your years after menopause should focus on taking care of your body by eating well, exercising and seeing your provider regularly.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

Changing levels of estrogen and progesterone during the menopausal transition can cause a wide range of symptoms. Symptoms of menopause include:

Anxiety, depression and mood changes
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Irregular periods
Memory problems and trouble focusing
Sleep problems related to low levels of progesterone
Urinary incontinence
Vaginal atrophy (dryness and irritation)

When to see a doctor

Your women’s health specialist can help you manage many symptoms of menopause, so don’t feel like you need to handle this transition alone. If menopause symptoms negatively affect your daily life, schedule an appointment to talk about possible treatment options.

What causes menopause?

In most cases, menopause is a natural change that occurs with aging. Some women, however, go through menopause earlier than normal due to health conditions and other factors.

What long-term health conditions are associated with menopause?

During and after menopause, women’s bodies go through many changes that can trigger certain long-term conditions. It’s important to know that after menopause, women face a higher risk for some diseases and symptoms. Talk to your provider about ways to lower your risk and monitor your health after menopause.

Cardiovascular disease

Estrogen is linked to heart health, so when levels decline as part of menopause, women are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Many women experience atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the arteries. Additionally, hot flashes are linked to high blood pressure.

Menopause diagnosis

In most cases, a formal diagnosis of menopause is not necessary, as women notice the signs and symptoms on their own. However, doctors can do blood or urine tests to measure levels of the hormones follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol to determine if you have started perimenopause or have passed menopause.

Menopause treatment

Not all women require treatment for menopause. However, if menopause symptoms are severe or interfering with your quality of life, your women’s health provider can recommend options for treatment.

Hormone replacement therapy

Your body produces lower levels of estrogen and progesterone during the menopausal transition. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) replaces some of these hormones to help ease symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. The two types of HRT include:

Estrogen therapy: This type of hormone therapy provides estrogen only.
Estrogen progesterone/progestin hormone therapy: If you haven’t had a hysterectomy, you also need to take a hormone called progestin along with estrogen. This helps reduce the risk of endometrial cancer that can happen with estrogen alone.

Hormone therapy can be taken as pills, gels, sprays and skin patches. For vaginal dryness, estrogen is available as a tablet, vaginal ring or cream.

Research has shown that HRT can put you at slightly higher risk for breast cancer, endometrial cancer, heart disease and other conditions. Talk to your provider about the risks and benefits of these treatments.

Find specialized care for menopause

We help you manage menopause with services at a location that fits your needs. We offer several locations for your care, including specialized women’s health centers in North and Central Texas.

Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth

1400 8th Ave , Fort Worth, TX, 76104

Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth

1400 8th Ave , Fort Worth, TX, 76104

What is menopause?

What are the stages of menopause?

Perimenopause

Menopause

Postmenopause

What are the symptoms of menopause?

When to see a doctor

What causes menopause?

Natural menopause

Early and premature menopause

What long-term health conditions are associated with menopause?

Cardiovascular disease

Menopause diagnosis

Menopause treatment

Hormone replacement therapy

Find specialized care for menopause

Frequently asked questions

Can you get pregnant during menopause?

Does menopause make you tired?

Can menopause cause nausea?

Can menopause cause dizziness?

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